Full Speed Downhill: Marin is the Birthplace of Mountain Biking

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In a previous Marin History, we covered the Dipsea Trail Run, which was held yesterday. This made me think we need to cover mountain biking today.

In the early 1970s in Fairfax, a group of friends started bombing down a steep fire road on their bikes. And I do mean steep: 1300-foot drop in 2.1 miles. 11.7% grade.

It wasn’t for the faint of heart. The heat from their brakes was so intense, it would liquefy the grease each time, and they would have to “re-pack” the bearings. They started calling it the Repack race.

In 1976 the first official mountain bike race was held. 10 Marin locals, 1 didn’t crash: Alan Bonds. But they kept racing and the pace of innovation was incredibly fast.

One of the racers, Joe Breeze, would create the first bike frame specifically designed for mountain biking, the JBX1 “Breezer 1” (the picture above), in 1977. In 1981 the first mass-produced mountain bike hit stores. And it became an Olympic sport in 1996, just 20 years after the first race!

You can still ride the same route today, here are some current pictures and tips. There is a Marin Museum of Bicycling in Fairfax you can check out, and they wrote this great article about the Repack race.

Right on Richardson Bay as you head north on 101, look out the window. Hidden between the trees is a very nice townhouse complex, apparently built in 2001.

This is on Silva Island (or De Silva Island). Yes, it used to be an island, here is a map from 1987:

And the map now:

I want to do the tour just to spend some time on the balcony.

Zillow link

Thanks for reading. We will be back with the regular events and activities email Wednesday morning!

— Allison + Brian

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