mtb-timeline

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<div column 40% #intro>
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===== Rocky Mountain Overview =====



Rocky Mountain was founded in 1978 by Grayson Bain ((who later went on to found [[https://www.raceface.com/|Race Face]] and [[https://justea.com/|JustTea]])),
[[https://mmbhof.org/jacob-heilbron/|Jacob Heilbron]]((Who later went on to found [[https://konaworld.com/|Kona Mountain Bikes]])), and Sam Mak ((Who ran the [[https://www.facebook.com/BicyclePeddlerCA/|Bicycle Peddler]] Bike Shop in Vancouver)).

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<blockquote>

In 1978, a couple of guys in a Vancouver bike store modified a few Nishiki road bikes with wide tires, straight bars and thumbshifters with gears. This was the first experience with "mountain bikes" for the soon-to-be Rocky Mountain founders. They needed a more durable frame with aggressive geometry to withstand the harsh trails of the West Coast. So, they called [[ritchey:start|Tom Ritchey]] and began to import his version of the mountain bike.  The founders accompanied Tom Ritchey to Japan to explore the world of durable components and frame tubing that could be fashioned into mountain bikes. And, in 1982, they created their first production model, and Canada's first homegrown fat-tire bike, the Sherpa.
<cite>
[[https://www.missoulabikesource.com/articles/rocky-mountain-bicycles-pg90.htm|missoulabikesource]] ((Also in Rocky Mountain's own web page: [[https://www.bikes.com/en/our-story|Rocky Mountain Bikes]])) ((Wow, Rocky Mountain owns bikes.com! [[http://bikes.com]]))
</cite>
</blockquote>
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Rocky Mountain continues to build bikes in Canada: [[https://www.bikes.com]]

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<div column 25%>
{{jacob.jpg?260|Jacob Heilbron}}
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Jacob Heilbron [[https://mmbhof.org/jacob-heilbron/|mmbhof]]

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<div column 25%>
{{grayson.jpg?320|Grayson Bain}}
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Grayson Bain [[https://www.bikes.com/en/our-story|bikes.com]]
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<div column 50% #s1982>
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===== 1982 Sherpa =====

The only pic of an authentic, un-"restored" Sherpa can be found in their 1982 catalog.


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<div column 45%>
{{1982.jpg?300|1982 Sherpa}}
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1982 Sherpa
[[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/571862-help-id-rocky-mountain-sherpa-touring-bike.html|bikeforums]]
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<div column 50% #s1983>
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===== 1983 Sherpa Super Scooter =====

Also hard to find with all original parts, as most users understandably remove that top sticker ((Really, what were they thinking?  There should be a page for [[worst_names]].))


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<div column 45%>
{{scooter.jpg?300|1983 Scooter}}
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1983 Scooter
[[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/rocky-sherpa.55985/|mtbr]]

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<div column 45% #ritchey>
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===== Rocky Mountain Ritcheys =====

Rocky Mountain resold Ritcheys starting in 1983.  They eventually arrived in three varieties: Japanese TIG welded, lugged and fillet brazed.  The 1983 Rocky Mountain Ritchey was TIG welded by Toyo in Japan and is identical to the 1983 Montare Mountain Bikes sold in the US by [[fisher:start|Fisher]].
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The difference is in the decals.  Note the uniquely weird faux-biplane forks.

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<div column 25%>
{{montare2.jpg?300|Rocky Mountain Ritchey}}
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1983 Rocky Mountain Ritchey [[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/903827-1984-ritchey-mountain-bike.html|bikeforums]]
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<div column 25%>
{{montare1.jpg?300|Fisher Montare }}
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1983 Fisher Montare [[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/montare-mountain-bikes.598886/|mtbr]]
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<div column 50% #s1984>
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===== 1984 Fat City Flyer =====

Is the name an homage to both [[chance:start|Fat City Cycles]] and [[http://www.sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/ftf_welcome.htm|Fat Tire Flyer]]?  (("Fat city" is slang for the good life.  [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_City_(novel)|wikipedia]]))



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<div column 45%>
{{1984.jpg?300|1984 Fat City Flyer}}
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1984 Fat City Flyer
[[https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1392597/|pinkbike]]

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<div column 50% #s1985>
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===== 1985 Blizzard =====

A better name for the most northerly of all mountain bikes.  ((Today,
[[https://polebicycles.com/|Pole Bicycles]] and [[https://www.canyon.com/en-se/|Canyon]], both from Finland, may win the northernmost prize.))

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<div column 45%>
{{1985.jpg?300|1985 Blizzard}}
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1985 Blizzard
[[https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1984-fat-chance-tig.322719/|retrobike]]

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<div column 50% #names>
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===== Names =====

This is what you get when you google "super scooter."
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Rocky Mountain went on to solidify their brand of bad names by releasing ((Catalog archive: [[https://www.bikes.com/en/catalog-archive]]))

  * 1982 Super Scooter : drugs must have been involved
  * 1985 Transpo : for "light trail riding"
  * 1988 Hammer : for "pounding the hills"
  * 1990 Wedge : a Breezer Series I with an elevated chainstay
  * 1991 Équipe & Expérience : Accents required for the Québecois
  * 1993 Bolt : "Nail" would have worked better with "Hammer."
  * 1996 Element : worked for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Element|Honda]]
  * 1997 Spice : in 1997, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Girls|Spice Girls]] ruled supreme
  * 2009 Element 50 : Also known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin|Tin]].
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And probably many more.


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<div column 45%>
{{super.jpg?300|Luggie Super Scooter}}
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Luggie Super Scooter
[[https://www.luggie-scooters.com/luggie-super-scooter/|luggie]]

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==== Production Notes ====
<WRAP #prod1 />
[1]. no data
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