Celebrating mtn. biking’s roots

By Caleb Chastain

From “clunkers” to carbon fiber, mountain biking has evolved from its roots in Crested Butte into a worldwide sport.

In 1976, a group of men at the Grubstake Bar in Crested Butte became fed up with a group of motorcyclists from Aspen who would regularly ride over Pearl Pass to harass the town and then disappear. Enough was enough, and the men hopped on their singlespeed behemoths and road the 40-some miles over 12,705-foot Pearl Pass into Aspen to return the favor. Thus, creating an annual tradition, and branding Crested Butte as a mountain biking mecca.

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