Gary Fisher | Top Q&A

Where has he been… where is he goingRead more: Who is the fisherman Gary Read more: Who is the real brother of the Narutos?1963 Gary Fisher, 12, started competing on the road and tracked in races organized by the predecessor organization of USCF, the Amateur Cycling Federation of America. 1964 Gary discovered dirt bike racing, competing in five mountain bike races. Gary finished second in the middle age group in the Northern California County Road Championships. 1968 Gary was suspended from cycling because his hair was too long. From home-made equipment, Gary began a light show, called “The Lightest Show on Earth,” performing at major rock venues in San Francisco. 1972 With the “long hair” rule overturned, Gary started racing again. 1973 Gary finished second on the Tour of Nevada City and became a USCF Class 1 road racer. 1974 Gary finished the Vuelta de Baja, Tour of the Sierras and Tour of Marin races. Gary built his legendary Schwinn Excelsior X.. With an unprecedentedly wide gear range and heavy-duty brakes, it was the first all-terrain bike that, despite its 42-pound weight, could ride up the mountain as well as downhill. Gary pioneered the parallel use of drum brakes, gearshift levers, motorcycle brake levers and cables, quick release seat belts, and a trio of chains with extra-long cranks. Gary’s original mountain bike creation was voted one of the “Top 10 Best Mountain Bikes of All Time” by Mountain Bike Action Magazine. 1976 Gary won the Tour of Klamath Lake, a 125-mile Olympic development race. Gary finished 12th in the national road championships. Gary helps his roommate, Charlie Kelly, with the Repack Off-Road Downhill Race series. Gary began writing a monthly road test article for Bicycle Magazine. 1977 Gary set a Repack record of 4:22:14, a record that still stands. Gary finished fifth in the National Cycling Championship and finished the Red Zinger race in Colorado. 1978 Gary won the “Fastest Time of the Year” award for the Reverse Downhill Race. Gary won the Solo Division with the fastest total time in the Davis Doubles Century at 209 miles, with a time of 9 hours 18 minutes. Gary finished the Red Zinger race. Gary was one of the “Marin County Contingent” who introduced “Clunker” to Colorado horseback riding. 1979 A sport is named: Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly name their new company “MountainBikes”. The framework was built by Jeffrey Richmond and Tom Ritchey. Kelly and Fisher covers purchasing, assembly, marketing, shipping, sales, and catalog design. 160 “MountainBikes” are produced and sold. Gary completed the Coors Classic race and collected Olympic development points to place third in the Western road race. 1980 Gary wins his first Reseda to the Sea, Central Coast Clunker Classic and The Whiskeytown Downhill mountain bike races and comes runner-up in the Northern California District Mountain Bike Championships . Gary finished the Coors Classic race. Gary coin with the term “bullmoose handlebars”. Gary was the first to use Shimano freehub and “Bear Trap” pedals on a mountain bike. Gary and Charlie Kelly edit the bicycle section of “The Ultimate Entire Earth Catalog”. 1981 Gary won his second Reseda to the Sea off-road race. Fisher sponsored a women’s team in the Coors Classic stage race. 1982 Gary won the first Rockhopper Race and set the stage for the Fisher riders to win the next six. Gary won the Paradise Split Criterium in Crested Butte, Colorado. 1983 Gary developed and named the fork Unicrown. Fisher rider Dale Stetina wins the Heaven Division Stage Race. Gary was a founding member of the National Offshore Bicycle Association (NORBA) and accompanied a team, which included Dale Stetina, Eric Heiden, Joe Murray, Tom Ritchey and John Lomis, in early national championships. first included. Lomis was the first to finish with Fisher in third. Fisher had the first production bike with a brake under the handlebars. Gary introduces shorter segments and steeper seating angles for mountain bikes. Gary came to France to introduce mountain biking, downhill racing in the La Plagne Alps. 1984 Gary designed and built the first mountain bike to use a Tange Prestige tube. Fisher rider Joe Murray won the Whiskeytown, Rockhopper, Ross Stage Race, Pacific Nations Finals and NORBA National Championships. Athletes win 70% of all organized terrain races. The Fisher Excalibur was the first production mountain bike with a storage bin, toe clip, and Dura Ace straps. 1985 Team Fisher riders worked with Shimano to develop the indexed teleport feature. Gary developed the “Superior Height” and “Effective Upper Hose Length” measurements to better characterize the off-road frame fit. Fisher rider Joe Murray repeated his victories at the Whiskeytown, Rockhopper, Ross Stage Race and NORBA National Championships and traveled to England to finish third in the Competitor versus Horse and Bicycle. 