Mountain Biking - History
Author: James Gunaseelan


People use bicycles for many different reasons. They are a
great means of transport for getting to and from work, you can
fit your shopping into the baskets available to attach to the
front, and they provide a wonderful way to travel when on
holiday and exploring different areas. People have always ridden
off road as well as on it, but the history of mountain biking
really begins more than thirty years ago, in the 1970's. Modern
bike designs have made the sport more accessible to more people,
and the history of mountain biking certainly shows it is now
even more popular than ever.

But although mountain biking is now enjoyed all over the world,
it began life in California, America. A group of cycle
enthusiasts decided to try out some downhill runs on bikes that
would now seem antiquated to many of us. The dirt tracks were
much the same as many mountain bike race courses today, but the
bikes have changed considerably over the intervening years.
Those races became famous, and before long similar races were
taking place along tracks at locations in many different
countries.

As new materials and ways of building bikes have come into
existence, it has become easier to build a bike that is capable
of withstanding everything a rough off road terrain has to throw
at it. Stronger lighter frames and better gears have made
mountain biking easier for more people to attempt. The history
of mountain biking shows that the earliest riders began to adapt
their bikes to get the best from those downhill runs and routes,
and so the mountain bikes that we know today began to evolve.

At the time, the only type of bicycle you could buy was
intended to be ridden on the road. Although people did ride off
road it wasn't popular enough to warrant a bike designed
specifically for that use. But the bikers in California changed
all that. The history of mountain biking began with them, and
they began to rethink the way that bicycles were made in order
to create a design that could handle all the obstacles and
conditions the off road trails could throw at it. So the next
time you grab hold of your own mountain bike and go for a ride –
perhaps across a muddy field, or down a steep slippery slope on
those knobbly tires – you should think of the pioneers of the
1970's.

For buying and selling used or new (second hand) bikes and
motorcycles check the link
http://www.bharathautomobiles.com/motorcycles-s2_0.html


About The Author: James Gunaseelan writes for leading auto
portal in India http://BharathAutomobiles.com