The BEST mountain bike in San Diego, circa 1980

[drpaddle]

This was the first purpose-built mountain bike frame in San Diego. Tubular forks and aluminum rims had just hit the market for 26" BMX bikes. However, the tires were still old-fashioned Schwinn cruiser knobbies. I had just assembled the bike in this photo, since it has the original primer on the frame. (I later had CycleArt sandblast the frame, fork, and rims and paint them desert camouflage, as shown in the Crested Butte Klunker Classic video from fall of 1980.) Notice the gray primer on the forks where I brazed on the mounts for Mafac cantilever brakes. Rear brake was an Atom drum. Pie pan on the back wheel kept the Suntour VGT deraileur from snagging in the spokes. Handlebars, brake levers, and grips were motorcycle equipment. Crankset was a TA triple touring rig. Notice the Messenger spring-loaded plastic cruiser saddle: this bike didn't even have the shock-absorption of a tapered fork, and we were experimenting with "suspension".

Notice, also, the appropriate mountain biking garb. Lycra had not yet desecrated the wilderness. Those were Sportif hiking shorts with a chamois sewn in the seat.

While this bike is long gone, I still ride the Ritchey I bought from Charlie Kelly the following year.

Cheers!

Kevin

 

[mullinino]

f

lovely looking!
....nice bike,too

 

[john]

Whoa, serious bit of history there, thanks for sharing.

Assume given the time frame this was your take on the bikes appearing further north around this time? The video to which you refer sounds intersting too...

 

[drpaddle]

I'm pleased you liked the post. I've been laboriously scanning all my slides and negatives from that period -- there are hundreds.

We were a few months behind developments in Marin at first, doing the old cruiser conversions starting in '78 or '79, but they seriously outpaced us when they started building frames. The gap widened quickly, and we all ended up buying the bikes they built.

Charlie posted links to the Crested Butte videos back in March: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94180. I created them from a VHS copy that Murdock made for me from an original provided to him by the film crew. I'm in the second part, wearing a Skid-Lid, and riding and dragging my bike through a creek.

Cheers!
(And mullinino... I'm blushing.)
Kevin

 

[drpaddle]

Some of our gang from 1980. I'm 4th from the left. Most of us were current of former ABL (now USCF) racers, and many of us worked in bike shops.
- Kevin

 

[Dr S]

I love it when these early snippets come out of the woodwork. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming!

Could you tell us more about the frame? I always presumed that the Lawwill Cruisers came as complete bikes in around 1979-80 What's the story on your frame?

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

sweet

thanks for sharing.

 

[saltyman]

love these pics and stories.

hence im always keen for pics when im out on retro rides, time flies so get snapping folks.

 

[lewis1641]

fantastac. thanks for that!

 

[mikee]

love this history stuff

i see coloured hubs and rims there ,are these off the shelf ctuiser parts?
more bike tech stuff if you please

mike