This essay is reprinted with permission from Jesse Evans, an high school athlete coached by Velomuse.


Mountain biking is becoming a very popular sport. More and more people are putting aside his or her road bike and riding their mountain bike with more frequency. This is due to the fact that mountain biking gives you an adrenaline rush and it is a lot of fun. You really get a chance to see nature in its finest and get dirty at the same time. “America's gone wild over mountain biking. The lure of fat tires has spread across the nation at a remarkable pace, as millions of Americans have joined the dirt revolution and discovered the pleasures of off-road riding.” (Adventure Sports) Mountain biking got its birth in Northern California in Fairfax. These riders would take their Schwinn and would ride them downhill on Mount Tampalpais. “…Although the sport has diversified, its essence is in putting the rider’s technical and physical skill against the trial.” (Summers, 358) The pioneers gave a name to the newest cycling sport, and thanks to them they paved the way of this sensational sport. This paper will talk about the origin of mountain biking, the evolution of the bikes, and the different types of mountain bike races.

Up until about 1985, bicycles were built to last, at least those that were not made ‘big box’ Wal-Mart type bikes. Mass produced mountain bikes came along in the early eighties and rejuvenated a somewhat sluggish bike market. Mountain bikes were huge for the cycling industry. It gave new life to cycling today as we know it. (Phelin) By 1983 all major bike companies were making mountain bikes. (Klunkerz)

Road cycling has always been a popular activity for a long time. Gary Fisher, who stopped racing road because he was banned form a race because his hair was too long. He decided to stop racing on that team and league and ride recreational. Then he came up with the idea of mountain biking with a few friends. (Klunkerz) Not only did Fisher ride professionally, but so did other pioneers Joe Breeze, Otis Guy, and Charlie Kelly.

Metal workers Joe Breeze and Otis Guy helped Gary Fisher develop the first frame and mountain bike. The first mountain bikes were beefed up versions of Schwinn’s “Ballooner” Cruiser, today mostly referred as a Klunker (Klunkerz). They were called this because “these bikes were so heavy that they pushed them uphill instead of riding them uphill.” (Tomlinson, 90). Plus the tires were so thick and massive on the bikes that it looked like they were riding on balloons. These bikes were nothing compared to what we have today. Today bikes have been modified with gears, shocks, and brakes. These Schwinn bikes were single-speed, meaning that they only had one gear and that they would be very difficult to pedal the hills of Mount Tam in Northern California. (Klunkerz) This is the place where mountain biking has been believed to have been born. “The origin of mountain bike (MTB) is hotly contested, with cyclists in several countries claiming it as their own. But most accept that the “clunker” bikes built by California cyclists in the late 1970s were the creative impetus behind the birth of the sport.” (Summers, 358) Northern California has some great places to ride and it would be the perfect starting spot for mountain biking. Its release made it a hot item.

It was a huge success and paved the way and demand for this new-style of mountain bike. Many people who owned a road bike dropped the handle bars. This first mountain bike was so rugged and versatile they could ride them almost anywhere. Amazingly the mountain bike grew and surpassed the sale of road bikes by 1986, and the industry was born. (Tomlinson, 91). Since mountain bikes were becoming so popular, accessories were more common for a mountain bike than a road bike. The balloon tires made especially from the Schwinns were replaces with fat tires with knobs that resembled motocross tires. Handle bars were soon replaced with straight bars instead of road bike style. The straight bars were more comfortable. (Tomlinson, 91). These are only some of the beginning accessories that were first offered. Now we have different seats, new hand bars, handgrips, and a whole lot more.

With these single speed bikes it was difficult to control your speed because of a rear brake. A rear brake is for the rear tire. When going downhill and you happen to tap your brake handle you might loose control and wipe out. This is why the pioneers such as Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Charlie Kelly, and many more developed a sliding maneuver with their feet and bike. “Fisher is believed to the first person to add and equip a Ballooner with multiple gears, this makes it easier to pedal uphill, however adds 25 pounds to the weight of the bike.” (Tomlinson, 90). However according to the movie “Klunkerz”, directed by Billy Savage; the Morrow Bike Club were the first to show up at a cyclocross race with Schwinn cruisers with modifications. “December 1, 1974, mountain bike pioneers Charlie Kelly, Joe Breeze and Gary Fisher packed up their cyclocross bikes and headed to the West Coast Cyclocross Championships in Mill Valley, California. Contrary to the lofty title, this wasn’t an incredibly important event in the annals of cycling. Twenty-six riders took part that day, and after twenty laps, the race was won by less-than-legendary Lawrence Malone. But something historic did occur that day and, as the story goes, it happened before Kelly, Breeze and Fisher even left the starting line. The three glimpsed a pod of riders with radically evolved fat-tire bikes, something never seen before.” (Smith) The Morrow Bike Club added a derailleur similar to the one’s that would be found on a road bike and a front brake.

