VI. Gary Fisher and the History of a Beautiful Trail Day

I wonder why they named the trail Malibu? I have been to the one in Cali and I can’t say I see the resemblance to this treelined dirt trail in the middle of a park in Illinois. Maybe its because they both include hills that might be just a hair treacherous for the newly initiated mountain biker. Maybe someone just needed a name. I’ll have to ask around.

Today the trail was firm and flowing under the tires. Cold air rapidly gave way to temps that climbed over freezing and we were all concerned that we had arrived too late. But despite the blue sky and bright sun, the earth remained solid, and left us the morning before giving way to mud.

I often ride alone. But not today. By happenstance, mutual friends were out riding, a couple guys and about five women on fat bikes, skinny ones, 26ers, 27.5s, 29ers, and in a variety of makes and colors.

Chatter rippled through the group in the woods about the marvelous conditions, the new trails being cut and different clearing strategies, about women who learned to dirt bike first, before mountain biking, or who had to keep up with older brothers, about how much more it hurts to crash now that we’re older. Each person has a story and a reason why she is here sharing this day, this sport, this moment with me.

Each bike has a story too. And we enthusiast all love to tell them. I have an older bike, a Gary Fisher, that I’m fine with. It features 26-inch wheels and a rather small front fork shock. I’m the third woman to own it. It has traveled to different states, including Kona, HI, I am told. Its former passengers are women of formidable strength and athleticism.

Gary Fisher, the man and the brand, had so many firsts its hard to know where to begin. This “Founding Father of Mountain Bikes” was somewhat of a rebel. He got kicked out of racing for a time in 1968 because his hair was too long. Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly gave a name to the sport and developed “MountainBikes” in 1979 with Tom Ritchy creating the first frames for the company. Fisher also worked with Shimano on the development of index shifting. My bike, a Gary Fisher Subaru, features RockShox (the first front suspension fork to be used in a production mountain bike and having suspension ready geometry). It also has carbon seat stays and handle bars, possibly added later. http://mmbhof.org/gary-fisher/

Anyway, it fits well and, while it is dated, has a history which I try to honor every time I go out. Today I feel I did just that. I’m still not especially fast, but my handling is coming along and I’m starting to feel more exhilaration and less raw fear as I flow around hairpins, roll over log piles and down and back up the gravity dips in my path.

I was probably not born to be a lone pioneer on the cutting edge of anything special. I was not the first to be here to do what I do, nor the last, nor the best, nor the worst. But still, I will go my own way in the woods so long as sometimes I have the joy of your company and the magic of a fine ride.