| Charlie Cunningham |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM | |
| mountain bikers | |
| cunningham, charlie | |
| american cyclists | |
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Cunningham created some of the most desirable and expensive custom bicycles ever made. Depending on build specifications, a custom Cunningham bicycle could set its owner back anywhere from $6,000 - $10,000 during the late 1980s-early 1990s. Today, Cunningham bicycles (roughly 200 or so are thought to exist) are highly sought-after by collectors and custom bicycle enthusiasts for their rarity and build quality, while Cunningham himself is generally held in high esteem for maintaining his commitment to quality and for not "selling out" as so many other custom builders had done. More than "just" a custom frame builder, Cunningham described the bicycle as an extension of a rider's body and mind. He differs from other custom builders in what can be described as an almost "organic" approach to bicycle building: the idea that every part, piece, and component is optimized with obsessive detail to perform as efficiently and effectively as possible. Cunningham is known to frequently modify off-the-shelf bicycle components for his own use. Along with custom framebuilder Steve Potts and Mark Slate , Cunningham co-founded Wilderness Trail Bikes, or WTB, manufacturer of many innovative and high-quality bicycle components, most of which were designed to last for many years, unlike the "planned obsolesence" of other major bicycle component manufacturers. Both Cunningham and Potts split from WTB in 2002, however. Cunningham also invented many innovative and beloved mountain bike products such as the cam-operated brake and especially the Ground Control off-road tire, manufactured by Specialized. Cunningham was included in the first group of individuals to be inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall Of Fame in 1988. He is married to another MTB Hall of Fame member, Jacquie Phelan . Charlie Cunningham is sometimes confused with Richard Cunningham, builder of Mantis bicycles and erstwhile editor of Mountain Bike Action magazine. Quote: “The mountain bike experience in its purest sense happens when the bike is working in perfect harmony with the rider and the terrain. This experience in its many forms is what so many people in today's World need so much and what I hope to contribute in some small way." External links |
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