Repack Rider

In 1979 Gary Fisher and I rented a garage to build bikes in. It started a really big bike adventure. So I wrote a book and sold it to Velo Press.

Amazon listed my book today.

That's the good news.

Bad news is that it's six months away from being in print.

Good news is that you can pay for it now and get it really cheap.

Eventually.

I thought some of you might want to know about this. Maybe one of you will buy it.

Fat Tire Flyer

C Law

I'm definitely buying one. Thanks for posting

corwin1968

I'm not even a mountain biker but I'm fascinated by the history. It will be great to read it from the viewpoint of one of the founders! I look forward to getting this book.

jgedwa

Very cool. Looking forward to reading it when it comes out. Congratulations on writing up the history.

jim

Daspydyr 

Congratulations on getting a book to print. I will pick one up as well.

When did Billy Jack start posting here?

longbeachgary

Congratulations. Can't wait to get my own copy.

Daspydyr 

And you and Gary were building bikes together. I would have loved to be in on some of those early design discussions.

Singlespeed92

Sweet! Can't wait to read it,and congradulations

IthaDan 

I was just looking to purchase this book. While I'm glad this made it to amazon, I know that you as the author will receive pennies on the dollar should I take that route to purchase. What is the best way to purchase so the most money makes into your hands?

Thanks for everything you've done to change and grow the weird and wonderful world of cycling.

Repack Rider

Fat Tire Flyer has started arriving at the homes of those who bought in advance. I really don't mind the cut-rate royalties. I'll do fine with this.

My publisher has made a complete chapter available online as a .pdf. You can see it here.

BikeRadar has a lengthy article about the bike which was on display while I signed books with Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze and Tom Ritchey.

And finally, I already got a review of the book. Of course it's a good one. I wouldn't have posted it if it were not.

xuwol7

I can't wait to get a copy, the book sounds awesome.
Did you ever imagine that the sport would grow to the extent that is has now?
I use to ride an old Schwinn Beach Cruiser back in the early '80's in the Angeles National Forrest and water ski at Pyramid Lake, good times and good memories.
Never made it to Marin County but sure did hear about it a lot and I learned how to repack my own Bendix coaster brakes...lol

My favorite bike to this day is my 1984 Peugeot Canyon Express, old school for sure but it is still my go to bike...

lubes17319

Right on Charlie!

corwin1968

I got mine Wednesday and I'm really enjoying it!! Anyone who has an interest in mountain biking should pick up this book, along with Barto's "Birth of Dirt" and the documentary "Klunkerz". The latter two are broad overviews of the development of the mountain bike and Fat Tyre Flyer is a more narrow, first-person account of the same events, literally told by the one man at the center of the whole thing.

Great job Repack Rider!!

bikemig 

I just placed a copy in my amazon cart; this looks very cool.

osco53

I'm In, I dig Bike History.
I always check out the classic gear In the back end of Mountain Bike Action ..

Bandrada

Dang, Repack, you get around. I'm very intrigued by the stories I've heard over the years, of how MTB first left it's tracks.

What's your take on the Buffalo Soldier?

Repack Rider

Everybody has wanted to tell me for 35 years about all the people who thought of mountain bikes before I did. Buffalo Soldiers, whoever, riding bikes on dirt started as soon as there were bikes. A friend of mine "invented" a serviceable mountain bike two decades before I first rode a ten speed.

A lot of mechanics came up with the off-road bike idea a lot of times, but they didn't create mountain biking. We came up with the sport idea, and the sport we came up with designed the bikes for us. It's a longer story than that, but it is definitely not about "inventing the mountain bike." It's about creating a culture in which a mountain bike was a necessity, and then watching it evolve.

Bandrada

Indeed, the culture has definitely grown. Not out of necessity, as is the case with evolution.

apclassic9

...and the e-book edition is due out when???

Pendergast

I finished it last night. Very informative and entertaining! Nice that the physical quality of the book is so good, too. Something to be proud of, for sure. Congrats.

Repack Rider

Wall Street Journal reviewed my book, Fat Tire Flyer.

They liked it.

Bandrada

Have you ridden the new Breezer Repack, yet?

Repack Rider

I got just about the first one that came out of the box. Great bike!

Joe Breeze will be joining me in signing books tomorrow.

Bandrada

It looks interesting, for sure.

I sorta wonder why he did not go with a more standard pivot placement, like the Horst. It seems that area of the chainstay has the potential to sustain a lot of abuse. I have both a Horst pivot and TNT pivot linkage driven modified RFX Turners, and while both excel in their own ways I guess I prefer the seatstay pivot for most of my riding. They are both modified with eccentric shock hardware and less travel for more aggressive geometry. I have swapped shocks as well as the rockers between the two, and the Horst version is just way too active given my preference for coil dampers.

Anyway, thanks for all your hard work. Good luck with your book!

bennybenny

Saw it a few weeks ago at my local Barnes and Noble, looks awesome.