Before Klunkerz of Marin, there was the French...

[GoldenEraMTB]

I agree with JB's comments on it being an evolutionary dead end, but this web page was a great read, and check out the 1953 Woodsie

http://www.xtremecanada.com/b-mtb19471987.html

if everyone knew about this already, my apologies; it was an interesting read on a lazy sunday afternoon, and just wanted to share.

Q&A with CK, JM, and BS

article also made me feel bad for liking the Stumpjumper as much as I did; I guess that's the corporate america piece of mtb history.

 

[ededwards]

Great article - and have you seen these guys rocking 'cross http://www.blackbirdsf.org/cx/2007_01.html just after the War. The First World War :shock:

 

[DM]

A great read.
And yes - J.F. Scott's 1953 bike screams "Stumpjumper". I only knew of his influence from the Klunkerz footage; I had never previously seem a profile picture of his bike. The similarities are uncanny.

 

[ferrus]

Super stuff.

It's probably been on here before, but here's an interesting vid of the french guys. -
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=491965

 

[Mr Panda]

oh that's good

 

[karlomanx]

More interesting stuff about 1950's cyclocross by Jean-Louis Swiners here and here, in french sorry

 

[Dr S]

Great article - and have you seen these guys rocking 'cross http://www.blackbirdsf.org/cx/2007_01.html just after the War. The First World War :shock:

Are there any websites that trace the history of CycloCross here in the UK Ed?

Its just a few locals talk of what was said to be the first UK CycloCross race in Northern England took part in the woods and fields behind my home near Mitford Castle. I asked Derek Purdey about it but it was before his time but he has heard the same stories.

 

[kaiser]

What a pic

 

[dyna-ti]

oh that's good

Excellent read

 

[cchris2lou]

What a pic

they called that part : le trou du diable . could be translated by the devil 's drop . :shock: