2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

October 21 of this year marks the 35th anniversary of the day I and a half-dozen friends gathered at the top of a steep hill that we called ”Repack” to settle once and for all time who was the fastest dirt downhiller in the world.

As it turned out, the question was never settled, because now it is asked many times each week in locations all over the world.

On these anniversary days there is always a small gathering at the site, and I expect there will be one this year.

While Marin County gets considerable credit for introducing mountain biking to the world, it is far from correct to suggest that the mountain bike was invented here. People rode bikes on dirt as soon as there were bikes, and no doubt a few of them raced downhill, but left no record of their competition. Many others had already come up with the idea of putting derailleur gears onto balloon-tyre bicycles long before anyone in Marin County did.

What was “invented” in Marin was the SPORT of mountain biking, and the sport itself developed the bikes we have today. That sport started on that day, and the everything we now call mountain biking can be traced in an unbroken line directly to that event.

Hats off to you and your mates Charlie!

Excellent thread. I am tipping my hat to you sir.

Needs more plaid shirts….

😉

and flared jeans (with hiking boots 😀

Hi Charlie 😀

I think we should all wear plaid and dusty ripped jeans tucked into our socks on the 21st.

What was “invented” in Marin was the use of ‘mountain biking’ as a marketing term

FTFY.

My mum told me of some folks she met in Italy, in the Sixties, who raced adapted bikes off-road in the Alps. I imagine they weren’t the first.

😉

As you were.

Fred, Charlie said it, so it must be true.

He’s more right than you, me and TJ multiplied together you know.

hats off to all the 1st repack riders. 8)

He’s more right than you, me and TJ multiplied together you know.

What, more righterer than the Trinity of Argue™?

It cannot be….

Why do the merkins have to try and claim everything.

The Grifter was launched onto an ususpecting world in May ’76, some 5 months before this so called invention of mountain biking.

I know which event I can trace my unbroken line too and I’ve never been to Marin County.

All hail the Grifter

edit: Just watch your knee on those bars when the gears slip.

All hail the Grifter

(Prostrates self at the sight of True Greatness)

Cheers Repack Rider, who’d have thought it would turn out like this? 🙂

Well played RR 😀
35 years on did it turn out how you thought ?????

Im just glad you guys did it all, means we all can too! 😀

Makes my 1988 debut to mountain biking look positively tardy!

Hats off to you Mr Kelly, you helped ensure that I was on first name terms with the local casualty unit as a teenager. My sincere thanks.

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

The Grifter was launched onto an ususpecting world in May ’76, some 5 months before this so called invention of mountain biking.

I know which event I can trace my unbroken line too and I’ve never been to Marin County.

I’m talking about the SPORT, not the bikes. Similar bikes were in use 75 years before the Grifter, but they didn’t change the cycling world. If there were downhill dirt races in England before 21 October 1976, produce the records and tell me who won, because I can do that here.

If there were downhill dirt races in England before 21 October 1976

There definitely were in Scotland. doesn’t really matter about records or who won unless your race was offical.

Must be a great memory to have.

Listen to what he’s saying folks about what they did, they’re just telling how it came about in Marin. Which is what set the ball rolling for it to be recognised.

to settle once and for all time who was the fastest dirt downhiller in the world.

“the world” of a few friends in a small area of America I assume? fair enough though, don’t American’s still somehow manage to have “world series” in sports where no competitors from any other countries attend to this day?

everything we now call mountain biking can be traced in an unbroken line directly to that event.

Okay comedy Dave 🙄

Happy Aniversary (next month) anyway.

Oh aye – because no two cyclists ever raced down a muddy hill before 1976.

What an imagination you surely have.

Jesus, some of you lot need to have a word with yourselves.

Is it impossible for you to discuss anything without coming across as impolite, ignorant, & inadequate?
Pathetic.

Happy anniversary CK, enjoy it.

+1 for charlie and the boys, i attended the first uk mountain bike race as a member of a local road bike club and they were not riding grifters, that was a sporting event .

proceeds to tip hat toward the repackers