The pioneers, whom saw this idea, said to themselves “this is not such a bad idea” (Klunkerz). They then took that idea and added them to their bikes that they first rode, “but because the group disappeared immediately following the race, for two decades there was no source to confirm or deny its existence. It was as if the Cupertino Riders had been snatched from the future and returned from whence they came.” (Smith) Fairfax is a town in which you would find some hippies and in the late seventies when these riders were racing on Mount Tam, they would have a bag of pot for the winner. (Klunkerz) A Japanese bike company, Specialized helped produce the first officially mountain bike, without having to add any parts like Fisher, Breeze, and Kelly did for the first mountain bikes. Specialized produced mountain bikes that could be purchased at your local bike shop. Today they are one of the best bike companies in the world.

Today bikes are completely different from the first mountain bikes. Most of the bikes now have suspension added. “In its short lifetime, mountain biking has seen more technological quantum leaps than any other branch of cycling. From carbon fiber and titanium frames, to hydraulic disc brakes and internal gearbox transmissions, the quest for lighter, faster brakes has fueled huge innovation. Nothing epitomizes this more than suspension-once dismissed as heavy and unnecessary, no bike is now complete without it.” (Summers, 358) Mountain bikes today are completely different. To put it into perspective Otis Guy says, “…that the differences are basically from primates to humans.” (Klunkerz). Mountain bikes have completely evolved into something new that any rider would notice.

The first races were done on Mount Tam for fun. It was first to prove who was the fastest of all the pioneers because they all said that they were the fastests. Twenty-five people would come out every month to see who was the fastest down the Repack trail. They named it the Repack trail because you were on your Repack brake so much that you lost all the grease found on them, plus you many end you crashing or loosing bike parts, which happened quite frequently. This is why they salvaged bike shops through there road cycling sponsor shops. So they could replace the broken parts on not only their bikes but other peoples bikes as well. (Klunkerz)

There are a lot of different types of mountain bike racing. Her are a few; downhill, cross-country, dual salmon, four cross, and uphill racing. This is one of good things about a mountain bike compared to a road bike. Certainly both are unique styles of biking in there own way. A mountain bike rider who wants to race has multiple choices to choose from. In order to race professional or race amateur you need a National Off-Road Bicycling Association (NORBA).

Downhill is the most extreme of the ones listed above. It is the Formula 1 of cycling. (Fabien Barel, F1RST) Others compare downhill as the luge in the winter games and the one hundred meter dash in the summer. “Downhill racing pits riders against the clock for the best descent through a closed and gated course. The eliminator race pits rider against rider for a best score of two runs. Speeds often exceed 60 mph (97 kph) and crashes are dramatic and painful.” (Tomlinson, 95) Some of the best athletes in this competition are Steve Peat, Sam Hill, and Greg Minaar to name a few. All three mentioned have won the World Cup competition at least once in the past five years. “Though not an Olympic sport, downhill mountain biking has a similar profile, and is rapidly becoming one of the most popular of the mountain bike disciplines with its own World cup competition and numerous global series.” (Hurst, 1) The racer for downhill races “…need good upper body strength for jumping the bike and delivering intense bursts of pedaling, and trails riders need prefect balance and impeccable bike-handling skills.” (Summers, 358) These guys go really fast down a technical course and would also need good reflexes so they can re-act a certain way if there is trouble so they do not hut themselves or anyone else. Everyone that competes in downhill has to use a full suspension bike mainly because of the terrain they travel over. They have advanced front and rear shocks, as well as bigger disc brakes to stop faster and get around switchback turns better. Some of the most used downhill bikes come from brands such as Specialized, Santa Cruz, Yeti, and Intense.

Cross Country racing involves a group of riders all racing at one time. It “…pits competitors against each other and the clock for the best overall finish on a closed and gated course over grueling, technical terrain.” (Tomlinson, 95) . Cross-country is the only mountain bike event in the Olympic Games. It became “…an Olympic event in 1996, generating further interest and increasing the high-profile status of the sport.” (Hurst, 1) Cross country racers need a lot of cardiovascular fitness and stamina to last the entire race. (Summers, 358) A lot of youth are getting involved in all categories of racing. However cross-country is having the most interest. This is because of high school racing leagues. The NorCal High School mountain bike league, which I participated in my senior year of high school, is only one example. It “…works to establish and maintain safe, quality high school mountain bike programs. The League is responsible for establishing a climate that will:

Many schools are starting to have mountain bike clubs or teams. Most of the schools that compete in the NorCal high school mountain bike league start out as clubs then after a while they can go to the principal and athletic director and possibly become a fully organized team. The league is growing very fast because of the newly found interest of mountain bike racing amongst youth. Many of these young riders end-up going to a four year college and he or she might have the chance to race in the Collegiate series and the league hopes that happens.

