35th Anniversary of the sport
- Thread starter Repack Rider
- Start date
supremate":3784sgkm said:Pat, thanks for that! This is one of the coolest videos I know for sure - love the spirit and fun! No surprise you guys built purpose bikes for that...FairfaxPat":3784sgkm said:
Something to keep up and celebrateFairfaxPat":3784sgkm said:
Seconded on video
Thanks for that.(Desperately chasing 10 postings so I can vote in BOTM
)
Repack Rider
Senior Retro Guru
I have been accused in some circles of exaggerating the "birth of the sport" issue. After all, I am asked, didn't people race similar bikes on dirt roads before you guys did?
Human nature being what it is, I would say yes they did, but there is no record of their activities or of any race results. No one who took part in any such activities affected the bicycle industry.
OTOH, from that day in 1976 forward, there are race results on record, and every race that took place from that day on included riders who had been in the previous race, linking all these events together in an unbroken chain until the "official" organisation (NORBA) was formed some seven years later. The bikes in use became the template for every major manufacturer over the next half-decade.
While there may have been downhill races before ours, once again there is no record of the results or the participants. By creating the downhill time trial on a steep hill and a bad road, I believe we came up with a definitive new use for a bicycle that had not been seen before, and that use drove our passion for the mechanical end of the sport.
Human nature being what it is, I would say yes they did, but there is no record of their activities or of any race results. No one who took part in any such activities affected the bicycle industry.
OTOH, from that day in 1976 forward, there are race results on record, and every race that took place from that day on included riders who had been in the previous race, linking all these events together in an unbroken chain until the "official" organisation (NORBA) was formed some seven years later. The bikes in use became the template for every major manufacturer over the next half-decade.
While there may have been downhill races before ours, once again there is no record of the results or the participants. By creating the downhill time trial on a steep hill and a bad road, I believe we came up with a definitive new use for a bicycle that had not been seen before, and that use drove our passion for the mechanical end of the sport.
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
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You are always going to get that with any popular sport.
There are great arguments about the origins of football, but generally speaking recorded competition is taken as the real starting point. This is so with most sports. The equipment used or concept might pre-date organised competition, but just look at most 'inventions'. Usually they are the formalization of a technology by the adoption of a standard.
Once you guys decided to set a course and repeat the event you were indeed giving birth.
My two pence.
There are great arguments about the origins of football, but generally speaking recorded competition is taken as the real starting point. This is so with most sports. The equipment used or concept might pre-date organised competition, but just look at most 'inventions'. Usually they are the formalization of a technology by the adoption of a standard.
Once you guys decided to set a course and repeat the event you were indeed giving birth.
My two pence.
Arran":34jvhqi6 said:andrewl":34jvhqi6 said:...I’d love to attend the event, but I may just have to organise a similar event a little closer to home.
The 21st is a Friday & only 2 weeks after the Canberra Scott 24hr (4 day weekend, woot!) so I can't see myself getting over to Tassie, unfortunately.
Saturday the 22nd our time will still be Friday 21st for those well behind the times in the US
Was really thinking something informal on my local trails as organising anything bigger falls into the too hard basket at the moment.
Repack Rider":k8q98cvv said:
I think the overall impact on the sport is the major point as even if there are records of timed downhill events on rough roads (and I'm led to believe such records exist), unlike the events of 35 years ago they had zero impact on cycling or the bicycle industry whereas current mountain biking can easily trace its roots and the impact is rather obvious.
Anyway roll on the 21st/22nd of October
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