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Table of Contents
Craig Mitchell Overview
Craig Mitchell was asked by Charlie Kelley in 1975 to build what would end up being the first custom designed mountain bike. Finished in the fall of 1976. 1) It used all klunker components with light weight road tubing, similar to Ritchey's later bikes. It didn't work for Charlie so he then asked Joe Breeze for a new frame in 1976.
The bike has been lost to time (in Australia somewhere?)
Craig later went on to help found White Industries.
E. T. Whippet. Charlie Kelly's Website
Craig Mitchell
The true first mountain bike? It used all klunker components with Excelsior geometry. And proved to not be good enough.2)
This is the only known photograph of this bike.
Charlie Kelly going down Repack on the first Craig Mitchell.
Charlie Kelly's Website
Production Notes
[1]. First bike in Fall 1976: Charlie Kelly's Website . See details on page: Charlie's Mountain Bike Hubsite
[2]. Craig Mitchell continued to produce a limited number of custom mountain bikes. The Birth of Dirt (3rd ed.) by Frank J. Berto.