Anatomy Of A Photo: Screen-grab From A Golden Age
Even though in today’s mountain bike world the bikes are better, the clothing more appropriate, and there are more trails to ride, there’s no denying the early 90s were the Golden Age of Mountain Biking. Just look at these fellas, and tell me I’m wrong.
Tomac knew what was up. You don’t get such a badass Rainbow Jersey by accident, and his year in the bands (’92) was probably the last time the jersey looked that good. Plain black shorts, white socks, back flat as a pancake. And who else would you expect to be the first to rock a Troy Lee paint job on their helmet?
Tinker, well he’s a man unto himself. Probably the crowd favourite on the strength of recognition, being the only dreadlocked Hispanic riding a fluoro green or purple bike at the time making him easy to spot. That and his cadence, crunching the big ring where others, even Tomac and Ned, feared to tread. Legend has it that Tinker would fill a backpack with the biggest rocks he could find then set off into the mountains for a six hour training ride. Even if it’s an urban myth, the fact that it’s an urban myth about Tinker makes it more than a bit plausible.
Gumwall tyres, polished silver rims, colour matched forks, Campa… Campa? Multicoloured Sidis, Tinker made it all work. Even the Etto helmet looked good on him. Tomac was arguably the most Rule Compliant mountain biker ever. Even with limited resources to work with, these guys set the bar. Not many have reached it since.
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THE GODS
What, no picks of Tomac in the black skin-tight downhill suit? That was a sight. I saw him go by at Mt. Spokane in 95, and between that disc wheel and the free hub you could hear him coming half a mile away. Those were the days when downhill racing was less about freaky-stylie and more about POINT IT DOWN AND BOOGIE.
1989 marked my first USCF license.
@ChrissyOne Amen!
Tinker with the standard semi inflated tube in jersey pocket.
They still set the standard for how to sit on a bike. Agree that most mtb (and ‘cross) championship jerseys have been corrupted, US and World.
BUT they never ran gum wall tires. Those are skinwalls. Very different.
The original Graveur.
Much Awesome here.
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Those black Time shoes Tomac’s wearing in many of the pics? I had a pair with corresponding pedals. Weighed about 5 pounds each. Still got ’em.
Saw him at a downhill outside Bloomington, IN in the mid 90s. Missy Giove was there too – she was a total badass.
A Golden Age to be sure.
I have a pair of those multi-colored Sidi shoes for the road and the plastic bits have cracked, making them impossible to use. Argh, they’re so damn nice, I’m holding out hope of finding someone who can repair them.
An Italian cobbler?…
The Time shoes had laces covered by a stretchy flap that zipped up one side. I think they’re still in good shape – I’ll check tonight.
I had those Tioga shorts, until I destroyed them in a massive crash. Worth it. Tomac is also the reason I’ve always run Manitou forks.
Shot #11 up top. I had that exact Sony Walkman (still do actually). Musta paid a months wages to get it too. All thanks to the radness that’s Tinker.
@scaler911
Slash may have gotten his look from Tinker — never be in a photo without your hat (helmet) on. Slash probably had a Walkman too.
That lead phone makes it look like Tinker is using a tumpline to carry his gear.
Picture #12 begs for a rule regarding MTB suspension. The amount of suspension required is inversely proportional to the amount of testicular fortitude possessed by the rider. If you need 6″ on both ends there is room for only one tiny testicle, whereas anyone sending boulder drops on a few inches up front immediately confirms their mastery of rule V.
Tiker, not only a legend himself, was riding that brand of bikes, that is not even needed to mention. THE BRAND of bikes, the one and only. That bikes that featured details that only 20 years after, current frame design are catching up with…
The gods indeed…
@Joey
Sorry, but i beg to differ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jilqCro2MVU
@unversio
They’ve never been seen in the same room together. Maybe they’re the same person??
@Weldertron
Not only is that riding incredible, the commentators are TOTALLY worth the watch just to hear them shit themselves completely!
@frank
Hilarious. But he needs to raise his saddle.
@Nate
It’s that low to clear the metric fuckton of balls he’s carrying around.
Ahhhh the Campa MTB groupset…… about the only thing that nearly tempted me to try MTBing. Beautifully made, horiffically expensive, iirc almost as costly as C-Record but there were no other ensembles in their MTB range hence no “cheaper” options. And I had enough trouble paying for my road addiction without chasing that off-road dragon….
