The World of Mountain Biking: Latest News and Events

Whetheror not you are a mountain bike aficionado, there is something foreveryone in this world of action, awesome riders, and over the topadrenalin.

Forthose of you unfamiliar with all things mountain biking, here's abrief history. If you really want to go back and get to the nittygritty of biking, you have to take a look at the late 60's. It wasthen, in San Francisco, where two guys just got sick and tired of thehectic lives brought on in part by all the traffic in the city. GaryFisher (a bike racer banned from the traditional sport of bike racingbecause his hair was too long) and his partner, Carles Kelly, teamedup and moved to Marin County so they could be closer to nature andand manage their lives in a more laid back environment. It was herethey discovered the ultimate thrill of bombing down dirt trails onbikes. They also met Joe Breeze and the 'Clunkers' (also referred toas 'Bombers' or 'Cruisers'– old Schwinn 5 and 10-speed bikes thathad been highly modified).

FastForward to the mid 70's, where Fisher, Kelly, Breeze, and another inthe fold, Tom Ritchey, were responsible for both the organization andincreasing of 3-mile long races that were held near Fairfax,California along the Cascade Fire Trail. All the riders would startat various intervals on the course with the hope of achieving justone thing: the chance to get their hands on a real 'Clunker' and“break the 2.9 mile dirt track record that had a vertical drop ofover 1600 feet”. It was here that the Hell's Angels motto wasadopted: “Ride to live and and live to ride”. While participationand media notoriety increased over the years, due to theimpossibility of properly insuring the event locally, 1984 saw itslast race of this kind.

Today,Gary Fisher is just as passionate about mountain biking as he was thein the 60's. A self-confessed “bike-bum”, Fisher sold hissuccessful bike-manufacturing company so he could get back to hisfirst loves: racing, inspiring and, designing innovative products forcycling.

Fromthe recreational to the competitive, there is something for everyonewhen it comes to mountain biking. For the hard-core riders (or justfor pure entertainment), you can check out some of the popular movieout there about the sport. Titles include “Virtuous”, “Seasons”,“Kranked 7”, “Unhinged,” “Fluid Ride: Like a Pro,” justto name a few.

Stillcan't get enough? Look no further than Aaron Bartlett and PaulRoberts, filmmakers whose highly anticipated sequel to the verypopular “Foot Out Flat Out”, “Foot Out Flat Out 2 - Fast andLoose” is set for release on DVD November 23, 2009. This filmfeatures down hill mountain bike racing at the highest level at theUCI World Cup and World Championships. The movie was shot on 3different continents and offers viewers numerous rider sections(including Downhill and MotoX).

Inthe coming year, mountain bikers should look for the Alpine BikesWinter Series. Borderline Events and Innerleithen has partnered withAlpine Bikes, Trek, and Fox Racing, to offer a new three-racedownhill competition that will be held at Innerleithen in Scotland.The courses offered will be a mix of everything, plus old tracks willbe updated and new sections will be built. Races will be held onJanuary 30-31, February 20-21, and March 13-14, 2010.

© Shelley Vassall,2009.