Fat Tire Bike with Derailleur and Good Brakes in Marin
Date: 1974
Gary Fisher’s 1941 Schwinn Excelsior is one of the most-photographed bikes of Marin County’s 1970s off-road scene. Gary was one of the members of the Velo-Club Tamalpais road-racing club who got into fat-tire riding for off-season fun. They located old Schwinn or Schwinn-type balloon-tire bikes, made modifications and added components to improve performance. Starting in 1976 they raced Repack, a downhill time trial. Gary, one of the top Repack racers and holder of its record time, is well known for equipping his bike with derailleurs, by 1975. This photo, of Gary rounding Repack’s Camera Corner on his 1941 Schwinn, was taken by Larry Cragg in 1976 or 1977.
