Gary Fisher facts for kids
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Gary Christopher Fisher, born on November 5, 1950, is known as one of the people who helped create the modern mountain bike. He played a huge role in making mountain biking popular around the world.
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Early Racing Days
Gary Fisher started racing bikes when he was just 12 years old. He competed in both road and track races. In 1968, he was even suspended from racing because his hair was considered too long! Luckily, this rule was changed by 1972, and Gary could continue his racing career. He went on to win the TransAlp race in Europe and a national title in Masters Cross-Country (XC) racing.
Building the First Mountain Bikes
In 1974, Gary Fisher began working on his old 1930s Schwinn Excelsior X Bicycle. He wanted to make it better for riding off-road. He added strong drum brakes, motorcycle brake levers, and special gears called triple chain-rings. He found many of these parts from old bikes at local shops.
The next year, Gary took part in a famous downhill race called "Repack." This race was promoted by his roommate, Charlie Kelly. The Repack course was a tough downhill path on Pine Mountain near Fairfax, California. Riders used their coaster brakes so much that the hubs would get hot and smoke! After each run, they had to "repack" the hubs with grease. Gary Fisher still holds the record time on the Repack course, finishing in just 4 minutes and 22 seconds.
Gary Fisher has shared his story as a pioneer in mountain biking in two video documentaries. These are Full Cycle: A World Odyssey (made in 1994) and Klunkerz (from 2007). Both films show original clips of Gary riding his early mountain bikes.
Starting a Mountain Bike Company
In 1979, Gary Fisher came up with the name mountain bike. That same year, he and Charlie Kelly started a company called MountainBikes. This was the first company to focus only on making this new type of bicycle. The bike frames were built by Tom Ritchey, who later started his own bike company. The first model they sold cost about $1,300. They made 160 of these bikes in their first year.
In 1979, they started using Shimano bike parts. They also tried to trademark the name Mountain Bike, but this attempt did not work out. The MountainBikes company closed down in 1983. However, Gary Fisher quickly started a new company called Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes in the same year.
In 1991, Gary sold his company to an Anlen company from Taiwan. He stayed on as the president. Gary Fisher then helped develop the first mountain bikes with full suspension that were sold to the public. These bikes were designed by Mert Lawwill, a former motorcycle racer. His bike, the Gary Fisher RS-1, came out in 1992. It used a special rear suspension design from sports cars. This was the first time a "four-bar linkage" system was used in mountain biking.
In 1992, Howie Cohen helped Gary Fisher with his brand. Howie had previously imported other bike brands. About 18 months later, he helped arrange for Trek Bicycle Corporation to buy Gary Fisher's company. On June 16, 2010, Trek Bicycle Corporation announced the "Gary Fisher Collection." This new line of Trek bikes replaced the separate Gary Fisher brand.
Gary Fisher's Ongoing Role
Even after selling his company, Gary Fisher continues to be involved with bike design and marketing. He also works as a scout and mentor for racers sponsored by the team. One of the most famous racers he mentored was Paola Pezzo. She won gold medals in women's mountain biking at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
Awards and Recognition
Gary Fisher has received many honors for his contributions to biking.
- In 1988, he was added to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.
- Outside magazine named him one of the "50 who left their mark" in the sport in 2000.
- Smithsonian magazine honored him in 1994 as the "Founding Father of Mountain Bikes."
- In 1998, Popular Mechanics magazine recognized him for his amazing ideas in sports.
See also
- Joe Breeze
- Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bikes