Collegiate is just like the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, except it can involve all the types of racing. Riders do get to choose what they want to race in, however some love to ride so much that they compete in all of the different race categories that Collegiate offers. Sometimes these young riders go pro and race on a professional team or represent the United States at the World Championships. That happened just this year. A graduate from El Cerrito High School represented team U.S.A. at the world cross country championship in Italy just last year. Plus Southern California now has a cross country league that is entering its first academic (2008-2009) organized year. Not only do we have downhill and cross country racing we have dual slalom

Dual Slalom has two riders and courses (or lanes). “Dual Slalom racing pits rider against rider on a closed gated course that requires the riders to execute a number of tight turns successfully on the way to the finish.” (Tomlinson, 95) This is very similar to the skiing slalom. You have to go down the charted course and go around your tracks flags. Without that already on a riders mind the course can entail multiple jumps that you have to power or jump over and at the same time outlast and beat your opponent to the finish. It can be hard because you have to pick which lane to be in. One can be faster than the other just by seeing who finishes in what place; however they make them as close to one another in time as possible, this way each rider has an equal shot. Besides downhill, the most intense race in mountain biking, is Four Cross.

Four Cross puts four riders in one race at a time. These races can get intense with riders running into each other trying to beat everyone for the win. Crashes can involve more than one rider. “Four cross is a DH variant with four riders racing against each other on a short, downhill course, with jumps, drops, and bermed corners thrown in to test the riders’ skill.” (Summers, 359) The best line can get you not only the best time; it can make you go down without crashing or making a mistake. “Four-Cross pits four riders at a time against each other. First over the line wins and events usually involve a series of qualifying rounds or "motos" and then semis and finals. The start is controlled by a BMX-style mechanical gate.” (British cycling) Four Cross riders needs similar body builds as to those that race downhill, which is good upper and lower body strength for pedal bursts. (Summers, 358) Four-Cross is the perfect stage for riders with personality and verve - you will often see top riders demonstrating their best "moves" even in the midst of a big race. Physical contact and crashes are frequent and, on well designed courses, Four-Cross is perhaps the most spectator friendly cycle racing of all. Floodlit competition brings its own atmosphere and at World level crowds can be in the tens of thousands. (British Cycling)

Next, “uphill racing is a timed competition of sustained climbing where competitors finish at altitudes higher than where they started.” (Tomlinson, 96) This is basically a time trail. Similar to the downhill racing, uphill racing is the opposite. Instead of downhill you are racing uphill. Just like all other races the best line can help you win.

If anything happens to your bike in any race you are screwed; unless you can fix it fast and get back on pace, this way you do not fall to far behind and still have a chance to finish towards the top. However, some mechanical failures can cause you to stop racing for the day. An example of this would be if sprockets on your rims can apart or if the rim completely broke from a hard crash. Racers learn your basic mechanical malfunctions that can happen in a race. The basic repairs a racer needs to know are; flat tire, chain snap, and possibly a derailleur breaking or locking up.

With mountain biking becoming a very popular activity people should know about its history and where it came from and how it came to be. This was the focus on this paper. Not many people can trace the roots of mountain biking, because they just go and out and ride. Mountain biking is a fun activity. After reading this people should understand a basic understanding of the origin of the mountain bike, the development of the bikes from the early bikes to today’s bikes, and the races that mountain biking offers as long as you have a NORBA license. Today you are not allowed to ride the trails that the pioneers rode down, however you can hike them. Just riding in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Northern California you get a real sense of history of the men and women who paved the way of a new sport.

Works Citied

About Mountain Bike Racing. Retrieved December 1, 2008, from Bristish Cycling Mountain Biking Web site: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/mtb/mtb_about.asp


About NorCal. Retrieved November 22, 2008, from NorCal High School Mountain Bike League Web site: http://norcalmtb.org/about/index.htm#mission


Hit the Trails with NORBA. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from Adventure Sports Online Web site: http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/norba.htm


Hurst, H. T., & Atkins, S. (2006, October). Power output of field-based downhill mountain biking. Journal of Sports Sciences, 1047-1053.


.J. Phelin (personal communication, email interview, November, 2008)


Porter, C. (Producer, Writer, & Director). (2007). F1RST [Motion picture]. United States: VAS Entertainment.


Smith, J The Search For The Cupertino Riders. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Web site: http://www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/page.cfm?pageid=11


Summers, D. (Ed.). (2007). Mountain Biking. In The Sports Book The Game The Rule The Techniques New York: DK Books.


Savage, B. (Producer & Director). (2007). Klunkerz [Motion picture]. United States: VAS Entertainment


Tomlinson, J, & Leigh, E (2004). Extreme Sports. New York: Firefly Books.


Pictures:

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