California Bicycle Museum

In the 1970s, the idea for mountain bikes progressed under the guidance of Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey and other Northern California enthusiasts. Production of mountain bikes boomed from about 200 in 1979 to an estimated 50,000 in 1983. To fuel this growth, in the early 1980s, mountain bikes were being factory-produced in large volumes by emerging companies such as Fisher, Ritchey, Specialized and Univega. In 1984, mountain bikes accounted for 20 percent of bike sales in the United States, and by 1996 the sport of mountain biking had been added to the Olympics.

Professor Scott had the “Saturn” frame built by John Padgett, a well-known local frame builder who worked for a time in Davis and attended the University. The frame design, materials and components were specified by Dr. Scott. Coming along 25 years after his pioneering mountain bike creations, this bike represents a considerable advance over his earlier efforts. The wide gear range, cantilever brakes, and wide tires were being adopted by the Marin County mountain bike builders at about this same time.

Manufacturer: John Padgett

Location: Davis, California

Private Party

Vance Sprock, loan to California Bicycle Museum