TrailTapes Mountain Bike TV interviews Gary Fisher in episode 6. Here is the promo for the show. Want to put this video on your web site? Visit our YouTube page for the code.
This is a short promo for our interview with Gary Fisher in the upcoming episode 6 of TrailTapes Mountain Bike TV. Visit our YouTube site to put this video on your own web site.
I just set up a YouTube.com account and will post some of the segments from the TrailTapes video podcast on YouTube. Feel free to embed any of them you like on your own web site. This is the first one, so I’m just testing it out. It’s the helmet cam footage from Ray’s MTB with music video by SORE.
Gary Fisher is a dreamer, an innovator and the consummate bicycle promoter. I met with him last week at his home in San Anselmo, CA, in Marin County across the bay from San Francisco. We sat on his patio, sipped French press coffee and spoke for over an hour about the history of mountain biking, his involvement with Trek, and the part he plays in the evolution of the sport.
Fisher’s small ranch style house is tucked back among tall bamboo and palms in a quiet neighborhood where the houses are close and so are the neighbors. People greet each other and visitors with an honest “hello,” and a friendly wave.
Several bikes were parked near the front door. The Fisher Sugar 292 with a Maverick dual crown fork was nicely muddy indicating some recent trail riding. But of particular interest was the attached trailer for his 2-year old son, Miles who often accompanies dad on trail rides. The trailer is made by a German manufacturer and sports a Rock Shock for 7 inches of travel (here’s the link http://www.tout-terrain.de). There is a Klein with an extended back end for hauling up to 8 grocery bags, and a Villager, a plush commuter bike made by Trek for the European market. It’s full suspension and smooth tires soak up the road vibration (http://villigerbikes.ch/2005/index.php, the automatic shimano group is on “smover”). A couple of large bags are big enough to carry a load of groceries. But what makes this bike really cool is the electronic shifting. The SRAM derailleurs are connected not by cables, but by wires, and shift automatically depending on your cadence and speed.
After the interview we went for a ride around San Anselmo, the town where Gary Fisher grew up. Miles was in the trailer, I rode the Villager and the three of us saw the sights, his high school, the coffee shop where we got a latte and Miles got a “fluffy,” and the bike shop where we stopped to fix a pedal on the Villager and Gary helped some customers inflate the tires on their home brew single-speed, black and yellow hodge-podge. While his business is all about new bikes, Fisher is gratified by the marvelous ways that people cobble together the piles of old bike parts. As he pumped their tires and chatted, I had to wonder if they knew the impact he has had on the bicycling industry.
Gary Fisher likes to think of bicycle innovations that no one is asking for. This has resulted in several technological improvements to the mountain bike since it’s inception in the mid-‘70’s. Fisher is responsible for fitting heavy duty brakes on a beach cruiser to make it a better downhill racer. He coined the term “mountain bike,” and worked with Tom Richey to develop the first frames designed specifically for the new sport.
But Fisher is thinking more these days about how bicycles can affect the American lifestyle. More bikes and bicycle access can lead to less traffic congestion, less pollution and better fitness. He and his wife rarely drive their car, especially when just commuting around town. In a town like San Anselmo, it’s often far easier to ride their bikes with Miles in the trailer to run errands, stop for a coffee and a “fluffy,” and carry 8 to 10 bags of groceries home from the grocery store. The bike-centric lifestyle is common in European countries where Trek manufacturers bikes like the Villager specifically for that reason.
He recognizes that it’s a hard message to sell in the automobile-centric American market where bicycling is viewed as a hobby, or a workout, rather than a mode of transportation. Bike routes and paths in most American cities are usually disconnected loops that offer few opportunities to get from point A to point B. And urban sprawl with access primarily car makes it more difficult for commuters to ride a bike even if they wanted to.
Still, Gary Fisher dreams up the biking stuff that nobody asks for. Like an enclosed bike path that could be installed in urban area on the roofs between high-rise office buildings. The clear plastic tube would be light weight and non-polluting. Two tubes could run side by side, to provide one-way traffic in each direction and a fan could be installed to provide a constant tailwind. In a city like San Francisco, the tube could have a slight decline, so the rider could coast from the city to Marin County.
Watch the Gary Fisher interview on the next episode of TrailTapes Mountain Bike TV.
As I prepare the next episode of TrailTapes Mountain Bike TV, I wonder if anyone would be interested in purchasing a DVD containing the first 6 episodes. Just to guage interest, I’ve added a poll to the left. The poll is completely anonymous and there’s no obligation to buy one, so go ahead and cast your vote. If there seems to be general interest I may produce some DVD’s and make them available. Thank you for your continued interest in TrailTapes Mountain Bike TV.
Mountain bike on the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Over 60 miles
of forest and meadow roads will be open for two weekends this summer.
All ages and abilities are welcome. There are steep climbs and drops
as well as easier cruises. Mountain biking is a great way to see the
spectacular vistas of the Preserve. Bring a picnic and stop along the
way to enjoy the view.
For more information go to: http://www.calderaadventure.com
or call 1-505-661-3333.
The Valles Caldera NP is in the Jemez Mountains near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This request came to me through the National Mountain Bike Patrol newsgroup:
My name is Drew Armstrong and I am the director of a Boy Scout Camp located near Hardy, Arkansas. Our camp offers a program that encompasses a broad range of outdoor activities. A portion of this program is Mountain Biking. We have been unsuccessful in recruiting a mountain biking instructor for the summer. If you have any ideas or leads on a potential counselor, could you please contact me with their information? I am including a description of the position below.
Mountain Biking Instructor Wanted
Dates of Employment – June 11 – July 16
Location – Hardy, Arkansas
This is an onsite position at a camp located near Hardy, Arkansas. Counselors in this position will provide a quality experience in the sport of Mountain Biking. This will be the primary responsibility but will also be asked to work with other counselors in areas such as whitewater kayaking, climbing, caving, GPS navigation, backpacking, and swift water rescue. Primary skills should be in biking and simple repair. Applicants need to be at least 17 years of age. This position requires camping, riding, and backpacking. All food, lodging, and salary provided. Contact Drew Armstrong at 870-257-4935 or (cell) 901-569-5852 for further details.
This is the mountain bike racing episode. Although the “Do the Rock” MTB race at Rock Cut State Park was rained out…twice…we still pulled off a good show. First are some tips from the IMBA on how mountain bike racers can help the public image of mountain biking and improve trail access for the future. Next is an overview of the Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS). Then is an interview with the Kegel’s Bikes/Bad Ass Coffee Racing Team chatting about their participation in the WORS series. The Trail-Logue features helmet cam footage from the 2005 Rock Cut Race provided by John Wrycza. Thanks John. He also provided the footage from the WORS Cup race.
