How to describe the Gary Fisher Utopia? It's officially categorized as a 'dual sport' bike, and frankly that might sum it up well. The frame is built sort of like a cyclocross bike, veering slightly to a mountain bike design.
Actually, it might be more like a mountain bike frame design, and the front suspension and flat bar definitely says mountain bike, but the less than 80mm of travel (63mm to be exact) and the skinny, 700c tires (38mm to be exact) suggest it's more of a commuter. So essentially it's a really fast bike that's very comfortable on the road but can take some abuse and handle well on all but the worst single track. Maybe that's more than 'dual' sport, but you get the idea.
What's best of all is that it's selling for just $830. Not bad for a bike that can get you most places quickly. The Utopia has a mix of Alivio components and some house brand bikes (bar, stem, post, etc.), along with some mechanical disc brakes, all built around a relatively light weight aluminum frame. Nothing that will light the world on fire, but very good for the price and stuff you should feel good riding. Head on down to Olympia to check it out...you could feel good today.