Riding Repack - A History Of Mountain Biking | GMBN Retro Week

[@vonweizhacker]

This could have been 3 hours long and I would watch it.

[@amc_sounds]

You can (almost), it's called Klunkerz

[@Mr_RichardH]

Was lucky to have a guided tour around the Museum by Joe Breeze in 2016. What an absolute gent. I was in heaven for a couple of hours, grinning like an idiot.

[@samstrolia]

This is where I'm from, grew up riding these trails. Mount Tamalpais, Camp Tamarancho, China Camp, and more. Fun stuff

[@RESolberg]

I rode a lit of single track back in the 80’s. I had a Schwann Timberline. It was rigid chrome-molly. It was fun in those days. What ever you showed up with and what ever you wore didn’t matter. It was about the ride.

[@robinheil]

I just got a '90s Taiwanese Schwinn full rigid as my first MTB and am loving it

[@MaQuGo119]

I would fatter and sadder if it was not for this amazing sport, thanks to all who have contributed to develop it.

[@dereksmith3632]

Who knew, The Grateful Dead may have influenced the development of mountain biking 😀

[@joshallen6520]

Derek Smith literally so cool!

[@lusenator]

Surprised they didn’t say it but apparently the winner usually got a big bag of weed

[@Wizler71]

Then the heat came round and busted me for [riding] on a cloudy day.

[@dereksmith3632]

@@Wizler71 hot damn cuz, that was good 👍

[@ashleyphotog]

Gary Fisher produced a limited run of Grateful Dead art bikes back in the 90's

[@colinthompson5881]

During Mountain Mayhem quite a few years ago got to ride for about 5 mins with Gary Fisher. Everything you’d hope he’d be, super cool, totally chilled down to earth and friendly. And love of bikes and being with other riders just shone through. #legend. Ned Overend was there as well, but I couldn’t catch him up 😀

[@markturner-smith5309]

Poor Doddy that bike looked terrifying! Respect to the Mountain Bike founders. XC racer of the 90’s myself - look back now think how in earth did we ride or race such bikes!

[@AthelstanEngland]

Father's what?

[@markturner-smith5309]

@@AthelstanEngland mistyped and edited now.

[@AthelstanEngland]

@@markturner-smith5309 lol no worries I was just being a jerk pointing out the erroneous apostrophe. :)

[@xrocket100]

I think it’s great to look back at the beginnings of MTB it gives you a real appreciation of how good we have it now with current equipment and doff of the cap to guys who got us here!

[@ronwhite8503]

Being an old git (and a skinflint!) I am loving the retro week...... especially as I still use my two old, steel Konas regularly.

[@gadgetsgalore]

My first foray into MTB was on a steel rigid orange Kona Lava Dome which I quickly purchased a white Manitou fork for it. I called it the creamsicle. Been riding ever since. Enjoy the ride!

[@ianholmquist8492]

Steel is real

[@ghazypangerang6118]

@@gadgetsgalore i believe Neil has a lava dome as well.

[@007artimus]

“Nice, crispy orange chain”. This video is so awesome.

[@jenmac287]

Fellas what a great video it was good to see the old hero’s of mtb on the show I actually ride a. Nice old Gary fisher and enjoy it very much Well done

[@dcorica79]

My 1st expensive bike i bought was a Gary fisher aquila.. Been buying gary fishers ever since... I now ride a Gary fisher x-cal 29er..

[@Wizler71]

My first two real mountain bikes were Gary Fisher (Kaitai and Hi-Fi). They served me well and I loved them. His catalogs were fun with outlandish costumes, hairstyles and glasses.

[@welshy8216]

I Still ride a mid 90's Gary fisher kaitai & enjoy it too

[@kevinmontgomery1383]

@@welshy8216 My first Mt Bike was a Fisher. I had no clue, that I should have just changed components'. I could not change gears, with out backing off the pressure, on the cranks. Our Oldest daughter, husband, and family, have lived in Marin, for 8 1/2 years. It would be hip now, to have that bike.

[@beardedvikingmtber]

It’s been proper fascinating watching all the retro week vids, it’s made me look into the history even more. Well done lads top quality content as usual 🤘🏻

[@terrymtbnurse4760]

Great video, respect for the founding fathers. Retro week is brilliant.

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

You are right... absolutely brilliant.

[@Oldfatbeerman]

Brings back some of the damn crazy stuff we used to do back in the day , Warrah trig car Park to Pearl Beach ( Central Coast , NSW , Australia ) in sub 4 minutes on full rigid bikes was very sketchy indeed . Scared the Beejesus out of me the day after I fitted a digital Speedo to my Marin Pine Mountain when I saw 84 KPH bombing down the Trig fire trail dodging the bush walkers and snakes as I flew down the hill , never really expected that number on the speedo , but it was what it was .

[@TrailPOV]

Awesome drifting! You have more faith in that bike holding together than I would :)

[@rong1924]

Went to Marin summer 21 and rode Repack. Dropped by the museum and Charlie Kelly is still haunting the place. Got to hang out with him and listen to him tell his stories for quite a while. AWSOME experience. (Buy his book, :"Fat Tire Flyer" if you want to be a legit mtb biker. Pure joy.)

[@M3PH11]

11:23 Doddy looks genuinely terrified. Feel for you man.

[@daviddowning8077]

I was up at the Marin Museum of Bicycling a couple of weeks ago. it's a truly fascinating and unique collection of bikes and Fairfax is such a cool town. Only shame was I didn't have the time to sling my leg over a bike and shred some of the classic Marin trails.

[@Franksey180]

That intro though with the knackered VHS tape and retro music/titles, nicely done :)

[@fender10g]

These guys are my heroes. I grew up riding these trails (I'm 21 now) There is a ride put on by the Marin county bike coalition every year that's pretty much 60 miles of classic cross country trails. Gary sometimes shows up.

[@JayBirdPhotos]

Thanks guys for an awesome video. Brings me back to the old days having grown up in and around San Francisco. I never got a chance to do repack but there are so many areas around there that I explored (Santa Cruz for one). Can't believe we survived mountain biking back then. (Hey Doddy... my first time down the hills were on a beach cruiser as well that I used to deliver papers with then hit the trails)

[@sueneilson896]

Don’t forget, if you throw a chain on a coaster hub bike.... there are no brakes anymore. I learnt this at about 6years of age.. the hard way.

[@bushld0229]

Dude. You guys came to my home town of Fairfax. ??? Went to the coffee hut and Gestalt Haus. Shocked I didn’t see you. Hope you got a chance to ride some of our single track trails while you were here. There’s lots. 🍻🍻 cheers.

[@nvanpraag]

This was awesome! Marin native here... born at Marin General, live currently in Mill Valley. It was SO cool seeing you guys came to our hood! Hey Neil... repeat after me, "Mah-rin."

[@bushld0229]

The Dutch Biker cheers man. I live in Fairfax.

[@victrip]

I live in fair fax omg

[@aidanvermeulen1256]

To live close enough to Marin to ride these trails and get to know the history of them is awesome! Camp Tamarancho is another awesome place to ride right out of Fairfax, and I’m lucky enough to get to ride almost every day!!!

[@mtbthiccness3605]

Hey guys thanks for visiting the bay area, a little gem we've got in annadel state park in Santa rosa. Used to be some amazing races there and the terrain is gnarly as all hell. You'll love it

[@Howdydoodie]

Would be dope to see more of the gmbn guys riding the trails we have here in the bay. Wanna see Neil in the mile and boyscout. Dodie in JMP and Blake tearing up soquel 😂

[@paulcritchley464]

Eyyye remeeeember Manyyy yeaaars ago back in 64 we’ll it was 63 when us kids use to ride on the ruck’s (slag heaps) on our roads bikes, fats tyre bikes, even three wheelers or what ever we could, up and down the rucks. Always had to sneak home and have a bath before mum could see us covered in black coal dust. It was brilliant Thanks for you videos Have a great new year

[@Jayneflakes]

Please tell us that you have longer versions of those interviews? Another great show from GMBN, thank you.

[@lorenzo6mm]

Excellent video. We had Schwinn "Stump Jumpers" in Santa Barbara County in the late 70's and early 80's in between surfing between Rincon Point to Jalama Beach park. Along with home made long board skate boards for Downhill & Slalom runs with comp wheels. Gary Fisher was a big time MTB maker even then.

[@metmerc1]

I've loved retro week. It's a great reminder of what you can do on an old mountain bike. Suspension is great and allows for riding some pretty gnarly terrain, but people have been having a fun shredding trails for 40+ years now on stout, rigid framed bikes.

[@ethanbenton6676]

repack has been on my bucket list forever

[@robbchastain3036]

Everything about this is oh wow. Thanks, GMBN. And Doddy would've gone faster with better background music, something from The Big 610 or KSAN.

[@jamesowen418]

My favourite GMBN video EVAR!!!!!!! AWESOME!!! 👍🏻👌🏻😁

[@raneti76]

This video brought back so many memories from my childhood. Always wanted to ride where the MTB was invented. Great video!

[@fender10g]

I love riding this trail--no idea what the history was behind it until I saw this!

[@rotten2guts]

Long overdue video on this channel! Wouldn´t mind a longer story

[@SobanBhatti]

I was there last year and Fairfax is such a nice place to be. Joe and Charlie had lots of great stories to tell. One thing not mentioned in the video is the fact there is lots of great mountain biking to be done in and around Fairfax.

[@canadianbacon5474]

I live in Marin it’s beautiful if you ever get a chance to go you should try riding tamerancho

[@aidenrobertson947]

This was such an interesting video as I’m new to mountain biking 🚵🏻‍♂️ and I’m keen to know everything I can about it love the content❤️

[@aspoonfulofslurry]

Neil is such a dh lover from the old school himself. Awesome to see him get to rip down Repack like he wanted. #respect

[@GTChucker86]

aspoonfulofslurry They should get Steve Peat in a GMBN video again.

[@Norwedsh]

That is a steep ride and hike! I hope you guys took the opportunity to ride the trails a Camp Tamarancho.

[@KalimotxoMusic]

Great video, Doddy looks genuinely terrified there and I don’t blame him, would have been nice to see the boys do a run on a more modern bike though just for comparisons sake

[@cormacpetre4805]

First i didn't like retro mtbs but after retro week i have been liking them more

[@danervin2530]

Man this one got me right in the feels. Took one of our best honeymoon pics right on Conzelman Drive there by the Golden Gate. Amazing vids recently guys. You’re really connecting with people. I live in Maryland but have loads of family in Sonoma County CA. Next time I’m out there I’ll stop by the museum for sure.

[@roddyheckelman2866]

thats my town boys, glad you got to visit

[@DanaBrown1984]

Last time I bombed repack I crashed so hard my crank bent out of shape and I could only pedal in half-orbits. Stopped at Sunshine and they were like Daamn dude. Walked and coasted all the way down Sleepy Hollow and hiked over to my house in Lucas Valley. A rough outing. Also gashed the bezel on my rolex 14060M, so when I look at my watch, now and again I'll remember that ride.

[@GazzaView123]

I rode with Charlie Kelly on my local UK trails a couple of years ago. Top guy!

[@heizenblade]

Wow...great content fellas, more of these in the future? 🤘🤘🤙🤙

[@sugondez7799]

love your vids keep it up guys

[@hyw079]

Here's a video project you GMBN can do. It's not Bay Area, but it is Northern California. Downieville Classic. You guys can do the race and film it.

[@vaughanlockett658]

I made my first mountain bike 37 years ago from a Raleigh Maverick. Alloy wheels six speed block Suntour chain set Shimano drailer Muddy fox seat and post Renthal bars , as the factory was down the Road. Pedals were called soul grabbers I think. Center pull brakes were fitted I had braze on the brake fittings, to convert it from side pull. Road that thing for Ten years great memories.

[@derman3658]

Sick

[@mogulhopper]

what a cool show guys , quality magazine episode

[@mark1webb956]

Stoked to see you in the same bar that me and some mates went into after a good trail ride. Its an awesome area for MTB.

