Gary Fisher – Nirvana

The bike that was featured in my first round Taiwan trip in 2008. A Gary Fisher Nirvana, a hybrid.

Gary Fisher Nivarna

What is a hybrid? It is basically a cross between 2 types of bike. In my case, it is a cross between a mountain bike and road bike. That is to say, it has a mountain bike frame but with 700c wheels similar to road bike.

It was not the best looking bike there is. The paint job was a little on the horrible side, colour is all wrong. The logo looks to me outdated, like a bike from the 70s. But, it serves my purpose.

Not too bad a bike, a bit heavy but I was not too concerned about that. The only concern that I have is that the frame appears to be a bit small for me. Standing at 183cm, the bike has a 17.5″ frame. Had to raise the seat post by more than a bit, added a stem extender. But somehow, the bike looks funny to me with the extension. It is like a short person wearing super high heels to compensate. Anyway, had some modification made, change the gears and breaks to Shimano XT set. Changed the stem and seat post to Thomson Elite (heard that they are good). Bought Ortlieb handlebar, saddle and pannier bags. I was set for my first round island trip (I think).