Gary Fisher

Mountain bike innovator, promoter

What is Gary Fisher known for?

Gary Fisher, a notable alumni from Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, was born on November 5, 1950, and has left an indelible mark on the world of cycling. An innovator and promoter, Fisher is credited as one of the inventors of the modern mountain bike. Starting from a young age, Fisher competed in road and track races at the age of 12. Despite an early career setback in 1968 due to his long hair, which contravened race rules at the time, Fisher's career continued to shine after the rule's repeal in 1972. His accolades include victories in the TransAlp race in Europe and a Masters XC national title.

In 1974, Fisher began innovating on his 1930s Schwinn Excelsior X Bicycle. His reworking involved the addition of drum brakes, motorcycle brake levers and cables, and triple chain-rings. He competed in the Repack downhill race in 1975, an event notorious for its demanding downhill route which caused so much wear on the bikes that riders had to repack the smoking hubs with grease after every run. Fisher holds the record time on the Repack course at 4:22.

Fisher not only innovated in the design of the mountain bike but also in its naming, coining the term "mountain bike" in 1979. Along with his roommate Charlie Kelly, he founded MountainBikes, the first company to specialize in the production of this type of bicycle. The frames for these bikes were built by Tom Ritchey, who later founded his own company.

Fisher's success as a business owner was realized when he founded Gary Fisher Mountain Bikes in 1983 after MountainBikes dissolved. He sold the company to Taiwan's Anlen company in 1991 but remained as President, continuing to influence the industry through design innovations like the first commercially produced full suspension bicycles. His contribution to the sport extends beyond his innovations, having mentored racers such as gold-medal winner Paola Pezzo in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

The world recognized Fisher's contributions to the sport. He was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1988, named one of the "50 who left their mark" in the sport by Outside magazine in 2000, and honored by Smithsonian magazine in 1994 as the "Founding Father of Mountain Bikes". In 1998, Popular Mechanics acknowledged Fisher's innovations in sports.

For more on Gary Fisher, refer to these resources: Gary Fisher: Máme tu další cyklorevoluci and The Gary Fisher Story | Gary Fisher Bicycles.