Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- marin:start [2025/08/11 15:12] – mtbtimeline
+++ marin:start [2025/08/11 18:52] (current) – mtbtimeline
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 For a relatively late MTB bike brand which emerged over twelve years after the first [[people:repack|Repack]] races in Fairfax, Marin Mountain Bikes origins are deeply rooted in Mount Tamalpais and the [[people:start|founders]] of mountain biking.  Robert (Bob) Buckley and [[https://mmbhof.org/mountain-bike-hall-of-fame/1988/joe-murray/|Joe Murray]] founded Marin Mountain Bikes in 1985 in San Anselmo, CA, less then one mile from the base of the Repack Downhill finish in Fairfax.
-After a skiing accident (in 1984/5?), Bob Buckley went to his local bike shop in San Anselmo to buy a mountain bike to help recover and resume skiing.  The shop was Kelly-Fisher MountainBikes of San Anselmo
+After a skiing accident (in 1984/5?), Bob Buckley went to his local bike shop in San Anselmo to buy a mountain bike to help recover and resume skiing.  The shop was Kelly-Fisher MountainBikes, the very first MTB shop, nearby within San Anselmo
-((Some documents list Kelly-Fisher's address as Fairfax, but the shop was about 500' over the town line within San Anselmo.  Kelly & Fisher first rented space at 1501 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo in the winter of 1979.  See: [[http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/mtbikes_company.htm]].))
+((Some documents list Kelly-Fisher's address as Fairfax, but the shop was about 500' over the town line within San Anselmo.  Kelly & Fisher first rented space at 1501 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo in the winter of 1979.  See: [[http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/mtbikes_company.htm]].  Bob Buckley also lived in San Anselmo a couple of miles away.))
-where Bob bought a Ritchey/Fisher/Kelly MTB from twenty one year old salesperson Joe Murray.  Joe Murray was currently on track to race twelve straight wins in that summer of 1985, and obtaining his second NORBA national championship.  Joe ((There really needs to a separate section about Fairfax native Joe Murray and the other original professional MTB racers.  Soon....)) was at that time working at the shop as: "Race team, shop mechanic, product testing and design."  ((Joe Murray's Linkedin job history:  [[https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-murray-b76a5a13]].  Also, starting in 1980, aged 17, Joe Raced for Tom Ritchey, and by 1984 had transitioned to Gary Fisher's racing team.))
+where Bob bought a Ritchey/Fisher/Kelly MTB from twenty one year old salesperson Joe Murray.  Joe Murray was currently on track to race twelve straight wins in that summer of 1985, and obtaining his second NORBA national championship.  Joe ((There really needs to a separate section about Fairfax native son Joe Murray and the other original professional MTB racers.  Soon....)) was at that time working at the shop as: "Race team, shop mechanic, product testing and design."  ((Joe Murray's Linkedin job history:  [[https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-murray-b76a5a13]].  Also, starting in 1980, aged 17, Joe Raced for Tom Ritchey, and by 1984 had transitioned to Gary Fisher's racing team.))
-Bob hatched the idea for Marin Mountain Bikes, buying the name from Gary Fisher, with Joe Murray acting as product line designer and race team director.  In 1985, Joe officially left Fisher's employ to join Marin.((Did Gary Fisher help Marin Mountain Bikes in any other way other than the name?  Some web sites suggest that Gary was a third partner in the new business.))  By the end of 1985, Marin had already produced small quantities for demo and sampling purposes ((See Bob Buckley discuss Marin Bikes history in: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKcfAe7UnRc]].)).
+Bob hatched the idea for Marin Mountain Bikes, buying the name from Gary Fisher, with Joe Murray acting as product line designer and race team director.  In 1985, Joe officially left Fisher's employ to join Marin.((Did Gary Fisher help Marin Mountain Bikes in any other way other than the name?  Some web sites suggest that Gary was a third partner in the new business.))  By the end of 1985, Marin had already produced small quantities of mountain bikes for demo and sampling purposes ((See Bob Buckley discuss Marin Bikes history in: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKcfAe7UnRc]].)).
 Marin Mountain Bikes launched a single, cheap MTB in 1986, the "Madrone Trail", ((Not named after an actual trail - just a favorite Mt. Tam trail covered by many madrone trees.)) designed by Joe and likely built by Toyo of Taiwan, with low end components from Japan and Taiwan, retailing for $199.  By 1987 Marin boosted its quality out of the low margins with six quality brand offerings.  For example, the 1994 catalog lists seventeen MTB models, seven of which use top of the line Shimano XT or XTR components, and none are down market like the original 1986 Madrone Trail.
-Joe left Marin in 1988 to join Merlin and Kona bicycles.  Bob stayed with Marin until 2011, when he sold Marin Bicycles to UK private equity firm [[https://bikebiz.com/marin-minestone-and-opening-a-new-chapter-in-the-brands-history/|Minestone]].
+Joe left Marin in 1988 to join Merlin and later Kona bicycles.  Bob stayed with Marin until 2011, when he sold Marin Bicycles to UK private equity firm [[https://bikebiz.com/marin-minestone-and-opening-a-new-chapter-in-the-brands-history/|Minestone]].