Repack Rider
Senior Retro Guru
Today I took part in the "Biketoberfest." Joe Breeze and I had agreed to lead a MTB ride as part of it, so I showed up in Fairfax at about 9:00 for the 10:00 ride. Several bike companies offered demo bikes for anyone who forgot to bring one. A display of "clunkers" and old classic bikes included an original 1978 Breezer belonging to Wende Cragg.
Our ride group numbered about fifteen. We left a little late, about 10:15, riding up Iron Spring to Alchemist, the first of the singletrack trails in the private reserve of Tamarancho. By the time we reached the first fork it was obvious that the group had a wide range of ability. Joe's 14-year old son Tommy was pushing the pace, so we split into two groups, and I led the slower riders over a shorter route. The timing was perfect, as we hit the junction at the same time. From there we we rode up to Repack for a run down into town.
Tommy Breeze took a beating before we even started the downhill, with two flats, a fall on a singletrack switchback that knocked the wind out, and finally a broken chain at the top of Repack. Fortunately it was almost all downhill from there to his house.
Back in Fairfax a band was playing and a crowd had gathered around all the demo bike and trade booths. I was rewarded for my effort with a blue wrist band that entitled me to beer from any of the dozen local microbreweries represented. I was wearing my 1972 Velo-Club Tamalpais jersey, one of maybe three still in existence, and I ran into a half dozen other former club members, including Joe Breeze, Otis Guy and Gary Fisher.
Others I saw included Retrobike regular FairfaxPat, and Darryl Skrabak, who was the first person to put the words "mountain bike" in print in his 1979 article which I have conveniently linked here. I spent a lot of the day with Don Davis, who had road raced with Gary during the '70s, and reminded me that as a member of the Ross MTB team he had raced in the last ever Repack Downhill in 1984.
Doug White from White Industries was showing some hubs, and he was happy to hear that it only took me three rides on my new bike to trash the Tune hub. I got it replaced, but if I ever need another one, I'm spending the $250 for the White Industries rear. It's a piece of jewelry.
A guy asked me if he could take my photo for the bike shop in another state where he worked. No problem, could I include my friend in the shot? Sure. Afterward I introduced my friend, because it was the first time in modern bicycle history that anyone recognized me before recognizing Gary Fisher!
Our ride group numbered about fifteen. We left a little late, about 10:15, riding up Iron Spring to Alchemist, the first of the singletrack trails in the private reserve of Tamarancho. By the time we reached the first fork it was obvious that the group had a wide range of ability. Joe's 14-year old son Tommy was pushing the pace, so we split into two groups, and I led the slower riders over a shorter route. The timing was perfect, as we hit the junction at the same time. From there we we rode up to Repack for a run down into town.
Tommy Breeze took a beating before we even started the downhill, with two flats, a fall on a singletrack switchback that knocked the wind out, and finally a broken chain at the top of Repack. Fortunately it was almost all downhill from there to his house.
Back in Fairfax a band was playing and a crowd had gathered around all the demo bike and trade booths. I was rewarded for my effort with a blue wrist band that entitled me to beer from any of the dozen local microbreweries represented. I was wearing my 1972 Velo-Club Tamalpais jersey, one of maybe three still in existence, and I ran into a half dozen other former club members, including Joe Breeze, Otis Guy and Gary Fisher.
Others I saw included Retrobike regular FairfaxPat, and Darryl Skrabak, who was the first person to put the words "mountain bike" in print in his 1979 article which I have conveniently linked here. I spent a lot of the day with Don Davis, who had road raced with Gary during the '70s, and reminded me that as a member of the Ross MTB team he had raced in the last ever Repack Downhill in 1984.
Doug White from White Industries was showing some hubs, and he was happy to hear that it only took me three rides on my new bike to trash the Tune hub. I got it replaced, but if I ever need another one, I'm spending the $250 for the White Industries rear. It's a piece of jewelry.
A guy asked me if he could take my photo for the bike shop in another state where he worked. No problem, could I include my friend in the shot? Sure. Afterward I introduced my friend, because it was the first time in modern bicycle history that anyone recognized me before recognizing Gary Fisher!
