It’s October 2, 2025—let’s be honest, the trails are practically begging to be ridden today. But while millions of people are hitting the trails on their ubiquitous mountain bikes today… it wasn’t always that way.
Let’s take a trip back in time, way before dropper posts and suspension forks were even a twinkle in a designer’s eye.
I’m talking about the Klunker!
These weren’t your sleek, aerodynamic speed demons. Nope, Klunkers were the Frankenstein bikes of the cycling world—cobbled together from whatever you could find, fuelled by pure grit and a thirst for off-road adventure. They’re the reason we’re out here shredding today, so let’s give ’em some respect!
Here are 10 moments that turned those clunky cruisers into the granddaddies of our modern mountain bikes. Yes, this is the five-minute history of how Klunkers, and eventually mountain bikes, came to be.
1. Post-War Scavenge-Fest (Late ’40s to ’60s)
Picture this: The Second World War is over, and suddenly, these beefy, balloon-tired bikes like the Schwinn Excelsior are everywhere and cheap! These weren’t built for winning races, but they were tough as nails. Perfect for the budding backyard engineers who wanted a ride that could handle some serious bumps. The seed was planted…
2. The Larkspur Canyon Crew (Early ’70s)
Marin County, California—ground zero for mountain bike madness! A bunch of buddies, guys like Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly and Joe Breeze, started bombing down Mount Tam’s fire roads on their tricked-out cruisers. They weren’t just cruising; they were pushing the limits of what these bikes could possibly handle, and having a blast doing it.
3. Repack: Where Bikes Went to Die (1976 to 1979)
Oh man, Repack. This legendary downhill race, dreamed up by Charlie Kelly, was pure carnage. A five-minute plunge that separated the strong from the… well, the broken. It was brutal, unforgiving and the perfect R&D lab. Repack forced riders to get creative—stronger brakes, tougher parts, and frame geometry that could actually survive the abuse were a must.
4. Joe Breeze’s “Breeze” Blows Minds (1977)
Boom! The “Breeze” arrives. Often hailed as the first purpose-built mountain bike. Joe Breeze, a frame builder with serious skills, crafted a frame that was lighter and stronger, specifically for tearing it up off-road. This wasn’t just slapping parts on an old cruiser; this was a whole new level of commitment.
5. MountainBikes is Born (1979)
Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly, realizing they were onto something big, officially launched MountainBikes. The first company dedicated to building and selling these crazy machines. Suddenly, the Klunker wasn’t just a local phenomenon; it was a thing.
6. Ritchey Joins the Party (1980)
Tom Ritchey, another frame-building wizard, starts cranking out frames for MountainBikes. His craftsmanship and innovative ideas took the Klunker to the next level—lighter, stronger, faster. Ritchey’s work laid the foundation for what early mountain bikes would become.
7. Stumpjumper Takes Center Stage (1981)
Specialized, smelling the coffee (and the dirt), jumps in with the Stumpjumper. This was the first mass-produced mountain bike, bringing the Klunker concept to the masses and cementing its place in cycling history. Game officially changed.
8. Shimano Steps Up (Early ’80s)
Shimano, the component king, starts developing parts specifically for mountain bikes. We’re talking wider gear ranges, brakes that actually stopped you, and derailleurs that could handle a beating. Suddenly, Klunkers weren’t just tough; they were actually reliable.
9. Suspension? Sort Of… (Mid-’80s)
Okay, early suspension was… interesting. Think elastomers and air springs that were more like suggestions than actual suspension. But hey, it was a start! These early experiments hinted at the future of plush, controlled rides.
10. Klunker Graduates to Mountain Bike (Late ’80s)
By the late ’80s, the Klunker had morphed into the mountain bike we know and love. Lighter frames, better components and (eventually) decent suspension transformed those repurposed cruisers into the high-performance machines we drool over today.
The Klunker was more than just a bike; it was a symbol of innovation, a testament to the power of DIY, and a reminder that the best adventures are often found off the beaten path. So, the next time you’re railing a berm or cleaning a techy climb, give a little nod to the Klunker—the scrappy, unlikely ancestor of your modern mountain bike. It earned it!
