REVOLUTIONARIES
There are certain points in history where sports experience a quantum leap, such as when Dick Fosbury invented a whole new high-jump technique, or when Colin Chapman fitted small upside-down aeroplane wings to a Lotus F1 car. So, in our young and rapidly-expanding pastime of mountain biking, what were the Damascene moments that allowed riders to break new ground? Who are the people responsible for the bikes we enjoy and the way we ride them today? Not just the famous names everyone’s heard of, but also the folk behind smaller changes that have still had a big impact on how we ride.
From top athletes to businesspeople, maverick inventors to whizz-kid engineers, here are 10 individuals who helped hone and tweak the humble bicycle to become the incredibly efficient, reliable and entertaining off-road vehicle it is today, all of them drawn together by a common thread – a love for experiencing the outdoors on two wheels.
Nico Vouilloz
Tech-savvy superstar racer
became known as the GOAT (greatest of all time), that title belonged to Frenchman Nicolas Vouilloz, who bagged more World Cup and World Champs wins than anyone before him. Not only was Nico’s riding talent and fitness famed, but so was his scientific approach to bike development and race analysis. He left nothing to chance, leading to a stream of victories in the
