INTERBIKE 2009 – Gary Fisher’s 29er lineup goes to the taller end of the travel spectrum for 29″ wheeled mountain bikes with the Rumblefish, a 120mm travel trail bike that’s made for aggressive riding.
The Rumblefish features the same G2 geometry as the Superfly 100 we covered earlier to achieve a shorter wheelbase and sharper steering than what some people normally associate with a 29er, but that’s about where the similarities end. Besides the 20mm of additional travel, the Rumblefish has a roughly 1º slacker head and seat angle, an alloy frame and generally beefier parts.  Plus, there are two models and the top-end one is about 60% the cost of the Superfly.
Hit ‘more’ for specs, photos and to see the Rumblefish on the scale…
At 28lbs 13oz for a size Large bike, the Rumblefish is in the ballpark of the Niner Rip 9 we reviewed, which also has 120mm of travel.
The bike has Fisher’s E2 tapered headtube (1.125″ to 1.5″), and the frame and stays are made of hydroformed butted aluminum with cold forged dropouts.
The top bit of the shock, which is slightly obscured by the mount on the top tube, is the Trek-exclusive DRCV (Dual Rate Control Valve) developed by Trek and built by Fox.  In essence, it opens up a second air chamber when you hit something big enough to push the shock into the second half of its travel. We covered that technology extensively in our post on Trek’s 2010 bikes here.  The shock also has Fox’s 3-position ProPedal platform, Boost Valve and external Rebound adjustment.
Like the Superfly 100, the Rumblefish’s seat tube meets the downtube a fair amount forward from the bottom bracket axle.  This, combined with the use of a direct mount front derailleur, allows them to tuck the rear wheel up closer to the pedals, keeping the rider’s weight over the tire for better traction and reducing the wheelbase for snappier handling.  The chainstay length on the Rumblefish is 453mm on the Small (15.5″ frame) and 452mm on the Med (17.5″), Large (19″), XL (21″) and XXL (23″).  (note: 452mm = 17.8″)
The bike also takes advantage of Trek’s ABP (Active Brake Pivot) design in the rear suspension.  ABP claims to keep the rear suspension active during braking and increases stiffness by reducing the number of pivots.
Like Gary Fisher bikes of past, little touches of coolness find their way onto the frame.
Full Specs:
RUMBLEFISH II – $3,990
- FOX F120 FIT RLC 29 suspension fork w/ G2 geometry and 15mm QR axle
- Fox Float RP23 rear shock with Boost Valve, DRCV and ProPedal
- Bontrager Thythm Elite 29 tubeless-ready wheels
- Bontrager 29-3 29×2.35 tires
- Shimano XT cranks, shifters and front derailleur
- XTR rear derailleur
- Shimano press-fit BB
- Bontrager Race Lite saddle, lo-rise handlebar and grips (lock-on)
- Bontrager Rhythm stem and seatpost
- Avid Elixir R brakes (185mm front / 160mm rear rotors)
- Cane Creek Frustrum semi-integrated headset
RUMBLEFISH I – $2,730
- Cooler paint job than the Rumblefish II
- Fox 120 FIT RL 29 suspension fork w/ G2 geometry and 15mm QR axle
- Fox Float RP2 rear shock with Boost Valve, DRCV and 2-position ProPedal
- Shimano SLX shifters and derailleurs
- Bontrager and Bontrager Rhythm cockpit
- Custom Crank Brothers Candy pedals
- Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disc brakes
