Gary Fisher - The first and last name in mountain bikes.

Subaru/Gary Fisher Mountain Bike Team News

06/12/2008 Team

Ken Onodera Wins Japanese Nationals on Superfly

Ken Onodera of the Subaru-Gary Fisher Mountain Bike Team won a recent Japanese National Mountain Bike Race. In addtion to that accomplishment, Ken made a little history at the same time. Ken rode his Fisher carbon Superfly 29er to claim the first Japanese National win aboard a 29er.

On June 1, in race #4 of the Japanese XC mountain bike series, Ken pulled out a convincing win aboard his big wheeled bike. The race took place at a ski mountain with a view of Mt. Fuji and featured a succession of steep climbs and descents. Throughout the course was technical singletrack as well to test the riders' bike handling skills in addition to measuring their motors.

At the start of the race Ken, shot off of the line and took the lead in the first lap. He maintained a fast pace

Blasting from the start line, Onodera flew through the first lap to take the lead. He maintained a fast pace and grew his lead over the chase group each lap. At the finish, he crossed the line with a considerable gap to runner-up Kenji Takeya, an Athens Olympian.

Onodera earned his first victory of the season in addition to making the Fisher Superfly the first 29"-wheeled bicycle to be seen atop the J-Series podium. This is another historic first for the Superfly. The Superfly was also the first 29er to compete in the World Championships. In 2007, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski of the Subaru-Gary Fisher team rode a pre-production Superfly at Worlds for that historic 29er moment.