mtb-timeline

Rocky Mountain Overview

Rocky Mountain was founded in 1978 by Grayson Bain ¹⁾, Jacob Heilbron²⁾, and Sam Mak ³⁾.

In 1978, a couple of guys in a Vancouver bike store modified a few Nishiki road bikes with wide tires, straight bars and thumbshifters with gears. This was the first experience with “mountain bikes” for the soon-to-be Rocky Mountain founders. They needed a more durable frame with aggressive geometry to withstand the harsh trails of the West Coast. So, they called Tom Ritchey and began to import his version of the mountain bike. The founders accompanied Tom Ritchey to Japan to explore the world of durable components and frame tubing that could be fashioned into mountain bikes. And, in 1982, they created their first production model, and Canada's first homegrown fat-tire bike, the Sherpa. missoulabikesource ^{4) 5)}

Rocky Mountain continues to build bikes in Canada: https://www.bikes.com

Jacob Heilbron mmbhof

Grayson Bain bikes.com

1982 Sherpa

The only pic of an authentic, un-“restored” Sherpa can be found in their 1982 catalog.

1982 Sherpa bikeforums

1983 Sherpa Super Scooter

Also hard to find with all original parts, as most users understandably remove that top sticker ⁶⁾

retrobike

1983 Scooter mtbr

Rocky Mountain Ritcheys

Rocky Mountain resold Ritcheys starting in 1983. They eventually arrived in three varieties: Japanese TIG welded, lugged and fillet brazed. The 1983 Rocky Mountain Ritchey was TIG welded by Toyo in Japan and is identical to the 1983 Montare Mountain Bikes sold in the US by Fisher.

The difference is in the decals. Note the uniquely weird faux-biplane forks.

Canadian Trio of Ritcheys: one lugged, one TIG welded, and one fillet brazed.
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1983 Rocky Mountain Ritchey bikeforums

1983 Fisher Montare mtbr

1984 Fat City Flyer

Is the name an homage to both Fat City Cycles and Fat Tire Flyer? ⁷⁾

1984 Fat City Flyer pinkbike

1985 Blizzard

A better name for the most northerly of all mountain bikes. ⁸⁾

1985 Blizzard retrobike

Names

This is what you get when you google “super scooter.”

Rocky Mountain went on to solidify their brand of bad names by releasing ⁹⁾

• 1982 Super Scooter : drugs must have been involved
• 1985 Transpo : for “light trail riding”
• 1988 Hammer : for “pounding the hills”
• 1990 Wedge : a Breezer Series I with an elevated chainstay
• 1991 Équipe & Expérience : Accents required for the Québécois
• 1993 Bolt : “Nail” would have worked better with “Hammer.”
• 1996 Element : worked for Honda
• 1997 Spice : in 1997, the Spice Girls ruled supreme
• 2009 Element 50 : Also known as Tin.

And probably many more.

Luggie Super Scooter luggie

1986 Tantalus

Fillet brazed frame and fork made in Canada, Tange MTB tubing, Shimano XT M700 v2 (1985) groupset, Tomaselli levers, SunTour XC pedals, Nitto stem & bullmoose bars, Specialized flag crankset (1985-91), Saturn X22 rims.

1986 Tantalus gremlin

1987 Transpo

Shimano Light Action M525/M531 (1986/7), Nitto bullmoose bars, lugged frame with Tange tubing, made in Japan, as per 1987 catalog.

1987 Transpo facebook

1988 Hammer

Shimano Deore MT60 (1987-88) derailleurs, brakes, shifters & levers. No name 4130 double butted, TIG welded frame. 1988 catalog spec.

1988 Hammer retrobike

1983 Hammer

Shimano Deore MT62 (1989-90) groupset. TIG welded RM tubing, catalog spec.

1989 Hammer facebook

1990 Summit

Shimano XT M732 (1989), Tange Prestige tubing, elevated chainstay, Syncros Powerlite fork, 1990 catalog spec.

1990 Summit facebook

1991 Équipe

Tange Prestige Concept quad butted tubing, wishbone seatstays, Shimano Deore DX (1990-94). Équipe is Québécois for “team.”

1991 Équipe facebook

1992 Cirrus

Al frame, elevated chainstay, wishbone seatstay, Syncros bar/stem/post, Shimano Deore XT M735 (1990-92). As per 1992 catalog.

1992 Cirrus facebook