Visiting real mountain bike pioneers

BIKE Magazin

· 29.08.2005

Photo: Philip Koschel

Visiting real mountain bike pioneers

Fathers of passion - They were considered weirdos and became legends in the MTB scene. The spirit of the pioneering years is still alive in Mill Valley. BIKE visited the creative minds of yesteryear.

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The journey through time begins at the other end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The mountain behind his little house once meant the world to Joe Breeze. Now he sits on the veranda, sipping a glass of water and gazing strangely sceptically at Mt Tamalpais. The summit above Fairfax has become the holy mountain of the bike scene thanks to him. The colossus has become alien to him. "Today the mountain is part of a national park. Biking costs a 500-dollar fine," says Joe with wistfulness in his voice.

Thirty years ago, biking on Mt Tamalpais was not yet prohibited. In fact, biking hadn't even been invented yet. Joe's stories wander into the past. For him, they are just youthful experiences. In reality, they were the beginning of a new sport, a completely new attitude to life and a global billion-dollar business. In the summer of 1973, Joe once again dropped by his favourite bike shop. There it was: a red-painted cruiser - "B.F. Goodrich Balooner", built in 1941. A junk bike for five dollars, ideal for finally making a crazy wish come true: a downhill from Mt Tamalpais down to Mill Valley. As a precaution, Joe souped up the old mill with motocross brake levers. Then off we went. "That was fun," Joe giggles like a little boy. Whether it was him or Gary Fisher who scribbled the first letter in the mountain bike history book has been the subject of heated debate ever since.

"Today, everyone produces mountain bikes," says Joe, "so I'm no longer really needed. I'm now devoting myself to other tasks in the bike industry, where I can once again be a pioneer." The Netherlands is the great role model for his "Marin Bike Coalition". The ambitious goal: safe cycle paths for everyday use. He is travelling across the USA to promote alternative means of transport. He feels strong enough to build up a cycling lobby. He completely reorganised his company and now produces "Breezer - Bikes for Transportation", works as an urban planner and fights for more cycle paths. He collects sponsorship money and fights against the mills of the American oil lobby. Over the past few years, Mr Breeze has raised 13 million dollars for cycle paths in his home county of Marin. "I'm a fighter and I'm pursuing my dream of a home where cycling is part of everyday life. I'm not going to let that stop me." He grins with satisfaction. Above his head hangs Lance Armstrong's yellow Tour de France jersey with Edding's dedication to "L'équipe Breeze". "Sometimes I'd like to make a lover's frame again, like in the early days. But right now I have more important things to do."

MERT LAWWILL - MASTER OF ALL CLASSES

A few minutes' drive from Joe Breeze lives another two-wheeled legend from Mill Valley: Mert Lawwill, the most famous motorbike racer of the 60s and 70s, suspension guru, inventor and visionary. Mert is once again feverishly busy realising a revolutionary bike idea. He is currently taking a short break and lounging on his softly quilted leather couch. The film "On Any Sunday" by cult director Bruce Brown is flickering on the giant TV. Mert and his mate Steve McQueen were accompanied by a camera crew for a year during filming. Without a doubt, Mert is a superstar. A wealthy one at that. His house is so perfectly built into a mountain that the entire "San Francisco Bay" with the Golden Gate and skyline outside the window looks like a cheesy photo wallpaper. This house is probably also the only villa with a door leading directly from the living room to the workshop and garages.

Mert is a technology freak. Someone who blends into the mountain bike world with a perfectly crafted invention, bathes in fame for a while and then disappears from the scene just as quickly.

Usually just when the motorbike season starts again and Mert is celebrated as the greatest motorbike racer of the 60s and 70s. The bike world, on the other hand, celebrated Mert for the first Fully patent. "I finished the drawing in 20 minutes. It took ten years for the bike industry to adopt rear-wheel suspension," says Mert, amused. Gary Fisher bought the licences back then. The bike became a bestseller. Mert could rest on his laurels endlessly, but that would be too boring for him. He is currently working night after night in his workshop on an ingenious bike frame and shock absorber: leaf springs as chainstays without bearings behind the bottom bracket, combined with a similarly designed suspension fork. Some secret composite material is to be used for the new frame.

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Photo: Philip Koschel

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