Since the days of Repack the sport exploded and splintered into various specialist sub genres, but for me this is what cycling has always been about, simple bikes out in the wild, taking on terrain that shouldn't be bike friendly.Here's a nice film that covers the birth of the sport from the perspective of a photographer who was part of that American story, tons of cool images.>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsbJojnbdYYOf course off road cycling has many points of origin, in the UK we have the 'rough Stuff fellowship', which claims to be the oldest off road cycling club in existence and predates the Repackers by several decades, here's a link to a thread that talks about that.>https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/rewriting-mountain-bike-history.226245/No doubt throughout the history of the bicycle right across the planet, small groups and individuals independently 'invented' mountain biking' by simply taking whatever bikes they had and riding them in the wild. It would be great to learn more about the history of mans off road cycling adventures and perhaps discover where this amazing sport really was birthed.Share any images and stories here.
Mtb trails have got much more extreme I was watching old World Cup videos on you tube and it's what I'd ride a gravel bike on
>>2027258Have a bump. I have an unhealthy 80's MTB obsession but like everybody who rides them these days I'm just doing logging roads and shit. I have a lot of respect for these early mad lads though. Such a crazy scene, diy and funky as hell. And the love of pain, jesus christ. Crazy to me how shit like that has totally turned on its head; nobody will just go out and be weird anymore. You wouldn't exactly expect MTB and ski bros to be spending more than I ever will on a car just to get started, but here we are.Have you read the Frank Berto book? It was not as comprehensive as I was hoping for but essential reading nonetheless. His book on bicycle drivetrains on the other hand is absurdly comprehensive and has a lot of interesting info about early MTB tech development
>>2027272Interesting, I'll check both books out.
>>2027272Month ago I rode vintage mtb with a couple bros. Did some greens in the wet and had a great time.Greens to blues are do able, but anything too rocky is just not super fun.
>>2027279Oh yeah, I'd be the last one to get in a tech supremacy argument with anyone. Totally different sport as far as the trails and bikes go. I just mean I wish there was still some of that madcap, no fucks given underground scene energy. I have definitely known some MTB guys like that but they seem to be the exception. Just so much vibe-checking and oneupmanship... guys trying to flex on you by giving "advice" (usually bad.) Sub-2k bike will elicit lots of snippy comments in many groups. A sport like this should be chill as fuck, it's so weird to meBut if there's an upside, those types of guys usually stay in their containment zones and let me have the woods to myself (totally selfish attitude I know.) "Gravel bikes" have certainly changed that a little bit. Now I can expect to see riders on roads I never saw a soul on in 10 years. But they're still vastly preferable to electric fat bike dads...
>>2027272Nice digitsIdk if it counts as weird enough for you, but I'm building a 32-29 mullet from a Mongoose frame.
>>2027258in The Adventure of the Priory School, Sherlock Holmes finds the body of the schoolmaster near his bicycle after following the bike tracks across the moor. one of his students had been kidnapped and he rode the bike off-road in an ill-fated attempt to head them off. this was published in 1904
>>2027282May well be the funniest AI slop image of all time. It definitely makes the cut, the people demand pictures>>2027314Based mountain bike history revisionist. If you ask me the late 70's Cali story is arbitrary, it was just the right place and right time for it to blow up.
>>2027311holy
>>2027259I had the same experience it was really funny what there were calling "downhill"It's also really funny to me that they had all the tech but just had no idea about geometry so they took what we're basically flatbar roadbikea and held on for dear lifeI wonder sometimes, if a modern geo, but fully rigid mtb would be better than a full suspension of back then?
>>2027280This was my experience. I rode with a booze cruise group, supposed to be casual, and brought my drop bar MTB. And while the old dudes were Ll cool about it there were plenty of younger guys who yea kept vibe checking me and saying that I need hydro brakes out here and all this shit. Like wtf? It's a hobby man, it's a game not a sport. We aren't competing.
>>2027282Please keep us updated on your mega mullet dawg I'm very excited
>>2027313Frame bags!!!!! They're bike Packers!!!!!
>>2027317Glad you enjoyed it, have another.>>2027408I'm using a Nimbus Unicycle Dominator 2 rim paired with a Novatec 135mm fat bike hub. I'm hoping the Novatec is a decent hub, I don't have many options for 36H fat bike spacing.
>>2027415I mean I'm sure it'll be good enough. How serious are you planning on riding this thing??
>>2027435I'm not an expert rider or anything, so it will probably be ok.The hard part was tires, but things are looking up. Vee Tire makes a 32" mountain bike tire now, and I heard Maxxis is working on one too. It's only a matter of time before this becomes mainstream
>>2027407I always thought roadies were supposed to be the assholes but in my experience roadies are chill and the mtn bikes bros are total dicks.>get a flat on the road>basically everyone who rides past asks if I need help, any tools, etc>get a flat on a trail>mountain bikers fly past kicking up dust and dirt everywhere. Don’t even glance my way.>one of them yells, “Damn, that sucks dude.”I can’t stand those fags
>>2027406I have a friend who used to be a pretty serious DH rider, competed and all that. He had a 29" rigid steel meme bike for a while that was pretty fun. It definitely rolled over roots and stuff and just generally behaved more like you'd expect a mountain bike to behave nowadays. Any kind of drop or ledge was not fun, though. I think the saving grace of the small wheels and 90's geo is the nimbleness; it allows you to be very "techy" with obstacles. In some situations the rigid "modern" bike felt like the worst of both worlds, because it would lead you to just barge forward over things, but there would be no travel to take the consequences
Now that Im an adult and work I can't break bones willy nilly but Im glad the mtb guys still live on being XXXtreme dudez.I owned a 90s cannondale mtb back in the day in hook em horns orange. Frankly as a taller rider Im so glad to have 700c road tires now. A 26" mtb always felt weird and small. Im intrigued by the number of companies that will deliver you a front susp mtb with a 30mm xc fork but I really dont wamt to break a boneEverything is much more controlled as a road rider. The freedom and danger of mtb appeals to youthful people.
>>2027761Yeah roadies are nicer. There's petty type A competitiveness at the group ride....yet you cant talk any trash. Even gentle ribbing is passe among the softmen. I once told a woman who bonked to Cowboy Up and youd think Id have tossed out the N Word in a library The 'community' is better but you still can only ride with em in small doses (the Saturday morning coffee ride for 30 miles and maybe a charity 100k once a season)
>>2027761anti-roadie discrimination is largely the product of cageoids who hate seeing mamils on "their" roads. think about it. mtb guys are chill guys who don't hurt anyone (don't get in my way), roadies are uptight snob assholes who make me feel bad (make me brake a few seconds early for the red light ahead)
>>2027761>>one of them yells, “Damn, that sucks dude.”Based MTBro
>>2027781yeah I think big wheels big tires no suspension is absolutely tits for poorly maintained dirt roads, like 4wd/high clearance kind of terrain, but you gotta be pretty slick to shred that setup on technical singletrack>t. has a jones lwb>>2027808kek you're a bit of a schizo but you're not wrong
>>2027258congratulations on being the perfect little consoomer
>>2028124Yees, buy $100 shit from boomers off craigslist, good consoomer
Here it is boys, as promised the Vee tire T-Monster.The wheel is currently being built up by my LBS, so I'll hopefully have it mounted by Christmas if it fits my fork.
First 32"er with proper mountain bike tread. Maxxis is working on one as well, but idk howblong that will take.Price tag was hefty at $200, but early adopters either make things by hand or pay dearly.
