While idly googling some retro stuff I found this

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44438

MOONT was a homespun bike mag/flyer produced by among others still on here, Leffeboy, Italspark, CynicAl and myself. We used Mike’s photocopier and Robin Williamson Cycles may have helped with postage costs. We wrote route and parts reviews. An early McSingletrack. It had a brief run, probably 3 issues, but a surprisingly large number of subscribers. I figure Phil Williamson must have sent it out to Charlie, or perhaps we sent it out to Phil when he worked at Noe Valley Cyclery and it found its way out to Fairfax. Who knows how these things happen, either way it made me smile.

Charlie is such a ‘class’ guy too! Couldn’t think of anyone better to be caring for your mag! Nice one Charlie. 😀

now that’s an epic picture 😀

I figure Phil Williamson must have sent it out to Charlie

If I remember correctly he got it from someone else and wrote a really encouraging letter back along with a whole bunch of early Fat Tyre Flyers

memory tastic

(and I think it got up to 5)

Edit: ’88 😯
double edit: How good to be looking through another forum and come across that – epic find mc

Is that first rider human ?

Al never mentioned he did this…

I think i need to read them!

Is that Mike at the front?

..and who is that handsome mcmoonter on the cover of the first issue?

includes such classic topics such as ‘why you should wear a helmet’ 😀

Is that first rider human ?

It’s Mike Earrey. Route Finder General. He found most of the routes we take for granted today and plenty more you’d never ever want to ride. It was a hit or miss technique. He’d check out maps, phone us on a Friday night with a meeting point and a vague plan. His mantra was ‘its all uphill apart from the downhills’. He managed to find some routes which were all uphill apart from even more uphill. A unique talent.

..and who is that handsome mcmoonter on the cover of the first issue?

Period combo of lycra, KSBs, Hannah Pro and a rucsac.

I thought he lived in Springfield…

Simply awesome, this has the making of a great STW thread

Thats very cool, do you have any copies archived?

I don’t think I actually contributed, though I do have that issue.

I remember “shorts arms for long bars” or similar – espousing the merits of short arm rear mechs (before shimano made them for mtbs, we used, Ultegra, then “600”) and short handlebars – ideal for 35mph double track downhills with a 150mm stem.

I remember “shorts arms for long bars” or similar

sir remembers very well – issue 1. Not sure if there are any more kicking around, have to rake through some old boxes

I still use some old KSB’s, was out in them today in the pishing rain and mud. The tread pattern seems to work really well with flats.

Thats very cool, do you have any copies archived?

Sadly I don’t. I’m hoping leffeboy does.

Mountain Man Mike went into a Porche dealership in Edinburgh looking for a new car. Mike outlined his needs and produced his bike. With the wheels off it fitted into the ‘boot’ of a then new 928S2. He took it for a test drive with the bike in the back.

I still use KSB’s, was out in them today in the pishing rain and mud. The tread pattern seems to work really well with flats.

No one produced a bike specific boot back then. We used them with toe clips on Suntour XC Bear Trap pedals. The last thing you wanted was to slip off them!

Yes, we used pedals’n’straps with trainers (or something like that), early 90’s I’m talkin. Don’t ever recall dressing like a court jester tho^. We were climbers and walkers and everyone I rode with wore Lycra shorts under baggies, much the same as now. Bumbag was the norm, altho I had a Berghaus bumbag that had sort of rucksack type straps aswell. I like to think it was the very first gen camelbak type style.

FWIW, I was riding here in South Wales at the same time. I found my bumbag in the shed last week. I remember buying it in Intersport in Morzine in 1997, on a kayaking/ biking/ climbing/ walking holiday. Blummin useful things bumbags. Why did we stop using them?

Blummin useful things bumbags. Why did we stop using them?

I seem to remember they kept getting bigger and bigger to the point where you had to add a couple of shoulder straps to keep them up 🙂

Blummin useful things bumbags. Why did we stop using them?

