The 1992 Gary Fisher Tassajara is the bike that started it all for me. Purchased brand new at Washtenaw Cycle & Fitness (now Wheels in Motion) in Ann Arbor, MI in September 1992, it’s my very first mountain bike. As soon as the tires hit the trails of Pinckney Recreation Area just north of Ann Arbor, a lifelong mountain biker was born. Since then, the bike has been through 3 phases of updates.

Phase I began immediately after purchase and included a full Shimano XT drive train, Panaracer Smoke/Dart tire combo, Onza Porcipaw grips, and a Vetta Lite saddle, all done one piece at a time while still a college student on a budget in the early 90’s.

Phase II kicked off after a 2002 move to Southern California where I not only found my first West Coast job at Supergo Bike Shops in Santa Monica, but also found the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains were a little more hectic than those of Southeast Michigan. A brand new 2002 Rockshox Duke front suspension fork, thanks to a Chris King Devolution headset, and Bonrager wheels off a brand new Gary Fisher Sugar 2+ were added along with Shimano XT V-brakes and levers.

Phase III happened when those rim brakes just couldn’t hold back 25 years of food and beer, so an Avid BB7 front disc brake was added in 2018 along with a Bontrager Race Disc front wheel from the early 2000’s. Finally, after a 26th Birthday ride (for the bike) in 2019, it was restored back to its 1992/1993 Phase I state and retired after almost 3 decades of adventures together.