Mountain biking has become one of the world’s most popular outdoor activities and the sport’s origins can be traced back to Marin County, California. In the late 70s, a small group of riders from Marin County began to explore trails in the area and combine their love of cycling with their desire to explore nature. This group is credited as being responsible for creating mountain biking as we know it today.
The group was known as the “Repack Crowd” and they were instrumental in developing the first mountain bikes. The Repack Crowd developed a prototype bike that included wide tires, cantilever brakes, and lightweight frames that allowed them to traverse steep hillsides with ease. They also experimented with components such as derailleur gears, which would later become standard on all modern mountain bikes.
The Repack Crowd’s first descent happened in 1976 on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County.
They dubbed this ride “Repack” due to their need to re-pack their brakes after every ride due to heat buildup caused by extended braking on descents. This ride marked the start of what would eventually become one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in history.
The Repack Crowd’s influence was felt worldwide as mountain biking quickly became popular around the globe. The sport has evolved over time from its early roots of only downhill riding to include downhill, cross-country, freeride and trials styles of riding.
Conclusion:
Where was mountain biking created? Mountain biking was created by a small group of riders from Marin County, California known as the “Repack Crowd” who developed a prototype bike with wide tires, cantilever brakes and lightweight frames that allowed them to traverse steep hillsides with ease in 1976 on Mt.
Tamalpais in Marin County. Since then mountain biking has grown into one of the world’s most popular outdoor activities and has evolved over time into many different styles of riding.
