DAN HANEBRINK xc&dh national champion/designed,built and raced a fully suspended bike in 86
....and I thought it would be easy to throw up a few post's on a regular basis.
Our get together to celebrate 20 years of mountain biking was held last wednesday. Roughly 30 folks showed for a reunion ride followed by some beers and a walk down memory lane. Several members of the "80's" dirt peleton broke out old school rides...Spiegal on a GF procaliber, George Stevens rode a vintage Salsa and I managed to get my 86' Stumpjumper a back brake that stopped the bike and rode it. Toe clips and flat pedals were a death wish on lower fall line and bio-pace chain rings limited my sprint to beer but it sure was fun getting every body out. There hasn't been a group ride of that magnitude in a long, long time.
Those who chose not to ride were already enjoying nacho's and beer at the very happy hour in La Montana (thanks Rook) and the PARTY got started. Videos played on the big screen of ROCKHOPPER SOUTH and DOWNHILL MANIA, hundreds of photos were shared and story's reminiced. Tom's speech opened with full credit given to mtb hall of famer, Pat Follett, who started it all and closed with an official stars and stripes national championship jersey presented to "THE LEGEND", Don Cousins, who won a couple of xc crowns back in the 80's racing as a vet/master. Even our local paper sent a reporter to document this gathering...As the evening wound down, pressure, a serious calling out of many in attendance, was put on to come out and race (or throw a leg over a toptube and ride) the legends catagory in FC#21.
For me, twenty years of biking in the dirt and its still all about getting some exercise in the national forest. Enjoying a comradery like no other and feeling a HUGE sense of appreciation for each and every moment that this sport, "aahh dude, its more than just a sport, its a way of life," has brought.
....and I thought it would be easy to throw up a few post's on a regular basis.
Our get together to celebrate 20 years of mountain biking was held last wednesday. Roughly 30 folks showed for a reunion ride followed by some beers and a walk down memory lane. Several members of the "80's" dirt peleton broke out old school rides...Spiegal on a GF procaliber, George Stevens rode a vintage Salsa and I managed to get my 86' Stumpjumper a back brake that stopped the bike and rode it. Toe clips and flat pedals were a death wish on lower fall line and bio-pace chain rings limited my sprint to beer but it sure was fun getting every body out. There hasn't been a group ride of that magnitude in a long, long time.
Those who chose not to ride were already enjoying nacho's and beer at the very happy hour in La Montana (thanks Rook) and the PARTY got started. Videos played on the big screen of ROCKHOPPER SOUTH and DOWNHILL MANIA, hundreds of photos were shared and story's reminiced. Tom's speech opened with full credit given to mtb hall of famer, Pat Follett, who started it all and closed with an official stars and stripes national championship jersey presented to "THE LEGEND", Don Cousins, who won a couple of xc crowns back in the 80's racing as a vet/master. Even our local paper sent a reporter to document this gathering...As the evening wound down, pressure, a serious calling out of many in attendance, was put on to come out and race (or throw a leg over a toptube and ride) the legends catagory in FC#21.
For me, twenty years of biking in the dirt and its still all about getting some exercise in the national forest. Enjoying a comradery like no other and feeling a HUGE sense of appreciation for each and every moment that this sport, "aahh dude, its more than just a sport, its a way of life," has brought.
posted by Larry @ 8:42 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home