SF Chronicle celebrates the origin of Mountain Biking
 

I made the local newspaper for something I did 44 years ago.

I wouldn't call that a "scoop."

How A Wild Downhill Race In 1970S Marin County Launched National Mountain Biking Trend

Did they contact you about this story? I'm thinking they could have pryed a few more stories out of you, lol. Nice to get that recognigion.:thumb:

Sweet! Congrats,Charlie!

Congrats! Very cool!

Hear, hear!

Too cool

They made a whole documentary film about it. Lots of interviews and photos. One of my all time favorites. I didn't know the history until I watched this. I found it very inspiring at the number of guys who got rich from riding bikes and smoking dope in the woods

https://www.amazon.com/Klunkerz-Film...0335623&sr=8-7

Awesome article, Repack Rider! One of my oldest friends lives in Marin County, I have to solidify plans to go ride Mt. Tam and the surrounding country with him. So much MTB history made there.

:thumb::thumb:

need 10 to post pics . srry

Billy Savage was limited by the small amount of video available of those events. I'm hoping to turn my book into a re-creation of them..

Better "scoop" then half the stuff in the papers these days. Most of it is just the same rehash of what we already have seen every other day. Someone bombed someone else, the stock market did something, critics reviewed something from Hollywood. Big whoop, give me more Repack stories.

Whoa.. shades of synchronicity. I just picked up your book a couple of weeks ago.

Awesome account of the history!

I believe that Keith Bontrager was part of the Repack group wasn't he? Most of that crew ended up getting rich off of the idea.

Nope. AFAIK Bontrager is from Santa Cruz county, a hundred miles from Repack. In any event, he never took part and his name does not show up in any of the results.

A pic of the book for those interested. It's a coffee table book with great images and tons of text. There's a lot of info in it.

http://i.imgur.com/WtWrqFQl.jpg?1

I believe I had the greatest bicycle adventure of the 20th Century, but even if it wasn't, it was a lot better than average.

Had a question. Rode the Redwood hills area across the bay growing up and they were pretty rough from runoff. You guys manicure your roads or just go for it? When BMX came along they had their coarses pretty well worked.

Interesting comment Charlie.

I think your book has two narratives to it.

There is the historical context, in which you have done an amazing job of documenting history; describing in detail interactions at certain key times in the development of mountain biking with certain key figures. In that sense only a few could have a similar experience. Basically those who were there at that time.

But there is also the theme that runs through the book of ordinary people just digging bikes as a lifestyle. Wrenching on them, trying out ideas, mixing things up, riding, exploring new places...

In that sense, the experience and enjoyment is timeless and open to anyone who seeks it. Within reason anyone can ride hard, come up with there own spin on a bike, throw that bike in the car and drive somewhere new and explore. Rinse and repeat as many times as we want. I found your book resonated with me in that way and I read it with the sense of a kindred spirit.

The road was whatever it was that day. Some years there were deep erosion ditches, and if you got on the wrong side of them you lost time. There were blind, off-camber turns. No jumps though, because those bikes weighed 50+ lb. and might disintegrate from a hard landing.

If you ride Repack about 10 a.m. on an October morning, you will smell what we smelled, and the light will be what we all remember from race days.

Cool story. I remember when mountain bikes first came out..they certainly were all-the-rage. Congrats on the book, I'll order up a copy.

Do any of the original bikes used in the races still exist? Museum-quality pieces at this point.

Yup. Right here:
https://mmbhof.org/

On a related note, recently watched "Klunkerz - A Film about Mountain Bikes" on Amazon..good film with some great footage.

It is amazing how these guys changed the face of cycling world-wide right under our noses. Lived in the Bay Area in the late 70's to early 80's and never heard of Repack. We knew guys were riding trails over there, but they were on balloon tire bikes. How naïve and ignorant we were then!

Off the top of my head, anyone seen the movie Big Wednesday? The scene Jan-Michael Vincent character and his daughter are watching him surf when he was the top dog and the rest in the theater, booing wanting the new hotdogs back on.