[@birthaappleshirt7404]

Hell yes Marin county! Beautiful place

[@davisclark0776]

While you are here in the US. You should come visit Utah! We have great trails up here!

[@aljsom]

Neil is a maniac! Love the series!

[@Kampy_]

I've had Gary Fisher gear for years and always wondered what he looked like and what his story was. Now I know

[@fender10g]

So lucky I was able to grow up on these trails!

[@BlokHed75]

I NEED TO RIDE THAT ON MY MOUNTAIN BIKE! Love to blast down fire roads on my Cannondale fsi

[@pedalingpastor]

Awesome video! Fun and informative.

[@cf5914]

Oh man I live in Fairfax and missed you guys!

[@kurtg3891]

i rode up the bike path from Larkspur up towards Sir Francis Drake then up and down the Repack (aka Cascade Canyon to San Geranimo) trail last night and rolled around through Fairfax after and stopped by the Bike museum where the huge mtn bike with tractor wheels is in the parking but it was after closing hrs and locked shut... i never saw the colorful stone "repack" monument anywhere that You show a couple times in this video, still wondering where is that ? ?

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

This was very interesting. I was BMXing and dirt jumping when these guys were comimg up with these ideas. There was no such thing as a mountain bike in 1980.

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

I so love this channel.

[@afshinfarahbakhsh3773]

This was bloody brilliant. Doddy had me in stitches. What was Neil's time?

[@neildonoghueMTB]

I didnt do a time (because you arent allowed to go fast down the trail) but theoretically if I had done one (which i definitely didnt) it would have been about a 40 seconds slower than Gary Fisher's time

[@afshinfarahbakhsh3773]

@@neildonoghueMTB It looked like an amazing ride. It's hard to compete with the legends, it'd almost be bittersweet to beat his time I'd imagine.

[@sebgardner1640]

Hi guys loving what your doing never stop shredding the gnar 🤙🤙🤙🤟🤟

[@mikieson]

great stuff..thanks guys

[@MrVanderpoorten]

FANTASTIC 👍👍

[@onerider808]

1972, riding our Schwinn Stingrays down mountain paths, quarry hills, and anywhere we could. We weren’t the first. Ever since there was a kid and a challenging trail, there have been kids riding them. We weren’t called mountain bikers then, just crazy kids.

[@katherinepoindexter4380]

when I was a kid i had a bike I now dub "the pink machine" It was wonderful bike..it could skid, jump, and was great...ever after my dad ran over the wheel with the car..i think that made it better.

[@loganhouck5270]

i was there but never had time to go to the hall of fame :( i passes right by it, great video

[@nickwatkins5227]

Someone told me that TV 📺 was once in Black and white , incredible the fast moving technology of today great show guys

[@01FozzyS]

Well done with this series!

[@glynncairns4712]

I'm loving these videos

[@siriosstar4789]

Respect . finally someone shows the days before mt. biking was Aerial acrobatics . I lived in marin in the fifties and we would ride our steel framed schwinns everywhere . almost everthing in the countryside was considered off road . We didn't go up very high into the hills because it took too much effort to push the bikes up the steep slopes . After i moved to Ny in the early sixties ,i forgot about that area and it wasn't until the eighties that i rode repack on a crappy so-called mt. bike . i timed myself and was only one minute and thirty seconds off of the world record . 😂😂😂 That's seriously slow .

[@terrywoods4597]

That's awesome man! We lived up on the hill in Woodacre in the eighties. Played little league in Fairfax. I still miss it.

[@eartharrow6772]

Hyper cool, gnarly and rad

[@benjijones1944]

Jheee gmbn steepin up the game w the cinematics and transitions jhee

[@stevedaniels2010]

Another hoofing ( great) video well done

[@tomolyaadam6455]

Good vid🙌🙌

[@onethingeverything]

Very well done!

[@jimseiler4651]

Awesome vid., guys! Thanks!

[@andreasqueo6547]

It would be nice to bring back to Repack the Dh World Cup. I enjoyed this documentary a lot and I would have seen Neil on that scary bike!

