Mountain Biking

In the late 1960s near San Francisco, Gary Fisher and Charles Kelly began riding their bicycles on trails that no ordinary Schwinn could handle. With Joe Breeze, these two riders set up a group called "Clunkers" and began making their own bikes, specifically designed for off-road, rough-terrain riding. Organizing more and more races throughout the 1970s, the "Clunkers" watched the popularity of mountain biking sweep the nation, including a well-known group called "Fat Tires" in San Diego. Fisher would perfect his bike manufacturing to an art, and by the late 1990s, his hand-crafted bikes sold for thousands of dollars. Other bike shops and manufacturers followed suit, and mountain bikes had become the most common variation of the bicycle by the end of the twentieth century. The popularity of mountain bikes can be attributed to the abundant opportunities for off-road riding in most areas and the ease and comfort of riding mountain bikes when compared to skinny-tired road bikes. Whether in cities or rural areas, riders have found compelling reasons to adopt a mountain bike.

Biking, which was perfected by inventions in the 1860s and 1870s, has always sought to appeal to Americans through the indulgence of luxury. Rarely purchased as a necessity, bicycles have mostly been acquired as luxury items. The first great wave of bicycle popularity in 1870s saw the high-wheel bicycle enjoyed by young men traveling about town. When companies such as Mead, Sears, Montgomery Ward, and Schwinn developed bicycles for Americans after World War I, bicycling became most associated with a younger generation. The younger generation almost exclusively rode on pavement or sidewalks in neighborhoods or suburban developments. During the late 1970s, riders perfected new modes of riding and varied designs in order to accommodate the new uses.

Some of these new riders sought to explode the limitations of traditional riding and design. Mountain or dirt biking would take place off of trails and roads, free of pavement. To a generation of young Americans breaking the bounds of many traditional activities, mountain biking offered a more intense experience, potentially full of danger and excitement. The design variations inserted fat, knobby tires, suspension, and new, straight handle-bars with a complicated gearing that allowed riders much more flexibility (usually offering 20 speeds). The bike needed to be able to adjust for use in the deep woods or on roadsides, reflecting the younger generations desire for versatility.

The entire aura of mountain biking contrasts diametrically with the very reserved, "swoop-barred ten speeds" of the 1970s. The change seems to have broadened the appeal of bicycling. During the 1980s and 1990s, mountain biking has involved more Americans at a variety of ages than any other period in biking. The far-end has also become more extreme than during any other period, as riders seek out experiences that push the limits of safety. Mountain biking, for instance, is a major component of ESPN's popular Extreme Games, an annual series of events that allow participants to tempt fate and pursue games such as a mountain bike races that offer the possibility of serious injury—a necessary "edge" to make activities interesting to many 1990s young Americans.

—Brian Black

Further Reading:

Brimner, Larry Dane. Mountain Biking. New York, Franklin Watts, 1997.

Howard, John. Dirt!: The Philosophy, Technique, and Practice of Mountain Biking. New York, Lyons Press, 1997.