History of Mountain Bikes and the Sport They Hatched

With the ongoing explosion in mountain biking as a recreational activity, interest in the sport's origins and history is increasing as well. Actually, it's a good lesson in aiding understanding of where the sport is today in terms of the types of equipment that has evolved, and continues to evolve. After all, mountain biking has become an Olympic Sport. Here are some interesting facts.

Historical Facts About Mountain Bikes

Today, one of the fastest growing sports in the world is mountain biking. It's not only practiced by the elite professionals, but is also a wonderful way for the entire families to enjoy quality time together. What better way to keep fit and see the countryside?

When did mountain bikes first appear? Mountain bikes first appeared in the 1970s in California. In those times the sport of bicycling was rapidly developing. A group of enthusiasts such as Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Charlie Cunningham, Tom Ritchey, and others converted bikes for rough off road riding.

Pedaling uphill was not the strong point of the first mountain bikers. They were actually pure downhillers. They would race only dowhill and ferry the bikes up a mountain with a truck. Initial modified bikes were quite risky and often couldn't survive the stresses of downhill racing. Improvements and innovations were quickly made.

The first real mountain bike made with all new components was build in 1978 by Joe Breeze. Other giants in the field like Gary Fisher, Tom Ritchey, Charlie Kelley and Charlie Cunningham just to name a few, soon followed.

At the beginning, the bicycle industry was not very impressed with the mountain bike and many regarded it as a short-term fad. How wrong they were. In the 90s mountain biking took the world by the storm. Soon the mountain bikes were outselling the road bikes. And today, mountain biking is an Olympic sport.

Mountain bikes have really improved over the years. From the disc brakes, which are actually quite similar to the brakes on a car or a motorcycle, to sophisticated suspension. There are affordable mountain bikes for any kind of terrain - downhill, cross country, all-mountain, trials or freeride. Depending on your interest and goals, you have many choices today.

Mountain biking is a relatively new sport and recreational activity. From a bunch of enthusiasts to a mainstream sport, mountain biking is still growing and is here to stay.