The Portland stop of the Bicycle Film Festival kicks off tomorrow and one of the films will give local mountain bike pioneer Bob Crispin a chance to share his historic “Tankagnolo” bike (photo below).
(Photo courtesy Bob Crispin)
Crispin will display the bike and give a short talk before the showing of Klunkerz (a documentary on the history of mountain-biking) this Saturday (9/8) at 3:00pm at Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st).
bluffs in north Portland.
(Photo courtesy Bob Crispin)
Officially recongized as the “First Mountain Bike in the Pacific Northwest” by the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, Crispin built the bike in the mid 1970s.
The bike — which Crispin built to conquer the snowy, dirt roads of Spokane — is a ten-speed Schwinn Varsity with a widened frame to accept 26 x 2.25 inch wheels and tires. Tankagnolo’s brakes are an early ’70s version that Crispin adapted from a JCPenny’s road bike.
Tankagnolo is currently on display at Crispin’s neighborhood bike shop, Weir’s Cyclery (8247 N. Lombard) in St. Johns.
Klunkerz will screen during Program 5 of the Bicycle Film Fest. Tickets and more details at BicycleFilmFestival.com.
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Sweet, old school MTB\’ers are cool as hell.
Thanks Jonathan for promoting Tankagnolo, and the history of the MTB in general.
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, at http://www.mmtnbikehalloffame.com is a great source for those who wish to learn about the sports beginnings. A good read on MTB history is \”The Birth of Dirt\”, by Frank Berto.
I have a site http://www.mtbprehistory.blogspot.com where I am attempting to gather data on other \”First Bikes\”, early MTBs that were made on the sidelines of the main story presented by the Hall of Fame, stories of a more regional nature.
Tankagnolo Bob
Opps – That is mtnbikehalloffame.com
Why is this film festival at the Cinema 21 instead of the Clinton, which has had every other bicycle related film event in the past?
I\’m glad it\’s at Cinema 21, that way I don\’t have to ride all the way over to SE from Aloha :p
The Tankagnolo is a well crafted machine 🙂
If you enjoyed or plan to enjoy \”Klunkerz,\” you will probably appreciate my website, from which much of that material is drawn.
Click on my name above.
Hey. I\’m a Cinema 21 employee, and I can probably shed some light on it being held at our theater: we have way more seats!
The Clinton is a great place, but Cinema 21 has over 500 seats, and (according to the organizers of the event) the show has been selling out all over the place. I\’m sure the planners just wanted to give as many people the opportunity to see the films as possible.
We\’re a great theater, and you should give us a try!
I have a 52 Schwinn with a Mongoose Gold Stem and Suzuki dirt bike handlebars. The coasterbrake cog threads on and has a left-threaded lockring, it is so old. I call it \”Repack\” I am looking for a drum brake for it…