Pingback: Best Songs For Cruising On Your Klunker - Klunkers
Don’t forget the kind of lost history often uncredited before the Stump Jumper the (Lawill) Pro Cruiser)was the first production mountain bike promoted out of Cove Bike Shop located on the out squirts of Mill Valley owned by the Koski family that may still produce the (Koski Bomber) frame and fork set. The Koski Bomber frame set is based off the Pro Cruiser only with more heft and some more improvements. Look up the images of both to compare I recommend . If you really want a BAD A- – ride in a Klunker/mountain/Down hill/ Scraper package the Koski Bomber frame set is it. Design and tested by the original crew, the experts in this types of configuration. Another touch of Marin Klunker History is the Cove Bike Shop was one of two Klunker head quarters in Southern Marin. Back to the Pro Cruiser I had several friends that owned the Pro Cruiser and it was well loved. Of course I got to test ride some of them. I really liked the Pro Cruiser. Why I didn’t collect one was money as I was starting a family and we know where the money goes. WARNING ⛔️ Young Unns when you attempt to become an adult 50% of the word fun fades away and (responsibility) rolls in like the summer fog blanketing the Marin Headlands only to smother the dream Klunker into extinction or the one that got away. Anyway if any of you out there get on YouTube and pull up some vids on the Marin Bicycle Museum you will see some of the original Klunkers hanging on the wall and just passed them the Pro Cruiser dressed in red as I remember it. So who is Merit Lawill the brains behind the Pro Cruiser? He held the AMA National Number One title Championship as I remember it around 1970 in professional motorcycle racing /Flat Track& Road Racing/. He was a factory rider for Harley Davidson. Check out the movie documentary On Any Sunday. It’s old but a fantastic movie covering the sport of motorcycles and racing. Merit is a big player in the doc. as well as the late actor Steve Mc Queen and famous desert racer Malcom Smith who had just recently passed. In the beginning or intro in this film you will get the opportunity to see the very first BMX ers in action riding they’re Schwinn Sting Rays the original BMX bike before these rides became refined. Imagine doing jumps and bike stunts with APE Hanger handle bars. They did it back in the day as you will see. Check it out. Enjoy
Not to be too picky but the man’s name is Mert Lawill, not Merit : )
I remember watching “On Any Sunday” as a teenager in the 1970’s. A great movie!And Mert shows up right at the beginning, all suited up, but for commercial business, not Flat Track racing.
I recall seeing him one year at Interbike (the annual bicycle trade show) some time in the 90’s(?). He was working on a MTB linkage suspension fork, the “Lawill Leader”, along with Gary Fisher (MTB pioneer) IIRC.
Pingback: Homepage
His passion looking from the outside in has been the World on two wheels. I saw him and was face to face at the local lumber and hardware store and the isle was narrow. The situation was kind of funny. I recognized instantly who he was plus he had on a red Bell Helmet wind breaker, kind of a give away. He stopped I stopped. From the movie I knew he was small but in person he’s tiny I remember a brief pause he looked at me and me being well over six feet at the age of fifteen the puzzled look on his face like he just met Big Foot or if his face could talk it was saying Holy Crap. I’m looking way down at him with probably the same face instantly thinking no wonder he is holding the motor cycle national number one plate he is so small there is almost no wind resistances off his body and no weight to soak up any horse power plus it takes skill. That second seemed like five minutes. Me being into dirt bikes and Klunkers at that time and him being a local home town hero in the sport I wanted to say hello but figured him being who he is respectfully give him his space. But for ever etched the exchanged look he had like he just hit a wall was funny. I almost bought the Lawill Street Tracker, kind of a street legal dirt tracker modified Harley Sportster around the mid two thousands but but past as I was elbow deep tricking out a H.D.Fat Boy. Anyway to anyone that rides bikes and motor cycles and is young to the sport / hobby if you see anything on two wheels that wears the Mert Lawill name check it out he has always been building cool stuff with his racing heritage and the name alone is collectible. Like the Lawill Pro Cruiser bicycle. If anyone that follows this site is in the San Fransisco Bay Area and have a little extra time check out the Marin Bicycle Museum Fair Fax California In Marin County just about a half hour north of the well known San Fransisco Golden Gate Bridge. Inspired by the original crew that raced down Mountain with the event the bears the name Repack. Well worth the trip many things to see as well as the display of the original Klunkers that ran the mountain,Klunker History. Plus the Lawill Pro Cruiser will be there as well all dressed in red hanging just past the Klunker display. Though the original Repack crew is getting on you may bump into one of them at the Museum. They were the people off old Marin. Old Marin had quite the characters. Looking back Old Marin was quite the play ground with plenty of things to do and I was lucky to be there before it changed. What happen was the Elite moved in and started building on open space and as always with a growing population come laws and restriction’s. The event Repack fell through as well. A lot of good memories. I wish the readers of this site could have had the same experience to fully understand when and how and where it all came from and grew up and went to the same High School some off the original Klunker Crew came from. A truck load of fun the new only reads about sadly. But at least you can make your own fun on these simple stylish rides and ride them your way , enjoy.😊
Thanks for the spelling correction David. No offense taken. I don’t spell or write sentence all that well. I’m one of those people that worked with their hands and did well in the Industrial arts ,trade school and Rotor wing flight school. How ever in seventh grade I remember being pulled out math class to do a I.Q. test because most of my teachers thought I was an idiot. My I.Q. Test proved other wise. Taking a I.Q. Test how embarrassing. A regular classified Forest Gump I is. I rather make a lot more money than a teacher will ever imagine and be a classified idiot. Heck it worked for Gump and Lieutenant Dan.