It was 30 years ago today

i'll bring the frisbee

Repack Rider":26ymb1wf said:

Do the math.

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why? you calling a "safety" meeting


as my doctor says, an ounce of prevention...... costs a whole lot more than it used to.

I thought I would kick this one back to the top with some more old photos.

Here is a ride I took with friends in January, 1982. All five bikes are Ritcheys, for the simple reason that it was the only real mountain bike you could get then.

I have included a detail shot of my first Ritchey, a 1980 model customized with brass plated bars, gold anodized everything including the Magura brake levers, rims, pedals, cranks and Blackburn rack, black ano chainset, red leather covers for the brake levers, red grips and red cable housing.

I sold this bike in 1983. Probably shouldn't have, but I replaced it with my Annapurna which I still have and which is a nicer bike.

The bike behind mine in the photo belonged to a guy who worked at our shop, and he customized his all black ano and black trim with flat black paint.

more great pics from the collection, thanks for posting them CK

That red ritchey is certainly pretty cool. Any idea where it ended up?

1980, on our way back from one of the first big races in California, the Central Coast Clunker Classic.

The bikes in the truck are all Breezers. Mine is closest to the camera and Joe's is in the middle. The third bike is a Type II without the extra tubing.

Velo Club Tamalpais rider Ken Fuetsch is at left, Joe Breeze at right.

Parking lot of the Fairfax Theater, 1981.

I'm at the right, and my red bike shown in the photo above is second from left.

did your bikes get stares from passers by? was there any rivalry with the BMX boys? what was the feeling out there at the time around mountain bikes?

This photo appears on my website, but I re-scanned it and it's much better now. Taken in 1976 after a Repack race (You can see I'm still wearing my kneepads), all the bikes are Schwinn Excelsiors, and everyone except me is wearing a t-shirt with the Excelsior logo, printed by Alan Bonds.

I have included a blowup of my bike, which has a paint job by Alan Bonds, far left.

orange71":2t9nqpj9 said:

did your bikes get stares from passers by? was there any rivalry with the BMX boys? what was the feeling out there at the time around mountain bikes?

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People stared at me when I WASN'T riding. It's hard to tell whether the bike made any difference.

BMX was non-existent in Marin County. The kids had the bikes, but there was no racing scene. They all wanted what WE had.

The general feeling about MTBs was that this too would pass. Not many people paid attention to us, and it's not like today, when they are everywhere.

John":2e4l5o0s said:

more great pics from the collection, thanks for posting them CK

That red ritchey is certainly pretty cool. Any idea where it ended up?

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I saw a guy riding it in 1987. Haven't seen it since.

Great photographs, I can only imagine how much better the memories must be?

Gives me goosebumps thinking about what you guys started - thank you!