Four years ago in the early morning I was walking in Kreuzberg and suddenly saw a stock of bicycle magazines near a closed bike shop. Lots of boring advertisment, bikeparts tests inside and an article about hippie-looking men on strange formed bikes. Ugh. But the esthetic of photos was just my taste.
So I took that one magazine, cut out few pictures and hung them in my kitchen. Few months ago one experienced eye spottet them on my wall and said: ‘These are guys who invented mountain biking. This is Gary Fischer! And this is Tom Ritchey! You definetly need to see the documentary about them!’
Yesterday I finally saw this movie, called KLUNKERZ. About how a group of guys, from Fairfax, California rode down these crazy offroad hills on cruiser bikes without helmets just for fun and how it turned into huge bicycle industry and culture.
The only woman among a male-dominated cohort, who was tough enough to ride and race with them, was Wende Cragg. The only one at the birth of mountain biking, in the development of the sport. And she was actually the one, who captured the most iconic images of its history. I’m happy I have her pictures hanging in my kitchen.
/ tammy