Gavin Fisso Bike Review

I came across the Gavin Fisso while researching fixed gear bicycles in early 2012. I had a nice road bike I used for training and wanted to add a track style bike for all the urban commuting and riding I did, something to bomb around on and lock up in sundry locations without worry over flashy decals and sleek carbon. Something simple. Clean. Not too pricey.

With the Fisso I liked what I saw but couldn't find any quality reviews from owners. Bike forums were full of the usual: comments bagging on the bike from people who'd never touched it, let alone pedaled a single revolution on its crank. At Road Bike Outlet (the only place to buy the Fisso) I found plenty of glowing reviews ... too glowing. They started to feel inauthentic and a bit home-brewed. Despite all this the price and look of the bike were hard to pass up, so, without any test ride to speak of, I committed to an online order and hoped for the best.

In short and before moving on: I'm extremely happy with the Gavin Fisso. I've ridden it nearly every day for three weeks straight and am enjoying it more with each ride. For anyone looking to buy their first fixed gear at a great price or for those in need of a solid, day-to-day bike, I can recommend the Fisso with all the ethos that Internet anonymity affords me.

The only reason I'm even taking the time to create this one-post blog is for the lack of Fisso info currently out there on the interwebs. I thought I would create a solid review with plenty of photos for future researchers. To put it another way, in the words of Omar, "I'll do what I can to help y'all. But the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple."

This is just me trying to help the vast y'all of the Internet.

I got my first bike before I started kindergarten. It was a Huffy, black and red with training wheels that came off at some point. Later in grade school I got a mountain bike. In middle school and high school I rode BMX, a Schwinn Super Stock 2 that I loved dearly and rode every ... single ... day. Everywhere. All the time. (Check out the blue on that beauty and you'll understand why the Fisso caught my eye.) In college I got a road bike. I ride a lot and I've completed one triathlon to date. The Fisso is the sixth bike I've owned in my life and the second of two that I currently own (I still have the road bike).

This is just to show where I sit in comparison with yourself, dear reader, who may be considering the purchase of a Gavin Fisso even at this very moment. If you have extensive experience with bicycles and must have top-shelf components coupled with the absolute lightest and most fleet-footed of frames, then the Fisso is not for you. Because the Fisso does not come with a single component worth writing home about. That's the truth.

Luckily I kept the pedals from my road bike when I went clipless, because the Fisso's pedals will be the first thing you'll want to swap. In fact, during the 5-day shipping period, visit your local bike shop, find some simple pedals you like, buy those and have them at the ready so the included pedals need never touch your crankarm.

I've also replaced the stock bar wrap with Bontrager gel wrap. Things are looking a lot better with that one change. The included bar wrap matches the seat, but it's plastic. It looks cheap, feels cheap and is cheap. Not necessarily a bad thing, but quality wrap doesn't cost much at all and for me improves the riding experience.

Speaking of that 5-day shipping period, everything arrived on time and in excellent condition. Here are some photos:

Gavin has posted a YouTube video detailing how to put the bike together. It's decent and should get you through even if you've never built a bike. From box to completed bike, you'll probably spend about an hour getting everything just right.

A few more  negative critiques. The brakes work but they are really cheap. I let the cables stretch for two weeks and then readjusted to get everything dialed. They're working much better and feeling more responsive, which I like, but at some point I'll install a new set.

The crank clicks a bit when you throw some heavy torque at it, mostly on steep hills. Not a huge problem. I'll include an update if it gets worse with time. The tires are also very cheap. I ride a lot and I can tell already that they won't last very long.

Now to the positive.

The Fisso ships for free. It comes with a flip-flop hub which saves you from buying one and means you can decide how you'll ride: fixed like a traditional track bike that requires constant pedaling and reverse motion to stop or with a freewheel so you can coast and use brakes to stop. The frame is chromoly steel and surprisingly not that heavy. I've taken this thing on and off downtown trains and never felt overburdened.

The Fisso also rides great. I've been surprised at how smooth it is. Get it on a good stretch of flat road and the crank runs beautifully. The sturdy frame is noiseless. No creaks. Geometry feels good. I'm 5'10" and the medium (54cm) fits well. The deep v rims look great. Wheelset runs solid.

This is my first fixed gear bike and it works extremely well for everything I want it to do. I don't feel I can overstate just how smooth the ride is on this bike. If you want an urban bicycle with a clean track look at a great price, the Gavin Fisso should make you happy. Comparable bikes with this look have better components, but they start in the $750 range. For a bike that rides and looks this good, I'll save the $400.

Here are some more photos. Feel free to drop questions in the comments below and I'll respond when I can. Go ride!