Yes, that was pretty much the story I was referencing. This seems to imply that the huge wheel flop my Takara has is a result of all the other bike companies basically copying the Stumpjumper, which itself was a flawed copy of the original Ritchey MTB's. It really makes me wonder how the Ritchey's handled and also how that first batch of 10 Breezers handled. Charley Kelly made it quite clear who he thinks "really" designed the Stumpjumper, despite some other guy's name being printed on the frame.
On Thursday, November 6, 2014 11:11:57 AM UTC-6, jbu...@gmail.com wrote: > > It may be hearsay, but I believe the (book, not old zine/mag) FTF > describes a batch of Ritchey-built Moutainbikes that had incorrect ht > angle / rake... which were sold at discount t to their friends > @Specialized. Curiously, the first-gen batch of Japanese stumpjumpers > appeared! replicating the "error". And then everybody and their uncle > jumped into the business... and the rest as they say is history! > > =- Joe Bunik > Walnut Creek, CA > > On 11/6/14, 'Chris Lampe 2' via RBW Owners Bunch > <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>> wrote: > > I couldn't agree more. My tastes in bikes have evolved but I've pretty > > much arrived at wanting an mid-to-late 80's style All-Rounder bike. I > > struggled with the idea of buying a full-fledged MTB for over a year but > I > > finally got out and tried true single-track and discovered I did not > enjoy > > it at all. Pavement, dirt roads, gravel roads, fire trails and even > > relatively smooth but wider single-track sounds fun. I'm more into the > > journey and the scenery than the high speed, high adrenaline rush of > > shredding. > > > > I think the closest thing in my price range is going to be a 26" Long > Haul > > Trucker and that's what I plan to purchase in the Spring. I'm thinking > it > > will have the benefits of my Takara Highlander but with much more nimble > > and responsive steering. I'm hoping it's my "perfect" bike. I'll > probably > > > > keep my Takara as a dedicated single-speed because it is just SO MUCH > FUN > > to ride!! > > > > I almost forgot to ask, but do you remember if your Schwinn Typhoon had > the > > > > horrendous wheel flop that many early ATB's shared and also DID many of > the > > > > early 80's ATB's have that characteristic? I might replace the Takara > as a > > > > single-speed if I can find a mid-to-late 80's ATB with longer chainstays > > but a steeper headangle and with forward facing dropouts. > > > > > > > > On Thursday, November 6, 2014 9:06:13 AM UTC-6, Montclair BobbyB wrote: > >> > >> Eric: > >> > >> Indeed, Mountain Bike WAS an excellent magazine, and (having grown up > on a > >> > >> fat-tired Schwinn Typhoon), I remember in 1985 how smitten I became > with > >> the whole idea of mountain bikes... WOW, the mere notion of riding > bikes > >> in > >> the back-country just blew my mind. For the entire month of June 1985 > I > >> was on a business trip in Pueblo Colorado, where I would hang out every > >> day > >> after work at the local bike shop talking mountain biking with the > staff. > >> > >> I bought a copy of Mountain Bike mag, and there was a feature article > >> about Crested Butte and the emerging mountain biking scene. I checked > the > >> > >> map (hmm, just a few hours away), made hotel reservations for the > weekend > >> > >> in Crested Butte, found a local shop to rent me a Rockhopper, and spent > 2 > >> > >> glorious days riding the high country above CB (Schofield Pass, > etc.)... I > >> > >> was HOOKED for life! > >> > >> Now 30 years later, while my mountain biking has evolved somewhat, and > I > >> followed the industry trends for awhile (dabbling with full-suspension, > >> aluminum, titanium, etc) I've gone back to riding a simple, > fully-rigid > >> steel frame/fork (kinda like the original 80s bikes), not because I'm > >> nostalgic, but because it just FEELS right. And as for the original > 80s > >> designs, I think the industry absolutely nailed it in designing perfect > >> workhorse all-rounders build to last... And think about it... the > frames, > >> > >> shifters, brake levers, derailleurs etc of the 80s are still around (I > >> actually prefer them) because they were built to LAST! It's a shame > that > >> > >> most of the industry (starting in the late 80s) seemed to drift away > from > >> > >> building these super-high-quality, overbuilt bikes and components in > favor > >> > >> of evolving designs, and (IMO) cheaper-quality... I hope we're seeing > this > >> > >> trend reversed... > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On Thursday, November 6, 2014 7:01:52 AM UTC-5, EricP wrote: > >>> > >>> While Fat Tire Flyer was my main influence into riding bikes with > wider > >>> tires, the