A collection of 14 articles by mountain bike journalist Mike Davis, all originally published in influential MTB magazine Privateer between 2009 and 2013. Includes a history of titanium mountain bikes, a look at the unique devotion that Yeti owners have to their bikes, the experience of racing a twenty year old bike on 10 year old trails, how watching skilled riders taps into the oldest parts of the human brain and plenty more. The articles include interviews with numerous influential bike designers, builders and riders — Greg Herbold, John Tomac, Keith Bontrager, Mike Augspurger, Rob Vandermark, Jeff Jones and many more.
There's a lot of depth here, but the author's breezy style is easy to read. Anyone who's interested in the development of mountain bikes and mountain biking will enjoy this book.
Table of Contents
Preface
Old Medallists
Inside the 2010 Old World Mountain Bike Championships.
Elements of Style
It's not just what you ride, it's how you ride.
Faster, Higher, Stronger?
Is being an Olympic sport really a good thing?
Tribalism
There's brand loyalty, and then there's the Yeti Tribe.
Striking a Balance
Santa Cruz Bicycles treads the fine line between niche and mainstream.
Daily Riders and Garage Queens
The slightly obsessive world of retro mountain bikes.
The Pink Dashed Line
The surprising importance to British mountain biking of an office in Southampton.
Fork Wars
In the red corner: Herbold and RockShox. In the blue corner: Tomac and Manitou.
A Brief History of Ti
From fighter jet hydraulics to high-end bike frames.
Better by Degrees
MTB geometry explained, at some length (also includes angles).
What Goes Around
Now you understand geometry a little better, here's how it's changed. Or, as it turns out, not.
Positive Spin
Wheelbuilding's not really a dark art, but it's still very clever.
Custom
The renaissance of custom framebuilding.
Burst Your Bubble
Mountain biking's full of niches, but you don't have to stay in them.