I am primarily a road cyclist, but I occasionally ride off-road. I bought my first mountain bike when I was over 40 and, nearly 30 years later, it remains the only one I have ever owned, and I still ride it. It’s a steel, hard tail steed by Gary Fisher. I recently looked it up to confirm the model year and found this:

The 1996 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo is a 27 pound mountain bike with a steel and chromoly True Temper frame. The frame has a Matte  P.C.  Green finish.

The Hoo Koo E Koo 1996 is an average weight bike at around 25 pounds. It was released in 1996 and costs $749 brand new. The Hoo Koo E Koo 1996 has fork suspension.

Components

The Hoo Koo E Koo 1996 comes with Shimano STX components, including an aluminum stem, a threadless Dia-Compe Kontak Aheadset ST-2 headset and grip-shift SRT-400 shifters.

The Rock Shox Quadra fork has a true suspension.

Drivetrain

The Hoo Koo E Koo 1996 has 7 speeds and has a Shimano STX derailleur. 

Wheels

It comes with Tioga Psycho tires ( x in front and x rear.) and metal matrix composite Lobo rims.

I also found this description about it online in response to a request for information about the bike:

“You have a 1996 hkek….a us made butted steel frame with fisher designed classic geo. While not the lightest frame around, it has very nice riding characteristics. A buddy of mine raced one of those from ’96-99, and he really loved it. If I recall correctly with a Z2 bomber and decent kit he had his down to 24 lbs which was pretty respectable for steel, especially for the period. If you can get a hold of an old Judy or bomber, and have the parts to build it up then I guarantee you will have fun on it. The frame rides like steel should, very forgiving and smooth while tracking straight and stable. As others have said it is not colllectable or anything…..but it is a great bike.(one that is arguably a classic just because of the 95 grateful dead version. That paint was just awesome!)”

There is some good riding around where I live in Connecticut and I usually take it out a few times a year in colder weather on old woods roads. I used to ride on some harder trails, but advancing age keeps me on the easier paths.

I’ve always liked the bike name, the beautiful green color and the yellow shock that goes nicely with the frame color.

From Bike Radar:

“Gary Fisher, one of the founding fathers of mountain biking, is widely recognised as having defined industry standard geometry and set the sport along the trail towards what it is today. His Hoo Koo E Koo may not be the longest-established production mountain bike – Specialized’s Stumpjumper takes that honour – but through numerous incarnations has become something of an icon.”

The bike is named after a trail on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County outside of San Francisco, where mountain biking began. The trail name is Native American related to the Miwok people, or so I have read.

Most of the people I see mountain biking today are riding full-suspension bikes with carbon frames and much bigger wheels and fatter tires than my old Gary Fisher. Good for them, but I am too old to upgrade from my ‘96 Hoo Koo E Koo.