Mountain Biking Before Mountain Bikes

[drystonepaul]

I've just found a great article about the history of off-road, or 'rough-stuff' riding, which stretches all the way back to the 1890's.
It's on the Rough Stuff Fellowship website and thought it well worth sharing.

http://www.rsf.org.uk/history.htm

 

[Dr S]

I was talking to local legend Derek Purdy over lunch last week and he told me a tale about an afternoon sat resting at the bottom of Hardnott Pass in the lakes. Some old bloke on a 1920's Rudge pulled up and started chatting. Derek asked if he was going over the Pass too and the old guy replied yes but not by road. He was going over the mountain on sheep tracks instead of up the Tarmac. Derek went with him and was introduced to 'Pass Storming'. He said that to be fair there was very little riding done, it was mainly carrying.
A few weeks later he fitted stronger rims to his roadbike and joined the Fellowship. This was the late 1950's!

 

[kaiser]

MrP has a fantastic picture of him and his dad from BITD. Looks to be 1910 or so.

 

[mrlee]

wow what a good find paul very interesting theres not much info about early cycling in the uk cheers.
did you ever watch bartholomew's cycling maps with nicolas crane (map man) ? i think he started making bike maps in 1875 bearing in mind tarmac wasn't invent untill 1901 so surely they would of rode on drovers and army trail's anyway? can you imagine jacobs on pull rod brakes

 

[Andy R]

Excellent stuff - many thanks for posting that link.

 

[oldschool]

brill i can read things like that all day thanks

 

[drystonepaul]

wow what a good find paul very interesting theres not much info about early cycling in the uk cheers.
did you ever watch bartholomew's cycling maps with nicolas crane (map man) ? i think he started making bike maps in 1875 bearing in mind tarmac wasn't invent untill 1901 so surely they would of rode on drovers and army trail's anyway? can you imagine jacobs on pull rod brakes

I did see that programme yes. It was part of the 'Map Man' series which was aired in 2005. Very interesting and very well presented by Nick Crane too.

I'm sure it's available somewhere and now I've been reminded of it I'd quite like to get hold of a copy.

Jacob's Ladder up or down would be terrifying on a 45 pound bike with a fixed wheel and a single rod brake. I think my favourite quote from the linked article is from RSF member, Bob Harrison when he states;
"I never go for a walk without my bike"

Sums up the Rough Stuff philosophy nicely.

 

[utahdog2003]

That can't be right. I don't see Tom Ritchey in any of those pictures. :?

 

[Russell]

Mountain biking was invented in the 1970's in the US of A.

Fact.

 

[CTK]

Fact. Period.