Many people recognize that the mountain bike was born in the 1970s in Marin County, USA, by a group of adventurous teenagers, the Larkspur Canyon Gang.
However, 20 years earlier, in the suburbs of France, local residents were already building "cross bikes" to put on shows on dirt jumps originally designed for motocross.
Did the mountain bike really originate in France?
Here is the story of the VCCP (Vélo Cross Club Parisien), as told by the writers of VTT Mag in March 1998.
Pour tout le monde, le VTT est né dans les années 70 dans le comté de Marin aux Etats-Unis par un groupe d’adolescents aventureux: le Larkspur Canyon Gang.
Pourtant c’est en France que, 20 ans avant, des banlieusards Français fabriquaient des “vélos de cross” pour faire des shows sur des champs de bosses à la base dédiés aux motos-cross.
Le VTT serait-il Français ? Voici l’histoire du VCCP (Vélo Cross Club Parisien) compté par les chroniqueurs de VTT Mag en mars 1998.
Every mountain bike enthusiast would say, "The sport was born in the 1970s in Marin County, California." This is a well-known fact, deeply etched in people's minds. However, based on our knowledge today, while the mountain bike gained prominence on the other side of the Atlantic, it could be said that its origins lie in the northeastern suburbs of Paris.
Early 1950s. Louison Bobet had not yet won his first Tour de France, and the great Fausto Coppi had not yet become world champion. In those days, the trendy sport in working-class suburbs was motocross. Competitions attracting thousands of spectators were held at old forts on the outskirts of the capital. As this sport evolved into a major subculture, 18 teenagers—most of whom had known each other since elementary school—dreamed of following in the footsteps of their seniors. Lacking motorcycles, they used bicycles. For the "fun" of it, they organized an association and founded the VCCP (Vélo Cross Club Parisien). Their only goal was to be like the "pros." Jean Duda was the first to decide to build a special bike, equipping it with a suspension fork salvaged from a motorcycle. His friends soon followed suit. The first forks were recovered from the wrecks of small 100cc motorbikes. Because the steer tube diameters differed and there was significant play during assembly, some adopted parallelogram-design "souples" bike forks. Further improvements led to remarkable results. These bikes featured suspension forks, gear shifters mounted on the handlebars, frame reinforcements, and raised handlebars (none of which existed on the first mountain bikes from Tom Ritchey or Joe Breeze around 1975!). To increase strength, rims and spokes were also repurposed from small motorbikes. The rear wheel, equipped with a drum brake, was even larger than the front wheel. Using the experience they gained by dedicating their lives to the scene, the suburban youths convinced organizers to allow them to race on the circuit during the intervals of motocross races. In 1951, at the first competition in Ivry, when the announcer declared that bicycles would be used on the motocross track, few believed it. However, two friends quickly made a name for themselves, achieving great success. Between 1951 and 1956, they competed in Les Lilas, then Pantin, Bobigny, Montreuil, and Montmorency. Every year, as they entered three or four competitions, their equipment evolved.
Frames were reinforced, often in a rather... primitive way. After a break, some, like Gérard Gartner, would insert another tube inside the frame before reassembling everything—a precursor to the double-butted frame, so to speak! Another minor revolution occurred when Jean-Claude Serre designed his own fork. Thus, the VCCP reached its peak. The members trained every day as soon as school ended. Wheelie competitions (the record holder was Henri Albisson with 52 meters!) and bunny hop competitions also began to appear. Georges Lescovac, the only one in the group who saw the potential of this new sport and was more ambitious than his peers, approached the French Motorcycling Federation and the Cycling Federation. The motorcycling federation could not recognize this "non-motorized" competition, and the cycling federation imposed conditions that made membership impossible. As time passed, the group drifted apart somewhat. Older members were called up for military service, while others, who had the age and the physical means, realized their dream of owning a real motorcycle.
A few months ago, we told you the story of suburban youths in the 1950s who rode unusual bicycles just to imitate their seniors, who were motocross champions. Since then, two former club members have succeeded in restoring two bicycles using only parts from that era. The model on the right marks the beginning of the adventure (1951), and the model on the left represents the end of the VCCP era (1956). The latter is now equipped with modern tires.
To conclude this article, here is a video excerpt from a report broadcast on France 3 in 1998.
Pour conclure cet article voici un extrait vidéo d’un reportage difusée sur l’antenne France 3 en 1998.