Fisher Monona, anyone here familiar with it?

[LoriO]

I have finally decided that the bike I am riding is just not right for me and went out bike shopping today. Managed to get in two bike trials before it started raining (finally get a day off and it rains...go figure).

Right now I am riding a Raleigh c200 hybrid. It is very upright and I feel very unbalanced on it. I hate it!! I don't need a true road bike (maybe someday) but right now I want something that I can hop on, ride 20-30+ miles and just really enjoy myself on. So off to the bike shops.

One of the bikes I tried today I really liked and that was the Fisher Monona. It was like night and day sitting on that compared to my old bike. I felt so comfortable on it and it was easy to stand up and pedal as opposed to feeling like I would fall over on my old bike. It just really felt good. I only got a short test ride due to the rain and I am hopefully going to try and get back over there tomorrow and try it for a longer ride.

The other bike I tried today was a Trek 7.3 FX. It was nice but I felt a lot more comfortable on the Fisher.

So anyone familiar with or ride the Fisher Monona? Would love to get some feedback from others about it. Thanks!

[HillSlugger]

I think that Fisher bikes are highly thought of, but I don't know anything about this one.

Are you also considering flat bar road bikes like the Jamis Coda or the Specialized Sirrus? They'll put you in a similar riding position but they might feel a bit quicker.

[LoriO]

I haven't seen either of those yet at the stores I went to but I still have a few more stores to hit and try. The only other thing is those may be out of my price range for now. I can really only afford something around $500. Most of my money goes to my horse's upkeep

[HillSlugger]

The least expensive Sirrus is $590. The Jamis Coda has a model at $475 and another at $600. You tend to get a lot for your money with Jamis. I love my Coda Comp ($800).

[LoriO]

Well, I tried a few more bikes today and I decided on the Giant FCR 3w. What a great feeling it is to finally find the right bike!!

[mimitabby]

I think i like that sexy Giant better than a bike whose name is Moanona!
(EEEK!!!)

[HillSlugger]

Congratulations! What color? Accessories? We want pictures!

[LoriO]

Oops sorry,

Here's a pic

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._1998_22299776

[Torrilin]

I think i like that sexy Giant better than a bike whose name is Moanona!
(EEEK!!!)

Monona. Here is a view of the lake with the WI state capitol . The bike trail that runs along the lake is generally well designed, tho the bridges are atrocious. The trail runs between the building in that shot and the water - it's a great place to ride if you are heading downtown or to the co-op for groceries. IMO the views looking away from the Capitol are prettier.

Dunno that the bike is worthy of the name. You never see a newer Gary Fisher around town, just the vintage ones.

Wingra and Mendota are the other two Madison lakes.

[KatyLady]

Good lookin bike! You're gonna feel like you're flying after riding a hybrid. Have fun.

[Beane]

Dunno that the bike is worthy of the name. You never see a newer Gary Fisher around town, just the vintage ones.

I've actually seen a few people commuting on the Wingra.

Are you also considering flat bar road bikes like the Jamis Coda or the Specialized Sirrus? They'll put you in a similar riding position but they might feel a bit quicker.

And I think they should count as flat bar road bikes since they're 700c.

[CarbonCandy]

I know you already made your choice (a nice one too), but....

They make the Fisher Fast City bikes (Wingra, Monona, & Mendota) out to be more of commuter bikes than anything else, even though they ride pretty darn close to the Trek FX. The FX are sort of the cross between a road bike and a hybrid. Kinda like a "flat bar road bike" or at least how I explain it.