Didn't Brant invent the mountain bike?
No, he mounted a bike.
No he overbiked a Mountie
Yes, chip. Where can we find pics of you and your achievements?
I might be able to dig out my coca cola gymnastics no4 badge if my mums still got it.
Do you want a picture of me now with it or the one when I was 6 in my tighty whities.
It's weird. It's almost as if Charlie is a religious figure to folk on here. Odd.
I'm really looking forward to reading Charlie's book. Its pretty cool that we have Charlie posting on the forum, he was there at the start with a bunch of mates who came to shape the sport we all know and love. That I'm really thankful to him for.
As an aside I dropped Charlie an email a couple of years ago about going on a ride, I was in San Francisco and hoped he could take me out. He replied saying no problem. Unfortunately my flight was severely delayed and I didn't make it, I'm still gutted about that. I hope the invitation was an open one.
Good luck with the book Charlie, and thanks.
It's almost as if Charlie is a religious figure to folk on here. Odd.
or we respect what he did and dont want to be needlessly rude to him to show how awezome we are.
Its amazing that Charlie is on here and posting, a true founding father of the sport.
Whats a shame is how much of an arrogant tosser he seems to be. I hope his internet persona is not his real life one, they usually ain't.
I will read the book though, it sounds awesome.
some pretty trolly language and lack of respect has been used on here neal- plenty on this page alone. Its not so much the points raised as the way they were raised
CK didn't exactly enter the thread (or participate in it) with a [i]massive[/i] amount of respect though did he ?
And his posts have come across pretty juvenile (me me me) and quite sneery.
I know the history, and loved reading about it "back in the day"
And to be honest, I'm kind of disappointed (in a "never meet your heroes" kind of way) with the way CK has approached this thread.
I was [b]hoping[/b] it wasn't actually him, just someone arsing around 🙁
rossatease - Member
There were events like the Man V Horse, and we had Man v Mountain bike (I've got some old standard 8 video somewhere I really must digitise it).
The very first UK mountain bike events in Britain were the Bicycle Action 'Fat tyre five' series of 1984. As I recall CK was involved with setting up the magazine as well as the helping to promote the events.
As for who raced first down hill:
Early bicycles existed at a time when there were very few surfaced roads in existence and most of those were cobbled and covered in horse dung. You can be sure that someone somewhere raced down hill and recorded the results. The point is that these one-off events didn't evolve into a long lived sport. That is unless someone knows of a down hill variant of Cyclocross?
There is a large amount of luck involved in whether innovators ideas either take off or die a death. If Raleigh had said to Geoff Apps in 1980... "That's a great bike design, lets make a few hundred to see if they sell"... We could now be discussing whether Apps invented off-road cycling. Instead they thought it to be a 'niche' design. Even when the mountain bikes started selling well in the US circa 1983,they decided it would be a short lived fad and so only started making mountain bikes in 1985 after their road bike sales started to decline. By that time the likes of Muddy Fox, Ridgeback, Saracen and Specialized had stolen the market.
It's almost as if Charlie is a religious figure to folk on here. Odd.
For me, it's that I'd rather he post on here, than not post on here.
The posts are fairly self-promotional, but I know in the past there have been some interesting exchanges.
I would have interested to find out more about the op's Rik Garner though too.
But why? No respect was shown by Charlie in his opening post, IMO he set the bar low for how he was going to talk to other members.
+1. I think he got the response his rather unpleasant OP deserved.
Deveron53 - So it’s ok if repack rider “comes in a bit strong” but I’m a Troll if I’m apparently “ever so slightly sneering” in a reply aimed at Rusty Spanner about how serious I can take someone who “comes in a bit strong” and takes the time and effort to stick an avatar in his posts on an avatarless forum.
If I wanted to be a troll there would be no “ever so slightly sneering about it”.
Junkyard - lazarus
"It's almost as if Charlie is a religious figure to folk on here. Odd."or we respect what he did and dont want to be needlessly rude to him to show how awezome we [s]are[/s] [b]would be if we had ever actually done anything other than sit around sneering.[/b]
FIFY 🙂
And to be honest, I'm kind of disappointed (in a "never meet your heroes" kind of way) with the way CK has approached this thread.
Indeed.
Ooh been busy working so didn't spot that I've now become a troll.....oops!
This thread is hilarious though, loving that you've changed your picture repack rider.....it's not the fact that it was a dodgy picture that someone complained (at least I don't think that it was) more the fact that you feel the need to have a picture of yourself at the top of each one of your posts!
This thread reminds me of surfmatt and his awesome exploits 🙂
Credit where it's due though, you obviously crave attention and before this thread I'd no idea who you were....now I know your name, that you're in a band and move pianos for a living. I believe you have a book out too?
his first post FWIW
Beg to differ. In 1981 Specialized purchased four bikes from Gary Fisher and me, the basis for the Stumpjumper.Talk is cheap. Show me the photos from 1976. If he "invented the mountain bike," why doesn't he get any credit for it?
Tame by STW standards and this thread
I struggle to believe that you were all so upset by the robust nature of that reply that you felt compelled to reply in the way that you did and even though you did it was all his fault anyway
I dread to think how you will treat someone if this is how you treat a hero
Junkyard... Get over yourself.
