The very first mountain bike I ever laid eyes on was my buddy’s brand new 1991 Gary Fisher Paragon. I had never wanted anything that expensive before, but it didn’t matter because I couldn’t afford it. Not even close. So instead I went out and got my 1992 Tassajara and that brings me to where I am today - with a garage full of Fishers.

I saw this 1991 Mt. Tam on eBay and it was pristine and a real steal. It looks almost exactly like my buddy’s Paragon only it has the now legendary RockShox RS-1, the very first RockShox suspension fork. Having it in my collection reminds me of those carefree Spring and Summer days riding with my college buddies at Pinckney State Recreation Area just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan. Good times…

The 1992 Gary Fisher Tassajara is the bike that started it all for me. Purchased brand new at Washtenaw Cycle & Fitness (now Wheels in Motion) in Ann Arbor, MI in September 1992, it’s my very first mountain bike. As soon as the tires hit the trails of Pinckney Recreation Area just north of Ann Arbor, a lifelong mountain biker was born. Since then, the bike has been through 3 phases of updates. Phase I began immediately after purchase and included a full Shimano XT drive train (oh yeah… thumbshifters!), a Panaracer Smoke/Dart tire combo, Onza Porcipaw grips, and a Vetta Lite saddle, all done one piece at a time while still a college student on a budget in the early 90’s. Phase II kicked off after a 2002 move to Southern California where I not only found my first West Coast job at Supergo Bike Shops in Santa Monica, but also found the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains were a little more hectic than those of Southeast Michigan. Rockshox front suspension, thanks to a Chris King Devolution headset, and Bonrager wheels off a brand new Gary Fisher Sugar 2+ were added. Finally, Phase III happened when the pair of Shimano XT V-brakes just couldn’t hold back 25 years of food and beer, so an Avid BB7 front disc brake was added in 2018 along with a Bontrager Race Disc front wheel from the early 2000’s.

This 1992 Gary Fisher Paragon was purchased ALL ORIGINAL in September 2016 and given a full restoration down to the frame. This is THE Fisher I would have bought in September 1992 if I had $900 instead of $400 to spend and it arrived just in time for my 45th birthday… it was destiny…

The 1992 Gary Fisher Mt. Tam is a unicorn. It did not appear in the ‘92 catalog (nor did the Aquila) and was the only other model besides the top of the line RS-1 to feature the new RockShox II fork.

Unlike the 1991 model I found, this one was ridden hard for many years and left outside to rot in the elements. I decided to have the original fork rebuilt and tucked it away rather than subject it to 220lbs of abuse. The addition of a 2002 RockShox SID resulted in a very rideable, full XT, Japanese-made quad butted Fisher masterpiece, with a little extra (and much needed) stopping power up front in the form of an Avid BB7 disc brake.

This 1992 Gary Fisher Procaliber was purchased well used in 2009. Featuring the Italian-made Columbus Nivachrom frame, one of the lightest MTB frames ever produced, the original seat and grips had been replaced and the original tires were shot. A period correct Vetta Lite saddle, NOS Onza Porcipaw grips, and brand new Panaracer Smoke/Dart tire combo complemented the otherwise all original specs - loaded with first generation Shimano XTR M950 components. It has since seen plenty of miles and lots of TLC.

The 1992 Gary Fisher RS-1 is one of the very first full suspension mountain bikes to go into production. In spite of being known for a few “quirks,” it is my favorite vintage mountain bike of all time. This one was purchased well used on eBay in 2009 and the front end was upgraded to a Chris King Devolution headset, RockShox Sid SL suspension fork, Control stem, Specialized carbon bars, Shimano XTR brake levers, and an Avid BB7 mechanical disc brake replacing the classic Dia-Compe 987, along with Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires, Lizard Skins lock on grips, a period correct Shimano XTR rear derailleur, and a fresh set of Shimano SPD pedals. In 2017 the bike got NOS rear suspension elastomers, sent to me directly by Mert Lawwwill himself, and had the pioneering (and barely functional) Mountain Cycles Pro Stop cable actuated hydraulic rear disc brake bled, probably for the first time ever.

So my wife had a bad experience with a bicycle as a child and never tried to learn to ride again. This was my excuse to get her on a bike and we ended up adding a leash for the dog too. It turned out to be the funnest project I’ve ever done, which probably has a lot to do with leaving the bottom brackets alone. Fun for the whole family.

