One Hundred Seventy-Seven

Mountain Bike Hall of Fame

The main reason I decided to go to Intebike was to attend Chris King's introduction into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. That turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.

The fun began when Zap introduced Travis Brown. I was spell-bound by the stories and warmth that permeated the room. I felt somewhat ashamed of how little I know about the history of mountain biking. It quickly became apparent that I was in a room full of legends. Something like 25 members of the Hall of Fame were at the ceremony, including Gary Fisher - a name that even I recognized.

Zap told stories about a picture he took of Travis when he got 10th place in his first pro race in Durango; bad times at the World Cup in Mazatlan when Travis broke his leg and failed to get into the Olympics for the second time due to injury; how Travis was the great bike hope of America; the time Travis came crawling into a hotel room "spewing the whole way"; a great shot of Travis shaking Lance's hand; how his Mom Sandy and his dad were super-freak fans; and on and on. Zap emphasized the importance of family in Travis Brown's life, and he talked about how his own proudest moment also involved his mom and dad. "It always comes back to family", Zap said. He also stressed what a big proponent of cycling advocacy Travis is.

Travis talked about how is wife is a big part of the reason he could keep going throughout his career. He said it's ten times as sweet when you come back after being in the gutter. He recounted the story of his parents thinking he was crazy for becoming a professional mountain bike racer after graduating from school, and how they kept those thoughts to themselves while supporting their son. Travis said he is totally in love with mountain bikes. It's what he does on vacation. It's still what he loves. Travis talked about how mountain biking is a thought catalyst and a social catalyst. He recognized his wife's contributions to the sport as the new Executive Director of Trails 2000. And he acknowledged all the support he has received from his sponsors, including Trek.

During Robert (Bicycle Bob) Gregorio's introduction, "Jonny Butthead" told us about two things Bob would always say during a ride. He began every ride with, "Let's ride!" And if anyone ever suggested a shorter way back home, he would say, "Complete the loop." There were stories of Bob hitting a pothole at full speed, being pretty jacked up, and saying, "I can make it... It's not a good ride unless you're bleeding." We learned about how Bob got vintage single speed back into mountain bike racing, his wheel building expertise, and "Les System Bob" - the product of a competition with Michelin to build a better tubeless tire.

Bob apparently wasn't the best bike shop guy. He would soak chains in oil and wax and put them in corn husks on the roof, making them good for another six years, before selling someone a new chain. He stashed bikes in places all around town, and probably has 80-90 frames around Durango today. Bob drank with the boys and knew how to have fun. He also appreciated the finer things in life, like fitting a hot chick for a new frame or tuning her bike to a tee for, like, three bucks.

Bob said he felt the love that night of the bicycle family, and he paid respects to all the heroes in cycling who are never noticed or recognized. He spoke eloquently about how cycling stands as a fitting metaphore for life, both involving choices and consequences. He noted that obstacles once faced provide confidence, and he highlighted the health and physical fitness benefits of cycling. Bob said that cycling is a healthy addiction, and it is the core reason we are here. Bob told us about Thomas Stevens, his first cycling hero, who rode a 58 pound high wheeler across the country in 1884 and then went around the world on the bike. Bob described "The Fleeting Moment" that happens as we ride down a path, pick a line, our body in the present, our rear wheel barely in the past, and our front wheel leading the way to the future. Finally, Bob extended an invitation, saying that if you ever come to Durango to be sure to get hold of him. "Let's Ride!", he said.

As Scott introduced Chris King, we were reminded of his fabulous components, but even more impressive were the stories of Chris King's dedication to his employees, the community, and the environment. Eight years of "Trail Days" brought hundreds of volunteers together to build and maintain trails near where Chris King's company was based in California. I listened with envy to the description of the kitchen Chris built and the gourmet cook he had on staff for his employees. To encourage people to ride to work, subsidies were offered that doubled or quadrupled what the next most generous companies, such as Patagonia, were offering at the time. Today King employees get paid time off in exchange for riding to work. It's not uncommon to come to work and find a room full of commuter bikes and maybe one car in the parking lot.

Chris told a story about how in the late 70's, Gary Fischer came by his bike shop, which was the size of a two car garage. He had a rolled up drawing of a mountain bike frame Joe Breeze had created. Gary predicted that mountain bikes were going to be bigger than road bikes. Chris went on to explain that he never could have made a living selling components to the road bike scene. And that it was 1987 when he was finally able to start making a living selling to the mountain bike community. Chris talked about how he really misses the days when 100-150 people would come out to do trail work, and that he thinks they'll start doing it again in Portland. Chris said it was quite and honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and that it "really feels good."

Travis, Bob, and Chris each received trophies commemorating their introduction into the Hall of Fame.