I dread to think how you will treat someone if this is how you treat a hero
Seriously, get over yourself and Charlie ffs!! He's not my hero, never would have been and certainly won't be after reading his posts on here. My grandad whom fought in WW2, was wounded and spent a year as a POW was my hero. He never seemed to tell many people of his exploits though, just cracked on with life as a disabled veteran right up until May this year.
From a poster meetingan old mountain biker to someone's granddad being hurt in ww2 - *cringe*
Only on here. I think both sides of the argument need to take a read throughthis thread.
As I said before - embarrassing.
It is Singletrack In A Can
Get over yourself.
a well argued exposition of just how rude his first post was and how you were not the rude ones.
Tom the word hero was used by neal and then Njee so why are you criticising me for it's use in a post not aimed at you?
How many stw members does it take to start an argument?
Time has a habit of distorting the truth. All I get from CK'S posts is a man passionate about protecting the truth and his place in mountain biking's legacy. If I was in his shoe's, I'd be very robust in my language if I kept reading half truths and inventions about the things I new as fact, not least because I was actually there and very much a part off them.
Sorry Junkyard, I'm not really a seasoned stw arguer.....your last post has me stumped for a response (I'm not sure I understand your point in it tbh) you win.
I do find the need to post an Avatar and ongoing name check a bit weird.
Rachel
How many stw members does it take to start an argument?
What size argument would you like?
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Alright, enough. Play nicely or don't play, one page of discussion to four pages of bickering is not an acceptable ratio.
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I don't think for a second that CK is here to boost his own ego. For that all he needs to do is look out of the window to see copies of the bikes he helped bring to existence. Bikes that can be seen on virtually any street in the world. He is simply a born communicator who is passionate about mountain biking. Though after all these years of hearing how everyone who rode across a field pre 1979, invented the mountain bike, must be pretty tiring.
He is unashamedly here to promote his new book, and I for one don't have a problem with that. Especially in a forum frequented by fellow mountain bike enthusiasts.
I'm personally not interested on who is or is not a troll, or whether people prefer to use avatars. However the pre-history of mountain biking is long and fascinating and well worth discussing.
The history of the invention and development of triple chain-rings, cantilever Brakes, fat tyres, and large capacity derailleurs, should all be included in any comprehensive history of mountain bike development.
And there is also the involvement of US pioneer John Finley Scott, who made a bike in 1953 that was very close in design to the later mountain bikes. He called it his "Woodsie" bike after the purpose built English(woodsie)rough-stuff bikes that inspired him. He also owned English style rough-stuff bikes and helped fund the start-up costs of CK's Mountainbikes company.
I'm going to buy that book.
All I know is that you could not go into a shop and buy a mountain bike before the late 80s. What was being done before was not what we would call mountain biking. I was on a group ride with Geoff Apps back in the day, and what he was into was not what we were into. Both was riding bikes off road, but only one was mountain biking. We all looked to California. Call it marketing if you like, it doesn't change the fact.
Tom the word hero was used by neal and then Njee so why are you criticising me for it's use in a post not aimed at you?
Can we be clear, I commented on Tom's post, I certainly didn't call Charlie my hero. Big word to band around, and not one I'd apply to anyone from cycling.
llama - Member
I'm going to buy that book.
"I was on a group ride with Geoff Apps back in the day, and what he was into was not what we were into. Both was riding bikes off road, but only one was mountain biking. We all looked to California. Call it marketing if you like, it doesn't change the fact."
My understanding is that the American mountain bike pioneers were into a wide range of riding types. Everything from Downhill and Cyclocross to off-road cycle touring?
Out of interest, how did Geoff's group ride differ from your own idea of mountain biking?
Tom the word hero was used by neal and then Njee so why are you criticising me for it's use in a post not aimed at you?
Just to be clear, I did use the word hero, in inverted commas, to try and describe a type of feeling.
I was not saying that I thought CK was a hero. Or that he was "my hero"
How many stw members does it take to start an argument?
I'm going for 1, though I might be overestimating
Here we go again. 😯
I'm happy to know CK and you can't ague about his CV.
Wiki 'Legit' and you'll find CK. He is, absolutely, the 'hero'
of my movie. BTW: I've still got lots of copies of Klunkerz. It
would make a very nice companion to CK's excellent new book,
if you go in for that sort of thing.
Ride on
I thought CK was Chris King....
Was that the wrong thing to say?
We're not asking the really important question here- who first said "stoked"?
I one rode in race that Gary Fisher was in and was dumb struck just when I wanted to say something profound and meaningful that would convey my gratitude for making this sport.
Bastard was too fast for my slow wit...
Anyway thanks CK will pop book on my Xmas list 
Good question Northwind. I want proof though, not just a wikipedia entry or a homemade website or some other shit. Proper, documented evidence. Like a doctors note.
Northwind - MemberWe're not asking the really important question here- who first said "stoked"?
I'm going for Thomas Savery, although Newcomen and his mates will be along soon to say that Savery's wasn't a real steam engine at all.......
Battle of Thermopylae, 480BC
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I invented the hummus, beetroot and lime pickle sandwich. Fact.
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I recently invented the Burnley Blunderbuss.
About an hour ago, in fact.
It's a long overdue update of the Camberwell Carrot.
But it's from Burnley.
And it's shaped like a blunderbuss.
if it is still burning I am on my way 😯