[@BarryJTaylor]

Downhill mtb started in Australia in 1896!! Read Mulga Bills Bicycle.

[@shmerickl2249]

Amazing content as per usual

[@Metal-Possum]

In regards to who was first, most of those old bikes were made for unpaved roads long before pavement was ever invented... During the war they probably road their bikes on any surface, if it meant getting away from the wrong end of Hans' gun. One of the guys in the Klunkers documentary, John Finley Scott (tragically and ironically murdered by a man named Charlie Cunningham), was riding off-road in the 1950's. There was the Morrow Dirt club (named after the Morrow coaster brake, which was, and remains to be, the most repack-proof coaster brake), who inspired Gary Fisher significantly with their gears and drum brakes already fitted to a pre-war Schwinn Excelsior frame. Geoff Apps from the UK, known for Cleland Cycles was modifying bikes for off-road use in 1965 onwards, and pioneered in both 650b (27.5) and 700c (29") wheel size using Nokian snow tyres from Finland. Not to mention, all the pioneering BMX kids in the late 60's and early 70's probably had some influence, especially in regards to good quality parts for riding on dirt such as aluminium rims, knobbly tyres, stems, cranks, etc. But no matter who you try and trace it back to, somebody else will claim they'd already done it before them.

[@edmundscycles1]

I was going to mention Geoff. What people don't realise is that the long top tube short stem was developed by him. He even sent Nokia tyres over to Garry Fisher. Geoff also made suspension forks and rear suspension for himself too.

[@Metal-Possum]

@@edmundscycles1 Correct! In regards to frame geometry, I'm not sure he had a direct impact on today's bikes though, his bikes were not long, but very short, and very upright. They were more like the tractor of bicycles, designed to just get you places a Raleigh Sports 3spd wouldn't.

[@edmundscycles1]

@@Metal-Possum compared to the cyclocross frames they were much longer with a higher stack height. I fancy building myself a Clydesdale style bike with an 8 speed hub. His bikes were all most like trails motorbikes or scramblers . As you say very upright but mostly down to the high head tube and handle bars.

[@karlfonner7589]

Alex Paulsen You forgot about the buffalo soldiers in the 1800s road most likely off-road

[@budgreen100]

Great video.!

[@dcorica79]

Gary fisher is my hero! I collect and ride gary fisher bikes.. Im still looking for a full suspension gf 29er... But i finally found a gf x-cal 29er hardtail... I've also got 2 joshuas (an f3 & f4) An aquila (98) an opie (09) Gf rig bmx.. & 4 others that were Facebook marketplace impulse buys.. I also have various shop advertisements for gary fisher bikes & a denim jacket i made back when i was 18... Gary fisher bikes rule... It's sad that trek bought them out

[@yengsabio5315]

If there's one good reason to go to US America, it would be to go to Marin county & be engorged with MTB history. Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines! #KeepBiking

[@sammywilliam8156]

I got a electric Mountain bike and even though it's not the traditional mountain bike I absolutely love that I can basically go off-road and on road Being able to go 20 miles an hour and being able to go 40 miles for one charge Absolutely love it

[@3DGvisuals]

11:20 Doddy's face filled with genuine fear!

[@Upgrade_Media]

Hey GMBN, remember when i had my foot broken and i could not ride? Since then until now i watched so many videos from you guys and I learned so much stuff that now when I ride my mtb i fell like a good rider. I got into mountainbiking only this year and with your help i think i had a good progress. It is a good idea to post my progress on youtube? :D

[@Fasttrax2]

Pls do I'd like to see your progress and it might also help me progress.

[@savasolarov8424]

nice, more retro/cheap bike content !!

[@Spoolingturbski]

Raised in Marin County biking is everywhere. It’s almost an unspoken rule to have a bike.

[@AlexvonderHoff]

Poor Doddy. Poor poor Doddy..

[@joachimgrammig9590]

Awesome

[@taufikabidin412]

Doddy really looked nervous here. and how do coaster brakes work on thse trails?

[@longebane]

Charlie Kelly himself! Glad he made it out of Paddy’s Pub