On the eve of the USA Cycling National Champioships at Mount Snow VT, I got to ride with one of my old heros yesterday @ Lehigh.
Bob Eichlin was an old school pinner and NORBA Point Shark back in the day. He has been racing mountain bikes professionally since 1988 (as far as I can remember) and raced for Fuji/RVCC, the Yeti Cycles factory team, and the Marin Bikes factory team. This was back in the day when chrome-moly rigid forks, thumb shifters (on top of the bar), and toe clips were the norm as well as riding the same bike for XC, DH, slalom and trials. In fact, at Nationals, you did do all the events. This was also when all the magazines were so concentrated in Southern California, and you never really heard about the east coast pros, even through they whooped up on the cali-boys a lot.
Bob was a killer, a mercenary @ local and regional events, and a threat at any national he and his white van would roll in to. He has had really good finishes at the NORBA Naitonals and World Cups, and many championship DH runs thwarted by flat tires. Remember, this was in mountain biking's literal infancy. He is featured in one of the most popular and used photos of all time, shouldering his bike and leadin gthe pach through the creek crossing in Davis, WVa during the Blackwater NORBA Nat. dressed in factory Yeti gear and an Etto helmet. Better yet, I have a full fold out poster of him from the now defunct Reebock Eliminator @ Mammoth Mountain in the air beating Tinker, Tomac and Daryl Price. Classic...
Ironically, I stayed at Hunter Mountain for this past weekends NORBA Nat. @ Windham Mt. in NY. The absolute last time I was there was for the Grundig UCI World Cup way back in 1992 or 3 when I stayed with Bob and the team. I think he drilled it that weekend, too. To run in to him on South Mountain last night was really cool, and we rode a good fast lap together as he was getting ready to race the AMA Motocross Nationals @ Unadilla, NY this weekend in the Vet Pro class. Whatever.
So, if you ever get smoked by a big guy with a bigger smile riding a black Specialized FSR out of a white Eichlin General Contracting box van up at Lehigh, don't feel bad that he is faster and older than you. Just remember that he is one of the original unsung heros of the sport.