ORBO ORBO Inspiration and Entertainment: Klunker Documentaries

[Bike from the Dead]

I've been watching a few videos on the roots of mountain biking lately, and while odds are you may have seen them before, I'd still like to share them with you. Some of these videos area already giving me ideas for some of my bikes!





Know any good movies/videos on mountain biking, klunking, BMX or just bikes in general? Feel free to share them here!

 

[Pondo]

I watched all those 2 or 3 years ago. I think it's time to do it again!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I watched all those 2 or 3 years ago. I think it's time to do it again!

The first 2 I had seen a couple years back, but I only just found those "Born from Junk" videos this week!

 

[ingola]

If you can find it klunkerz

 

[Pondo]

If you can find it klunkerz

I have that one on DVD. Great stuff!

 

[ingola]

I have that one on DVD. Great stuff!

I can't get my hands on it

 

[Bike from the Dead]

If you can find it klunkerz

Looks like I can buy it/rent it through Amazon. I might just do that this weekend. Thanks!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Man, that first vid, so many breezers! They talk about the Schwinns, but the first bikes loaded in the truck, Breezers. The bike Charlie is flogging down Repack, Breezer (that bike now lives in the mountain bike hall of fame), the mangled bike thrown off the switchback (), Breezer. Pushing up the hill, 2 Breezers. At one point they talked about cross country riding and there's seven bikes, 3 are breezers. As far as I know, ten of those bikes in existence, most are in that video. That's the first mountain bikes. Ever.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Not enough information out there about Victor Vincente of America. He was building the most unusual stuff, convinced that smaller wheels were better for off roading. He was a hippie artist bike racer and promoter, he changed his name to mean "Winner Winner of America". He was weird, his bikes might be weirder. I dare someone to build a VVA clone.

*Can't believe they sent a bike to a photoshoot with a rack angled like that! Guess it matches the chain line?
Here's a video they made for an event a while back celebrating his birthday

 

[Pondo]

I dare someone to build a VVA clone.

I'd love to take that on when I have the time and skills. I like the zanyness of them. VVA was quite a character!

 

[Pondo]

This is a great little news feature on an early '80s Pearl Pass ride. Really good footage in here. The presenter is hilarious, the riders are groovy and the bikes are amazing. The infamous Murdoch is there in his shop; this is probably the video that got him discovered by the authorities and he had to go on the lam again. I was really impressed by the woman who built her own mtb frame out of 4130. Cool stuff, I haven't watched this one in a while.

 

[Pondo]

A couple more


This one is a great look into the klunkers and early mountain bikes at the mountain bike museum in Fairfax. Well worth watching if you're into mountain bike history.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Warning: klunkers are hazardous to your health.
Before:

After:

Thanks for everything, Repack Rider

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I was really impressed by the woman who built her own mtb frame out of 4130

Yeah I spotted her bike in one of the first videos, really wanted to see more. It was the double tube fork that caught my eye. Now I have her name, Jane Carpenter. the search begins

The geometry reminds me of a Rocky Mountain, but the sloping top tube predates Paul Brodie's frame innovations by a few years

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Well, she definitely continued riding. This insane bike belonged to her at one point.

Super cool bike, not the one I was looking for
"Eventually it was adapted to fit frame building pioneer Jane Carpenter,"

http://www.vintagemtbworkshop.com/1990-don-mcclung-shortie.html

 

[Pondo]

Yeah I spotted her bike in one of the first videos, really wanted to see more. It was the double tube fork that caught my eye. Now I have her name, Jane Carpenter. the search begins
View attachment 257185View attachment 257184The geometry reminds me of a Rocky Mountain, but the sloping top tube predates Paul Brodie's frame innovations by a few years

It's a well built frame and that fork is trippy. I'll be interested to see what you dig up on her. I thought I noticed a drop bar Cunningham laying down along the way in there somewhere too.

 

[Pondo]

Well, she definitely continued riding. This insane bike belonged to her at one point.
View attachment 257186
Super cool bike, not the one I was looking for
"Eventually it was adapted to fit frame building pioneer Jane Carpenter,"

http://www.vintagemtbworkshop.com/1990-don-mcclung-shortie.html

Whoa, that thing is wild!!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I noticed a drop bar Cunningham laying down along the way in there somewhere too.

Wouldn't be out of place there, might even be Otto, Jacquie Phelan's Cunningham #29

She was queen of the mountain, appeared in lots of photos. Or, it might have been something even rarer...
"During early autumn of 1980, Charlie Cunningham joined other Marin county locals who ventured out to Colorado to ride the Pearl Pass Tour from Crested Butte to Aspen. Charlie brought with him the world’s first aluminum mountain bike, dubbed CCPROTO, which he had completed construction of in late 1979."

https://theradavist.com/from-the-pr...-a-1983-replica-of-jacquie-phelans-otto-bike/

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Jacquie is absolutely Jacquie
From the pinkbike article:
"Jacquie penned stories for magazines like Cyclist, BIKE, and Bicycling while simultaneously being featured in lengthy stories in non-bike mags like Vogue, Elle, O (Oprah), Sports Illustrated, Ladies Home Journal, Outside, Image (SF Chronicle Sunday mag), Rolling Stone. Yet she somehow never quite mastered the art of securing corporate sponsorship. If anyone can tell her why, she’s ready to reform herself and sell out tomorrow!"

 

[Pondo]

WowJacquie is absolutely Jacquie
From the pinkbike article:
"Jacquie penned stories for magazines like Cyclist, BIKE, and Bicycling while simultaneously being featured in lengthy stories in non-bike mags like Vogue, Elle, O (Oprah), Sports Illustrated, Ladies Home Journal, Outside, Image (SF Chronicle Sunday mag), Rolling Stone. Yet she somehow never quite mastered the art of securing corporate sponsorship. If anyone can tell her why, she’s ready to reform herself and sell out tomorrow!"

Jacquie is beast. She won a race one time after her saddle had fallen off early on.