History of Mountain Biking

The Amazing History of Mountain Biking

The history of mountain biking is both amazing and puzzling depending on which version you decide to believe. Some of the stories are recognized whist others are not, but whichever one you go with, one thing is for sure - mountain biking definitely did happen and is with us today.

It is said that as far back as mid 1896, the Buffalo Soldiers first had the idea of mountain biking. Thought to be a turn-of-the-century infantry it is said that they were the pioneers in adapting bicycles for the use of transportation over rough ground. Tests were carried out by a white lieutenant along with a group of his enlisted men in which they rode bikes for a an eight hundred mile journey over mountainous terrain in order to check if the bicycle was suitable for military use.

Also considered to be a part of mountain bike history was the Velo Cross Club Parisien. The club consisted of twenty keen young cyclists, from Paris, as the name would suggest. In the 1950's they developed a sport similar to the mountain biking of today and at that point in time, their bikes were said to be the most technically sophisticated and of great durability.

The “Woodsie Bike” was created by the first American cycle lover, John Finley Scott in 1953, at a time when no-one else appeared to share the fascination he held for mountain biking. This bike featured flat handlebars, balloon tyres, derailleur gears and a diamond frame and was used for mountain and off road trails.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame saw mountain biking history as a nonstop chain of events. For example, a group of cyclists in Marin County known as the Cupertino Riders as well as the Morrow Dirt Club, staged competitions during 1974 with other popular cyclists and although the riders did not quite make a name for themselves, they nonetheless stood out due to the modifications made to their bikes. Therefore, historians believe that there was never one single person nor a group of cyclists responsible for the history of mountain biking but in fact many keen and eager cyclists working hard with new ideas and ways of improving their cycles.

Over the years, regardless of the history of the sport, cyclists have discovered mountain biking and have grown to love the sport and to enjoy the outdoor fun it entails.