Douglas Bradbury
(from the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame)
Induction Year: 1994
1951- Born in West Los Angeles
1956- First Sting Ray
1960-Built first “downhill” skateboard
1961- Put a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engine on a Schwinn Cruiser.
1965- First motorcycle, a Honda 90
1969- Graduate from Hamilton High, Los Angeles. Fail most classes except
Industrial Arts & Auto Shop.
1969- Compound fractures in arm and leg from desert racing
1970- Lose front teeth desert racing. Quit desert racing.
1971-1973- Motocross racing, California. Want to stay alive, so quit
motocross.
1973- Start riding Observed Trials on a Bultaco motorcycle.
1974-1976- Travel on the Observed Trials National Circuit with top-ten
placing.
1975- Move to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1976- Win “Ute Cup” Trials in Colorado. I finally get a win!
1976-1980- Ride Enduro s and ISDT two-day Qualifiers Series. Quit to stay
alive once again.
1982- Witness idiots on bicycles going over Pearl Pass while on a motorcycle
ride.
1984- Attempt first mountain bike ride. Quit that to stay alive. I return to
motorcycles.
1985- Can’t resist, buy a Ross “Mt. Whitney”
1985- After crashing more on the bicycle than motorcycle, decide to build a
mountain bike that works. Manitou Mountain Bikes is born.
1987-1989- Barely make a living building mountain bike frames, straight
blade forks, stems, 115mm front hubs and 145mm asymmetrical rear hubs.
1990- Build first Manitou suspension fork. Tomac wants one, so take one to
Tomac and get two speeding tickets and lose license.
1990- Build first Easton prototype aluminum frame.
1991- Anaheim Trade Show, sell out year’s production in one day!
1992-1997- License Manitou products to Answer Products. Design 5 models of
suspension forks, Three versions of the hard tail and two versions of the
full-suspension frame. Obtain five patents.
1994- Inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.
