In his first documentary KLUNKERZ, filmmaker Billy Savage pays tribute to the Marin County pioneers of mountain biking -- the ones whose precarious feats on Mount Tamalpais and the slopes of Marin inspired the modern mountain biking industry.
Billy shares his perspectives on the film, on the people and on mountain biking, as well as his memories of San Francisco and Marin in earlier days.
Get more information on upcoming film screenings and the DVD release at the official KLUNKERZ website. You can also see some film images here.
1) What moment in Klunkerz stands out for you? Was there a person, an interview, or a response that captured, for you, the heart and essence of this film?
There were so many amazing experiences while making the film; it's hard to pick one. The guys and Wende (Cragg) were all fantastic. I really enjoyed getting together with The Morrow Dirt Club. They have stuck to the same principles (and bikes) they were using in the '70s. Those guys are just plain fun.
The real coup was getting an interview with John Finley Scott, the sociology professor from UC Davis. He had done everything the Marin guys did, but 20 years earlier. He built up what was, essentially, a mountain bike in 1953. He did tons of bike advocacy over the years, like lobbying to get bike lanes put on the streets of the United States. He also organized many legendary races, including the Davis Double Century. He helped push things over the top when he put up the capital investment for the first mountain bike company in the world, Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly's MountainBikes.
He was a bit of recluse, and I tried everything to get him to talk to me. After a year or so of me pestering him, he eventually agreed to an interview. We spent half a day together up in Davis. He was a fascinating and funny man. On a very sad note, he was murdered not long after the interview took place. Thankfully, they caught the maniac who killed him, and he'll never get out of prison. Scott's passing is a great loss to cycling, and humanity in general. I dedicated the film to his memory.
2) Tell me a little bit about the earliest Klunkerz bikes -- the modified bicycles that Marin riders took down the slopes of Mt Tamalpais.
I think those bikes, the modified Klunkerz of mid to late 1970s, were truly amazing -- backyard engineering at its finest. The pioneers’ bikes were based on these huge beasts that Schwinn and others made in the 1930s and early 1940s. The pioneers found them in dumpsters, junkyards and second hand stores, and gave them new life. They took these old “newsboy” bikes of the era and stripped them down to the bare essentials. Anything superfluous or decorative, like the tanks, lights, fenders and chain guards, etc. was jettisoned.
The stripped-down bikes were good for going down the hill, but that was it. Eventually the gang wanted to explore new areas farther out on the trails, so they modified these old bikes with motorcycle parts, parts from ten-speeds, and bits that they fabricated themselves. They became these amazing custom cruisers, like hot rods or chopper motorcycles, reminiscent of what Big Daddy Roth was doing.
Lots of folks in Marin were building them, but Alan Bonds is generally credited as the guy who raised these modifications into an art form. He sandblasted them and repainted them to look like they'd just come out of the Schwinn factory -- but with all the Klunkerz modifications.
They were “outlaw” bikes that reflected their owners’ tastes and riding styles. Everyone was using better and better parts on the bikes, and finally, Charlie Kelly asked Joe Breeze to build up a nice new frame to go with all these new parts. Joe finished that first frame in October of 1977, and the rest, as they say, is history.
3) Your cast includes mountain biking luminaries like Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher and Wende Cragg (the "only girl" among those riders). What should today's mountain bikers know (and love) about the pioneers in this sport?
What I found fascinating is that all the pioneers are very committed to the bicycle as transportation, and to the ecological and physical benefits of cycling to this day. They gave those old Klunkerz a new life, rescuing them out of trashcans and junkyards. They were reducing, reusing, and recycling long before it was hip to be green. They all continue to live this way in all aspects of their lives.
Although they are living in one of the richest counties in America, there's not a conspicuous consumer in the bunch. They take what they need and give what they can. That, coupled with the fact that they are all still riding, and riding a lot, are probably the most important things to know about these fine folks. They are all an inspiration to anyone who is concerned about our planet's future -- cyclist or not.
Read more about their bike-related charities and good works:
- Trips for Kids (Gary Fisher): Helps help disadvantaged kids discover the joy of mountain biking
- Project Rwanda (Tom Ritchey): Using the bicycle as a tool in rebuilding a country, building national pride and addressing local issues
- Safe Routes to Schools (Joe Breeze): Designed to increase the number of children walking and biking to school
4) You're a life-long mountain biker and former skateboarder. How did that help you in shooting and editing Klunkerz?
KLUNKERZ is my first film. I wanted to do a project I felt strongly about -- and cycling fit the bill. I realized I would be spending three or four years of my life, and a lot of money, trying to tell a story -- so it better be something I was invested in.
My childhood in Marin was a magical time, and bicycles and skateboards were a big part of that, so I figured I could share some of that experience. I couldn't believe that no one had done a documentary on these athletes, especially with the recent success of Dogtown and Z-Boys.
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