TIME TRAVEL THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF THE MOUNTAIN BIKE

In nature, evolution is a process that takes hundreds of years, whereas the entire evolution of mountain biking fits within a lifetime. Or Hans Rey’s shed, as it happens!

Hans ‘No Way’ Rey has been riding mountain bikes pretty much since they were invented in the late 1970s, and even if the man himself hasn’t changed a lot since then, bikes certainly have.

Imagine your favorite trail - whether it’s a steep rooty climb, a technical rocky downhill or a flowy track through the woods - it would be a lot more challenging without suspension.

Now, cut those 740mm bars almost in half. Ready to hit that drop? Don’t forget to lower your dropper seatpost!

New innovations always take some getting used to. Luckily this sport has pioneers, like Hans, who initiate and believe in these changes. Without these pioneers, what we understand as mountain biking today would be almost impossible, or at least a lot less comfortable.

Today, the forefront of development is with e-MTBs, and once again, Hans was one of the first to pioneer that too.

In this new video Hans talks about how he's seen the mountain bike evolve to where it is now. Enjoy this trip down memory lane. And, “happy trails my friends!” as Hans says.

Notes to editors:

1. Release date: Wednesday 15th December 2021

2. Who is Hans? Hans "No Way" Rey is a pioneer in mountain biking. He began riding in the late 70's and has a long history with GT bikes and Shimano.

3. Images for social and websites can be found on Dropbox here.

4. Shorter video formats for social can be found on Dropbox here.