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Gary Fisher interview on the future of mountain biking

For most sports it is not uncommon to see the heroes - the celebrities of the game - on T.V. or video. The stars of football, baseball, even golf can be seen on any given night in highlights or interview clips on ESPN SportsCenter.

Although, you must seek them out through alternative media, even the pro cyclist can be seen on video giving an interview.

But mountain bike celebrities are rarely seen or heard. Instead you must read interviews in monthly magazines or increasingly find print transcripts on the Web (or if we're lucky - read their blogs).

That's why this interview of Gary Fisher conducted by TrailTapes.com is so cool. For those that don't know, Gary Fisher is one of the founding fathers of mountain biking. He started in the sport more than twenty years ago and has pioneered many mountain bike advances along with his friends/colleagues/business partners. Most of us know the name Gary Fisher as the bike brand now owned by Trek, but few are aware of the achievements that continue to come forth as a result of his leadership.

While he spends some time in this interview waxing nostalgic with stories from the 'good old days,' TrailTapes does a nice job of leading Fisher to his thoughts on the future of mountain biking and cycling in general. The fifty-six year old Fisher is as energetic as ever and left this viewer feeling as though the man can still bring fresh ideas to the sport. Fisher makes no apologies for bringing innovations to the sport that the customer has yet to request or recognize. After all, isn't that the very essence of innovation?

Fisher notes the rise of single speeds and cites several reasons contributing to this trend; not the least of which is the finicky nature of the mountain bike drive train. Gears require too much maintenance and wear down much too quickly compared to a bike's frame and the other components. He for-tells of a day when mountain bikes will be more like road bikes needing no more than a quick wipe down to be ready for the next ride. He also believes that we'll see cross country bikes in the 17 to 18 pound range and freeride bikes weighing in at about 25 or 26 pounds in the not so distant future.

Although, Gary Fisher's bike company is now part of the venerable Trek Bicycle corporation, this is not a man that has 'sold out.' Instead one gets the feeling that Fisher has carved out an important leadership role within the organization as the head of what amounts to Trek's mountain bike R&D division.

While you're visiting TrailTapes site be sure to check out their other episodes. All are extremely well done and you will be impressed with the high quality editing and production - a real value to the world of mountain bike media.

Note: RSS readers will need to pop out of their readers to watch the trailer embedded in this post. Also, note that this is just the trailer...the actual show and interview can be found on the TrailTapes site.

Popularity of fixies near the tipping point?

Well the stats don't bear it out just yet, but when the Wall Street Journal starts writing about fixed gear riding you know the tipping point is near.

Apparently more than just urban hipsters and messengers are giving 'fixies' a try. According to one Boston bike retailer almost half of all fixie sales are to people over forty years old.

While fixies represented just 15,000 of the 3 million specialty bikes sold, they are more profitable overall. Fixed gear bikes sell for an additional 5 percent of margin versus all other bikes, which is why all of the major manufacturers have gotten into the game.

One things for sure...it seems the common thread among fixed gear riders is that they say the ride is both fun and challenging. Good enough reason to get one in my book. Just a matter of time...oh...and money too.

Photo is of the new '07 Cannondale Capo

UPDATE: In my haste to get this post up I neglected to dole out the much deserved 'link-love' that the bloggers/website owners mentioned in this article deserve. As I was reading the article it was nice to note that the author included links to Cyclelicious, FixedGearGallery, and Sheldon Brown as primary research for the story. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that the idea for the story came about due to either the author or editor's following of such blogs/sites.
 

Why you need a mountain bike coach right now

Because you suck!

Ok...just kidding...I couldn't resist. Actually, it's because mountain biking takes skill and skill takes practice to refine. Even if you go out to ride with a plan to work on a specific skill if you are not doing it right than you may be doing more harm than good in the long run. So says Gene Hamilton, former pro downhiller and owner of the Better Ride coaching company, in this fantastic interview conducted by Ashwin for The Biking Hub.

Ashwin has a penchant for the technical aspects of the sport, but he always seems to break it down to the bare essence. I love this question he asks of Hamilton:

"Why does it seem there is resistance to mountain biking skills coaching?  People don’t think twice about golf lessons?"

The great thing about Hamilton's answers is that he really seems to understand human behavior and how adults learn. His method seems simple without being patronizing.

In the interview you'll find out

• why reading a book on skills will only get you so far
• that men and women approach learning skills differently
• why you should ride with a purpose

My advice...leave the opening question until the end. You'll care more.

I'm convinced. Now if only I could find some more time.

Cyclists, beware of the white van

Bike commuters and roadies beware. Apparently white van drivers care less about you than other drivers. Yes, white van drivers buzz past cyclists on the road an average of four and a half inches closer than do other drivers according to this study conducted in Britain. Any theories?