The 2002 Gary Fisher Sugar 2+ is the second bike in my collection bought brand new. My only employee purchase while at Supergo. It immediately got a Shimano XTR M960 drive train, Mavic 517/Shimano XT wheels, Avid BB7 disc brakes, Thomson stem, Chris King headset, and Shimano SPD cage pedals. In 2018, a period correct RockShox Sid Team fork shaved off a little weight and a Shimano XT V-brake was put up front (along with the original Bontrager Disc Lite front wheel) to mimic the intended set up of my beloved 1992 RS-1, with much better braking performance. Since then, it’s been reunited with the original Psylo fork and Avid BB7 up front.

Another pioneering bike from Gary Fisher, the 2002 Mt. Tam was one of the very first production 29ers. I had a touch of buyer’s remorse with my 2002 Sugar 2+. “VERY fun to ride, but you can’t beat a hard tail.” So when a Mt. Tam showed up on eBay a year or two later sporting reflectors and street slicks, a sure sign of a lightly used mountain bike, I jumped on it. It has since become my all time favorite bike to ride and has by far the most miles on it. Some quick changes made before I got it dirty were Shimano XT cranks, Thomson stem, Chris King headset, Lizard Skins lock on grips, and some proper WTB tires. After a few rides, I realized two Shimano XT V-brakes were even less effective on 29er rims than they had become on 26ers, so out came the trusted Avid BB7s. This was the configuration I went with for the next 13 years until a Shimano XTR M960 drive train and a pair of Bontrager Race Disc specific wheels got freed up by another project. There isn’t one thing left to change on my go to rider. Now it just hope it (and I) will last another 15 years!

After getting bitten by the 29er bug, and going on a mid-30’s fitness kick, a Single Speed 29er seemed inevitable. By this time, I had left “the industry,” but called in a favor to get a deal on a brand new 2006 Gary Fisher Rig. As soon as I got it home (thanks Joe Byrnes!), the Bongrager cranks were upgraded to Shimano XT with a Salsa chainring. With the Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes already there (thanks Gary!), a Thomson stem, Chris King headset, Selle Italia saddle, and WTB tires rounded out the upgrades. This bike challenged me to ride harder than I had ever ridden. Single speeds have since diminished in popularity, but there’s nothing quite like the challenge of getting one up a hill and the thrill of those big 29 inch wheels going back down.

The 2009 Ferrous was the last steel hardtail ever produced under the Gary Fisher brand. Thanks once again to eBay, I found one not long after the end of the brand was announced in 2010 and, hard as I tried to leave it original, the Hayes hydraulic brakes were the first thing to go. Eventually, the bike got the usual refinements including Thomson stem, Chris King headset, Selle Italia saddle, Shimano XT cranks, Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes, WTB tires, and the Lizard Skin lock on grips. Fast forward 8 years and it was time to try out one of those crazy 1x12 drive trains the whole world was talking about. So here is the FINAL version of my Ferrous with a SRAM GX Eagle drive train and the Sunrace MZ90 12-speed cassette that allows Shimano free hub compatibility with a SRAM configuration. This bike is the essence of Morano’s Garage. An instant classic, totally brought up to date and ready for many more years of riding fun!

The 2010 Gary Fisher HiFi Pro 29er represents the most advanced full suspension technology released under the Gary Fisher brand. The future was already written by the time Trek announced the Gary Fisher Collection (by Trek) would be launched for the 2011 model year. With the HiFi, we already saw G2 geometry leading to stems getting shorter, bars getting wider, skewers behaving more like axles, and Trek’s Active Braking Pivot keeping everything moving in the right direction. Today’s rugged but nimble trail bikes owe a lot to the Gary Fisher HiFi. As a devoted hard tail rider, I finally decided 2018 was the year to get a hold of this already classic bike before it disappeared forever. Starting with the frame, Fox F100 FIT fork & RP23 FIT shock, Bontrager Rhythm Elite wheels, FSA 57 Orbits headset, and Shimano XT 770 cranks, this HiFi was given an exhaustive cleaning and built up using all the usual components preferred by Morano’s Garage. A SRAM X9 drivetrain, stripped from the now 1x12 Ferrous, was joined by a Thomson stem & seat post, Selle Italia Prolink Genuine Gel saddle, Lizard Skins North Shore grips, Shimano XTR 9020 pedals, and WTB Bronson tires. It also goes without saying, the Avid Elixr brake set was replaced with BB7s and Shimano XTR 970 levers.