@Weldertron
I’ll say. By the end he must have been gassed yet he still has the cahones to throw it sideways in the air as he approaches the finish?? Judging by the technicality of the course there must have been some primo wipe-outs. Then the commentators would definitely have a thrombo!
GOLD. This thread is GOLD!
@frank
Tomac had this way of pedalling in the big dog, sliding and pushing the rear all-at-once with a grace that was hard to believe. Before discs! Finesse and brutal force combined. I’m not sure it is fast by today’s standards but it was entertaining! Oh, and he seemed pretty nice off the bike too.
Anyone still have their kit?
I was breaking Rule #17 before it was cool.
@panarchy
No, it’s ANODIZED PURPLE.
Back in the day there was the “CSUN” ride, an afternoon road ride in Northridge that lasted about an hour, hairballing through the streets and foothills. Many big guns used to show up, like Thurlow Rogers. One week a young kid showed up on his MTB and got a chuckle until he put the hammer down and we were on the rivet single file behind him. That was Tomac. Still hard to believe. He would later show up on a road bike and we were really toast.
Some more old stuff. See Missy there? Casually Deliberate as FUCK.
We had dinner about ten years ago with Tinker and his Mother when they were in town promoting C-Dale. Really nice folks. I remember Tinker from the 1970’s, when he was one of the first crop of professional BMX racers. Those skills transferred to the cross country world for him in much the same way that MTB/Trials skills transferred to the road for Sagan. Tinker told us that Cadel had told him that he would make a great road racer, but Tinker said that it just wasn’t his thing, and that he thought Cadel was “the real deal”.
The classic line: “How does he sit down with balls that big?” Heroic Era!!
@DavidI
My dad still has that group; he had it on a Cannondale Boinger (first gen rear sus with Rock Shox) and the combination performed so poorly it should have earned permanent residence on the Island of Misfit Bikes.
Beatiful to look at; I remember installing it for him the day it showed up at the house and I stripped the FD clamp screw just like that. Pulled out of there with that amazing Campa alu hugging every thread on the screw. I’ll remember that moment for ever.
I remember Tomac just riding away from the field at Hunter mountain, NY in the the granniest of granny gears and he dropped them the first time up, right out of the gate with a spin that was “buttah”. It was the same each lap after.
That was the first and last MTB race for me – there was no need to see another.
@frank
Right next to this:
Amazing thread. I’ve so much to learn…
When you flick through 90’s cycling mags on all the innovations that were being made in that decade it’s amazing what sticks around and what get thrown out.
Anyone for some Carbon-fiber wrapped aluminum?
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@ChrissyOne
Plus one to that lady!
I’ve got a Klienbone.
@piwakawaka Are you sure you want to publicize that? Concur with the sentiment, but you might want to brush up on your German.
Anyone else remember the Pedal Pusher buyer’s guide? A thick tome with fantastically detailed descriptions of thousands of shiny bits. I think I still have one somewhere but I can’t seem to find it. That was my reference manual for years.
It seems you guys pay just a bit too much attention yo fashion, and what riders are wearings, especially in The Rules. What’s next, having the correct haircut?
Tomac just showed up at work with his lunch pail, got on his bike, and just rode the wheels off it. No tats, no bullshit, no shit-talking, no dead-fish hanging around his neck. You lot could learn from this.
Rule #5a, “Shut the fuck up and ride your bike”.
@Zman
If you’re Maxim Iglinsky then, yes…
@Zman You should see our photo of Johnny Cash.
@ChrissyOne
absolutely
great one Brett
here in the frigid midwest, I have to admit this is my mtn bike season. There are so many reasons why to mtn bike, but that is off tangent
those were all good days guys, gear that was not quite that good, bikes that didn’t quite fit, shocks that didn’t quite absorb like you expected, tires that didn’t quite hook up, brakes that didn’t quite slow you down….it was all good
Tinker, BTW, is that real. He really did pack and go on those exploits, and at the races, was super casually deliberate, really it was hard to believe he was PRO, as he is so cool and approachable, like a dude you know?
@Zman
I pay so much attention to fashion and coffee because I spend so much time waiting for people like you.
@Weldertron
Thank-you VERY much for that clip. Just watched it for the third time and I’m laughing more than ever. Insane ride at the height of Rule #9. I’m so impressed the commentators didn’t swear.
11 seconds quicker than 2nd place. INSANE.
@Zman
“Hey! Zman… making copies! The Zman!!!”