1986 Fisher founded a grass root team – the largest off-road racing team in the world. Gary sold the name “Marin Mountain Bikes” to Bob Buckley. Gary designed the “Bulge Bar”, “Hipstay”, a super short crankshaft and 135mm barrel rear axle spacing. 1987 Team Fisher member Sara Ballantyne won gold in the NORBA World Cross Country Championships and Fisher’s Mike Kloser won silver in the men’s event. The Fisher Procaliber was named one of the “Ten Best Mountain Bikes of All Time” by Mountain Bike Action Magazine. Gary was named by Outside Magazine as one of “50 people who left their mark” in the past ten years. 1988 Introducing the Fisher CR-7, a collaboration between Gary’s renowned frame design and Richard Cunningham’s expertise in combining aluminum and chrome-moly. Riders Fisher, Mike Kloser and Sara Ballantyne win the 200-Mile Iditabike Snow Race in Alaska and the European World Terrain Championship. Bicycle Guide Magazine named the titanium Fisher Prometheus “Best of the 88.” Gary was inducted at the newly opened Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte. Riding in tandem with Sara Ballantyne, Gary and Sara won the tandem and finished 13th overall in the 150mile Desert to Sea. 1989 Gary introduces Evolution headsets, hoses and seat belts, the first oversized component system for mountain bikes. Swimmer Sara Ballantyne wins her third world championship. Bicycle Guide Magazine named the Fisher Gemini Tandem “Best of 89”. The bike dealer’s showroom named Fisher a “Top Supplier” for 89. Fisher produced his first hybrid bike. 1990 Gary was appointed to the NORBA Board of Directors. Gary’s collaboration with Mert Lawwill on the RS-1 full suspension bike won Bicycling Magazine’s “Hot Bike” award. Fisher Mt. Tam is the first production mountain bike to feature telescopic front forks (RockShox) and pre-set geometry suspension. 1991 Fisher started as an international mountain bike team, consisting of world champions Albert Iten and Walter Braendli of Switzerland and Paola Pezzo and Paolo Rusola of Italy. Gary introduced the 15.5 structure on the Montare. 1992 Gary develops the Alembic carbon fiber suspension bike with the Japanese Toray. 1993 Trek Bicycle Corporation acquires Gary Fisher Bicycle Company. The new Gary Fisher brand was launched in September with the most competitive range ever, including 10 models made in the USA. Fisher rider Paola Pezzo of Italy wins the UCI World Mountain Bike Championship in France. 1994 The Gary Fisher brand stands out with a new racing team, more than 500 locations in the United States and more than 20 countries worldwide selling the brand. Gary was named the “Father of Mountain Biking” by Smithsonian Magazine. Gary received a lifetime achievement award at the Korbel Night of Champions, Cycling Academy Awards. 1996 Swimmer Paola Pezzo won a gold medal in women’s mountain biking at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Gary was re-elected to the board of NORBA by the highest number of votes of any trustee. Gary was named “Product Manager of the Year” by Mountain Bike Magazine. The Fisher brand is the fastest growing bicycle brand in the US 1997 Fisher formed a BMX team and introduced 10 BMX models including Joshua-inspired aluminum Pro Issue group frames. Paola Pezzo dominated the Women’s XC field on her Genesis Geometry bike, winning seven of nine World Cup races, including the overall championship and world championship title. Gary himself had an incredible year in motorsport, winning the US National Championship in the XC Masters category and earning a spot on the US Masters team. Gary was named to the “Trips for Kids” Board of Directors. 1998 Fisher showed the cycling world that significant improvements to mountain bike frames were still possible by announcing Genesis Geometry in 1998 and making it available to consumers around the globe. Gary won the 8-day Trans Alp terrain race in Europe. 1999 Gary Fisher partnered with Saab Cars USA to form the Gary Fisher Saab Racing Team, further strengthening one of the sport’s premier professional programs. Fisher Saab’s driver Michael Rasmussen won the men’s XC world championship in Sweden. Paola Pezzo wins the St Wendel World Cup with Fisher’s new dual suspension, the first woman to win a world cup race on a dual suspension bike. Gary was named to the “Snow Bike Walk of Fame”. Paola Pezzo was named to the prestigious Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. 2000 Fisher introduces the Sugar, a full suspension platform that’s light enough for professional racing.