The History of Mountain Biking

Although there was some off-road biking earlier, most people say the beginnings of mountain biking started in the 1970s in California. Some of the people given credit for starting mountain biking as we know it today are Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Charlie Cunningham, Keith Bontrager, and Tom Ritchey.

The first mountain bikers were mostly downhillers; they would drive their bikes to the top of a mountain trail and then race down. These first downhill bikes used coaster brakes, but the problem with these brakes was that they would over heat, so the riders would have to repack the brakes with grease, often times halfway through the descent. Later those brakes were replaced by cantilever brakes, which are both lighter and stronger.

About the same time cantilever brakes were replacing coaster brakes, some riders decided that they should ride up the mountain to truly enjoy the downhill ride. This is when multi-speed bikes with shifters and gears came about.

Since the 1970s a lot has changed. Mountain biking has become much more popular. New components like disc brakes and full suspension on bikes are just a few of these changes. There are also now professional racers; and with the rising level of competition, the performance level of mountain bikes goes up as well.