short-lived magazine "Mountain Bike - for the Adventure" > put > >>> out > >>> by Hank Barlow was more my style. It focused more on touring back > roads > >>> > >>> and recreational riding, moreso than racing. Although racing did show > up > >>> > >>> in the magazine. The first issue actually had reviews of small tents > for > >>> > >>> mountain bike touring. > >>> > >>> Eric Platt > >>> St. Paul, MN > >>> > >>> Eric Platt > >>> St. Paul, MN > >>> > >>> On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 2:15 PM, 'Chris Lampe 2' via RBW Owners Bunch < > >>> rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote: > >>> > >>>> I pre-ordered mine on Amazon back when a first came available and > >>>> devoured it once I got it. You are right, I almost got the Kindle > >>>> version > >>>> but that would ahve been such a waste on a library quality, coffee > table > >>>> > >>>> sized book full of illustrations and photos. I've watched Klunkerz, > >>>> read > >>>> Barto's "Birth of Dirt" as well as a lot of articles but I still > learned > >>>> > >>>> some fascinating stuff. I also highly recommend it to anyone > interested > >>>> in > >>>> bike history. > >>>> > >>>> On Wednesday, November 5, 2014 1:31:12 PM UTC-6, jbu...@gmail.com > >>>> wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> Chris, all- > >>>>> > >>>>> Re: the Marin-legacy and it's influence on bike culture, check out > >>>>> Charlie Kelley's new memoir, "Fat Tire Flyer". It's a book of both > >>>>> lavish production quality as well as a compelling storytelling. > >>>>> > >>>>> =- Joe Bunik > >>>>> Walnut Creek, CA > >>>>> > >>>>> On 11/5/14, 'Chris Lampe 2' via RBW Owners Bunch > >>>>> <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote: > >>>>> > Nice article. So basically we are just going back to the > >>>>> All-Terrain > >>>>> > Bikes that came out of Marin County in the late 70's and early > 80's. > >>>>> > > >>>>> I've > >>>>> > > >>>>> > done a bit of reading about the history of the MTB (as well as > >>>>> watching > >>>>> > Klunkerz) and those guys (and a couple of girls) were really just > >>>>> doing > >>>>> > exactly what Guitar Ted is talking about........developing bikes > that > >>>>> > > >>>>> could > >>>>> > > >>>>> > be ridden almost anywhere. The whole downhill/extreme terrain > thing > >>>>> > > >>>>> came > >>>>> > about when the racers took over. I know that Repack was all about > >>>>> racing > >>>>> > and was a huge influence but it seems those guys were doing a lot > of > >>>>> > > >>>>> what > >>>>> > would now be called expedition biking. > >>>>> > > >>>>> > I've evolved to prefer just that type of bike and no longer have > any > >>>>> > > >>>>> > interest in riding anything less than 55mm tires. When I picked > up a > >>>>> > > >>>>> 1984 > >>>>> > MTB last year, I did some research on bikes from that era and in > 1985 > >>>>> > > >>>>> > Bicycling put out a book and they were still referring to them as > >>>>> ATB's, > >>>>> > which is actually much more appropriate than "mountain bike". > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>>> > On Wednesday, November 5, 2014 11:21:18 AM UTC-6, Noah Deuce > wrote: > >>>>> >> > >>>>> >> Hyperbole, sure, but the drum GP has been beating for decades > >>>>> (better tire > >>>>> >> > >>>>> >> clearance, too much emphasis on racing, etc.) has finally turned > >>>>> into a > >>>>> >> product "category" that may save the industry from itself. > >>>>> >> > >>>>> >> Just see the latest by Guitar Ted: > >>>>> >> http://www.gravelgrindernews.com/less-about-the-rock-and- > >>>>> more-about-the-roll/ > >>>>> >> > >>>>> > > >>>>> > -- > >>>>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > >>>>> Groups > >>>>> > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > >>>>> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, > >>>>> send an > >>>>> > email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. > >>>>> > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com. > > >>>>> > Visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > >>>>> > > >>>>> > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > >>>>> > > >>>>> > >>>> -- > >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > >>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, > send > >>>> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. > >>>> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com. > >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > >>>> > >>> > >>> > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an > > email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>. > > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com > <javascript:>. > > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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