I think bottle cages became uncool and seen as spoiling the lines of your bike. Put a water bottle in yer bum bag (with all the other junk) and it cuts you in half (as I found out). I don’t even know how/why the camelbak started, was it for adventure racing or something?.
It was always a leisure activity for me, just another way to get in the mountains. Back then, for most I assume, it was racing and lycra. At some point the balance has shifted and fewer people wanted to be associated with the roadie/racing look and more climber/walker on a bike, that’s my take on it. My theory also means that we were the true trend setter fashion gurus back then, ahead of our time. 😀

Just how much does the Google love this forum? – some of those images above are up top in Google image search already from only 8 hours ago, amazing. Next thing you know all sorts of companies will be joining to post links to their dodgy products

Great thread, it has made me want to search out my Cosmic Trail helmet and purple wind proof and the crap pair of Hi- tec boots I bought in the market! I wanted a pair of those Axo clown boots but couldn’t afford them. I don’t however particularly want to see the Saracen with chain stay u-brakes ever again.

brilliant picture on the 2nd issue front cover!

Great thread, wonderful pictures.
Would love to have a read if you manage to find some old copies.

Ta.

brilliant! like many I arrived at MTBing from wanting easier access to the hills – started with yellow Rockhopper with chainstay U brakes, graduated to Stumpjumper – still with rack for weekday use – getting stuck into the Scottish hills on various tracks that sometimes didn’t quite ‘go’. And standard pedals with rucksack straps for toestraps (to accommodate the boots). Still got a pair of old style KSBs too – fab boots.

Recall a MTB XC race down Peebles way, April 1987 possibly, still have the long sleeved T shirt – mental images of snow, mud, bikes everywhere..

B.A.Nana – thats a classic pic.

This was my first ride on my new Rockhopper in 85. Straight out the box and up to the Pentlands. First ride included my first endo riding up the Green Cleugh, long before there were any trails built there.

We were involved with one of the first trail building initiatives in the Pentlands. It was a hoot, the Rangers let us use their tracked self propelled barrow. In no time we had it over loaded and were trying to transport hardcore across a marsh.

fabulous!

where in the Pentlands is/was that, mcmoonter? many happy hours/days up there, bike across to Flotterstone Inn (or even Nine Mile Burn inn in front room) and giggle our way home.

where in the Pentlands is/was that, mcmoonter?

Its at the Green Cleugh just up a bit from the waterfall after you pass the first dyke. The path route has changed completely since the pic was taken. It followed the fence line back then

gotcha. recall that now, it *was* hard going now you mention it!

Please scan and upload those Moont for me!

There wasn’t much in them, most of them were just a couple of pages of A4 folded over. I’ll have a hunt this weekend though as if they still exist I know roughly where they should be. I had a look last night but unfortunately I found a crate of leffe first…

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

McMoonter is too kind. The reason I enjoyed “Moont” so much is that it is almost exactly like the first few issues of my own magazine, the Fat Tire Flyer. If I had published in Scotland I probably would have called it the Fat Tyre Flier. I have been busy with my scanner, and if anyone here would like to see what the very first publication in the world about mountain biking was like, here are links to .pdf files.

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckimages/ftf01.pdf

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckimages/ftf02.pdf

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckimages/ftf03.pdf

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckimages/ftf04.pdf

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckimages/ftf05.pdf

http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ckimages/ftf06.pdf

Pure gold. The best bits of the internet are the bits from before the internet 😀

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

Inspired by McMoonter, I dived into the files. It turns out that I also have issue #3 of Moont, as well as the correspondence that answers the obvious question: how did I get it?

Whoah…fame for a certain stw poster!

I still have a few magazines to scan. One has a mountain biking on Ben Nevis article from around 88. I’ll try and get it done this week.

Brilliant. Thanks all for sharing.

Question for Team Moont.
Were you the crowd that used to ride the Scottish Grundigs in Tartan kit?
🙂