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German Inventor Karl von Drais is credited with developing the first bicycle. His machine, known as the "swiftwalker," hit the road in 1817. This early bicycle had no pedals, and its frame was a wooden beam. The device had two wooden wheels with iron rims and leather-covered tires. This resulted in a poorly functioning, weak and uncomfortable bike to ride.
As a result, society at this time did not see it as a very economical or useful tool for fun or for transport. Therefore the development of bikes was not rapid as it was not of huge interest to many.

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Few roads were paved in the 19th century, so most early cyclists rode on dirt roads or trails. Some examples of early off-road riding stand out. One is the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, a regiment of riders who customized bicycles to carry gear over rough terrain. These bikes featured fully rigid frames and forks with derailleur gears and more robust tires than previous designs. This meant that bikes were becoming more useful for efficient transport and more development was happening because of this.

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Organized racing with the goal of going fast.

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Organized racing with the goal of going fast.

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In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a group of Marin teenagers rode 1930s-40s vintage single-speed balloon tire bikes on Mt. Tamalpais. The off-road riders started the first organized downhill race series. They called it Repack, because they had to “repack” their coaster brakes with fresh grease after each race. The grease would vaporize in the excessive heat generated from extreme braking during the super-steep descent. Eventually coaster brakes and inch-pitch drive trains gave way to light-weight components and completely new bikes with chro-moly frames specifically designed for the sport. New businesses formed to sell off-road bikes and market them. Repack racing discovered the flaws in bikes and pushed companies to innovate and create new more sturdy bikes. Kelly, the creator of the Repack races, broke so many frames that he eventually asked Breeze to build him something stronger. He used steel alloy tubing, and strengthened them with distinctive twin lateral tubes running diagonally across the frames. Then he outfitted them with new parts, creating the world's first new, purpose-built mountain bikes. This was another main step in the innovation of the mountain bike.

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In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a group of Marin teenagers known as The Larkspur Canyon Gang rode 1930s-40s vintage single-speed balloon tire bikes on Mt. Tamalpais. These riders and a growing group of friends explored the trails and fire roads on and around Mount Tamalpais, aka “The Mountain,” on their trusty, beloved “Inch-Pinchers.” Marin County, the off-road riders not only kept on riding, they started the first organized downhill race series. They called it Repack, because they had to “repack” their coaster brakes with fresh grease after each race. The grease would vaporize in the excessive heat generated from extreme braking during the super-steep descent. Eventually coaster brakes and inch-pitch drive trains gave way to light-weight components and completely new bikes with chro-moly frames specifically designed for the sport. New businesses formed to sell off-road bikes and market them. These bikes were some of the first to include front and even rear suspension involving complicated new technology to allow more support at high speeds.

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In recent years, wheel sizes on modern bikes have gone from 26 inch, to 27.5 and now 29 inch. Geometry has been thoroughly tested to find the most comfortable yet effective bike for riding uphill and racing down. Shifting, braking and suspension parts have been made stronger, lighter and more reliable to allow the rider to unlock their full potential. The bikes are much more comfortable and look much nicer than in previous decades. With new developments such as gearbox shifting to provide suspension performance benefits and shifting reliability, as well as high pivot frame designs to allow for increased suspension linkage performance.