45th Anniversary coming up
10-10-21, 04:00 PM
#1
Retro on steroids
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Location: Marin County, California
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Bikes: Breezer Repack 650-B, 2011 Gary Fisher Rumblefish II, Gary Fisher HiFi 29er, 1983 Ritchey Annapurna, 1994 Ritchey P-21, 1978 Breezer #2, 1975 Colnago, Ritchey P-29er
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45th Anniversary coming up
On October 21, 1976 I agreed to help a few friends settle an argument as to who was the fastest downhill rider on our modified "klunker" bikes. We had decided that a time trial was the way to make it as fair as possible. I worked out a timing system with a couple of clocks. We had that race on a steep 1.8 mile section of fire road that descended 1300 feet (14% average grade) that we called "Repack"
There is a reason they play the other 161 baseball games after the first one of the season. If you lost that first game, you want to play another that you might win. The same held true for our downhill race. The losers wanted another shot at the winner. Five days later we were back on that hill for another race, and four days later, for another. Soon, riders we had never heard of started showing up to race.
For a couple of years the downhill race took over the lives of a couple of dozen bicycle hobbyists, myself included. I bought the first generation of digital stopwatches to help time the racer. I promoted the race. Eventually I asked my friend Joe Breeze to build me a bike specifically for the race.
Gary Fisher, the course record holder, asked Tom Ritchey to build a similar bike. Tom liked the project and built a few more. He consigned them to Gary, who asked me to help sell these new bikes. We rented a garage to build bikes in and came up with the grandiose name for our company: MountainBikes
There is a reason they play the other 161 baseball games after the first one of the season. If you lost that first game, you want to play another that you might win. The same held true for our downhill race. The losers wanted another shot at the winner. Five days later we were back on that hill for another race, and four days later, for another. Soon, riders we had never heard of started showing up to race.
For a couple of years the downhill race took over the lives of a couple of dozen bicycle hobbyists, myself included. I bought the first generation of digital stopwatches to help time the racer. I promoted the race. Eventually I asked my friend Joe Breeze to build me a bike specifically for the race.
Gary Fisher, the course record holder, asked Tom Ritchey to build a similar bike. Tom liked the project and built a few more. He consigned them to Gary, who asked me to help sell these new bikes. We rented a garage to build bikes in and came up with the grandiose name for our company: MountainBikes
Likes For Repack Rider:
10-10-21, 04:04 PM
#2
Should Be More Popular
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
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Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix
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10-10-21, 04:26 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Kips Bay, NY
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Bikes: Ritchey Swiss Cross | Teesdale Kona Hot | Haro Extreme | Specialized Stumpjumper Comp | Cannondale F1000 | Shogun 1000 | Cannondale M500 | Norco Charger | Marin Muirwoods 29er | Shogun Kaze | Breezer Lightning
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Thanks Charlie! I've had much fun riding my MTBs over the years.
10-10-21, 06:22 PM
#4
Clark W. Griswold
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Charlie, thank you so much for everything you and all the other riders have done. Such a neat story and some of the finest bikes came out of that.
10-10-21, 06:44 PM
#5
Banned
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I am glad somebody out there was thinking outside the box, had a sense of adventure and invented a mountain bike..Cycling would be very boring without mountain biking and off road riding.
10-10-21, 10:11 PM
#6
Veteran, Pacifist
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Great post.
The whole thing is a great story.
I’m a former Santa Cruz’er, so close enough to be a big fanboy. And occasional rider in the N Bay Area.
Sure makes me feel old, tho’.
time flys when you’re having flyin times, on a bike.
The whole thing is a great story.
I’m a former Santa Cruz’er, so close enough to be a big fanboy. And occasional rider in the N Bay Area.
Sure makes me feel old, tho’.
time flys when you’re having flyin times, on a bike.
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Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
