My Squirrelly Gary Fisher Bike

My friend Hawaii Ed gave me a 1998 bike.

It has 21-speeds, cantilever brakes and a 15.5" frame, which is PERFECT for my short legs. I really like to have my feet close to the ground, especially if I motorize it.

This bike weighs 28.5lbs. "The Dragon Lady" weighed 45lbs before it ballooned up to 91lbs with twin engines.

The bike was rusty and hadn't been ridden for awhile. The tires are pumped to 40psi and holding air. After a LOT of chain lube sprayed on every moving part I've ridden it on grass and sidewalks.

I REALLY like this bike! Thanks Ed!

The handlebar is the straight bar type. The only thing I don't like is how squirrelly and twitchy it seems to handle. Not at all like the slow handling, laid back feeling of my cruiser bikes. If I can't get this bike to handle the way I like, I'll keep it at work for pedalling to McD's and Burger King for lunch.

What can be done to slow down the steering? Cruiser-type handlebars maybe?
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Honey, it's just a bicycle. and i REALLY need it to excercise, and to ride it to work.(hehe)

You could try tightening up the head set. Right now it's tuned so the fork turns freely, but without wobbling. You can dog it a bit just till the fork takes on a bit of drag. Don't know how long the bearing would last, though.

I'd just ride it till I got used to it. Putting drag on the fork can get kinda spooky when you have the need to turn faster. My experience. YMMV.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try to ride and get used to it first.

Hoi 5-7, I gots to thinking about what you asked after riding my Point Beach last night. I also ride a mountain bike, but my main bike is a cruiser or comfort bike. The difference with riding these bikes is that your center of gravity is different for each.

The mountain bike with the straight handle bars has your body mass leaning forward and the bars are supporting most of your upper body weight.

Comfort bikes has you sitting up straighter with higher bars. Center of gravity is moved back.

Cruisers has the center of gravity moved back even further.

Okay, so I was also riding my ebike, which now has bars with a 2 inch rise instead of the original swept back cruiser bars. I find myself leaning further forward than I'd like. I loosened the handbar stem and raised it about 3 inches. Anymore and it'll just pop out. Make sure to dog that bolt down good and tight once set. Now I'm sitting more upright with way less weight being put on the handlebars. Less squirrely and twitchy and there's still plenty of handlebar stem left in the head to hold good and tight.

If you need even more height you can either get a higher handlebar stem or a set of comfort bike handlebars which will give you another 3 or 4 inches of height.

Cruiser bars would put you totally upright and will slow down the steering. Yeah, I noticed with the Point Beach, steering is much more exaggerated than even with my ebike cruiser with the comfort bike handlebars and the extra 3 inches of lift.

Just more to think on.