Gary Fisher and the Amazing 1992 RS1

[nickhowe]

I started a Product Design course in ’92 in Middlesbrough and had followed the birth of mountain bikes since the eighties. I was checking out the town looking for bike shops after recently chopping in my ’87 MF Courier for a Saracen Tuff Trax Elite.

I found a great bike shop in train track underpass and as I closed in an assistant was taking a test ride of the new RS1 by Gary Fisher, one of the forefathers of mountain bike development. It was as if a Ferrari concept had just driven by, and my jaw dropped. Rear Disc brake, dual suspension was unknown for bikes in ’92. His spec’d Campagnolo racing group set was too luxurious for market, so it was replaced with XT throughout with racing short cage rear mech. It fused motocross with mountain biking creating functional beauty.

I could only afford the catalogue poster for my wall. If you have the utubes try red_dread for retro bikes.

Nick

 

[nodding dog]

The bike shop under the arches was Cykik. I got my Gary Fisher Montare from there in summer '92.

The guys who ran it were really helpful and I'd frequently drop in for a natter and to see what was new in the cabinet of exotica.

The Mert Lawwill-designed RS1 eventually morphed into the Yeti DH6 which was still getting world cup podiums in '99. It really was years ahead of it's time.

 

[user7307]

And into that Tomac DH bike...