Mountain biking legend Gary Fisher sums up Gran Fondo NJ in Morristown

Gary Fisher, mountain biking pioneer, at the 2014 Gran Fondo NJ.
Gary Fisher, mountain biking pioneer, at the 2014 Gran Fondo NJ.
0

 

When Gary Fisher cobbled together his first mountain bike in the ’70s, coaster brakes would get so hot during California downhill races that riders had to keep repacking them in grease.

Fisher attached drum brakes, triple chain rings and other scavenged parts to his 1937 Schwinn Excelsior X. In late 1979, he and buddy Charlie Kelly opened “MountainBikes,” a shop in Marin County, CA.

Gary Fisher, right, with the author.
Gary Fisher, right, with the author at the 2014 Gran Fondo NJ.

The  “hippie capitalist” was on his way.

Fisher’s journey led him to Sunday’s Gran Fondo NJ, where he biked 87 miles, just to prove he still has his mojo working at 63.

We caught up with the dapper pioneer–who once got booted from a race because of his flowing mane– in Morristown after his Fondo ride.

(He did the ride on a road bike–while wearing biking clothes, not the fancy garb you see here.)

In our video interview, the “Father of Mountain Biking” remembers his early days of bike-building, talks about how far bicycle technology has advanced, and waxes poetic about the Garden State.

MORE COVERAGE OF THE 2014 GRAN FONDO NJ

LEAVE A REPLY