Every time you drop into a trail, feel your tires bite the dirt, and hear that perfect buzz of your freehub, you’re riding on decades of wild history. Mountain biking wasn’t born in a factory — it was born from pure creativity, risk, and passion.

Before carbon fiber and CNC hubs, there were dusty fire roads, heavy steel bikes, and a bunch of California riders who just wanted to go faster downhill.

 

 

 

The 1970s: Marin County’s Mad Scientists

Our story starts in Marin County, California, in the 1970s. A group of friends — Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Charlie Kelly, Tom Ritchey, and Otis Guy — started pushing their bikes beyond what anyone thought possible. They took old Schwinn Excelsior cruiser frames, slapped on balloon tires, swapped in motorcycle brakes, and bombed down Mount Tamalpais’ rough fire roads.

 

 

Their races down a trail called Repack became legendary. The name came from the fact that riders had to “repack” their hub brakes with fresh grease after each run — they’d overheat so badly from the descents that the grease would literally burn off.

Those riders weren’t just thrill seekers — they were inventors. With every broken spoke, bent rim, and overheated hub, they learned something new about how bikes could be built better.

 

 

 

Innovation Born From the Dirt

That experimental, hands-on spirit is the foundation of modern mountain biking. Out of the Repack races came the world’s first true mountain bikes — custom-built frames, stronger wheels, better brakes.

When Joe Breeze built the Breezer No. 1 in 1977, it was the first purpose-built mountain bike ever made. Soon, Fisher and Kelly launched MountainBikes (yes, literally the first company by that name), and Tom Ritchey started crafting lightweight steel frames that redefined what a trail bike could be.

 

 

By the early 1980s, the movement went mainstream with bikes like the Specialized Stumpjumper, the first production mountain bike. What started as a rebellious garage experiment had officially become a global sport.

 

 

 

Fast-Forward: The Carbon Revolution

Decades later, that same pioneering energy lives on — especially in how bikes and components are built today. The spirit of “let’s make it stronger, lighter, and faster” never died; it just evolved with better tools and materials.

Now, carbon fiber has replaced steel as the ultimate performance material. It’s allowed riders to push limits like never before — bombing steeper trails, hitting bigger drops, and climbing with less effort.

 

 

Every modern carbon wheel echoes the lessons those early riders learned on Mount Tam: strength, precision, and the pursuit of speed without compromise.

 

 

 

Keeping the Spirit Alive

At NOMADIK, that same drive for innovation inspires everything we build. Just like the pioneers of Repack, we obsess over every detail — the layup patterns, the spoke tension, the hub engagement — because we believe every gram, every millimeter, and every ride experience matters.

We’re here because we love the same feeling those early riders chased: freedom on two wheels.

So the next time you rail a corner, float through a rock garden, or feel the snap of acceleration from your carbon rims, remember — you’re part of a story that started with a few fearless friends and a mountain called Tamalpais.

And that story’s still being written — by riders like you.