Charlie Cunningham

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Charlie Cunningham was an early pioneer in the development of custom-built mountain bikes in Marin County, California, where he attended Tamalpais High School at the foot of Mount Tamalpais.^[1] An accomplished bicycle racer and engineer, he first began building bikes in 1977 using exotic oversize aluminum tubing at a time when most frames were made of tough but heavy steel alloy. Cunningham's bikes were almost always universally hailed as being years--even decades--ahead of their time; with highly innovative features and an unprecedented level of build quality, but without any flashy marketing hype.

Cunningham created some of the most desirable and expensive custom bicycles ever made. Depending on build specifications, a custom Cunningham bicycle could set its owner back anywhere from $6,000 - $10,000 during the late 1980s-early 1990s. Today, Cunningham bicycles (roughly 200 or so are thought to exist) are highly sought-after by collectors and custom bicycle enthusiasts for their rarity and build quality, while Cunningham himself is generally held in high esteem for maintaining his commitment to quality and for not "selling out" as so many other custom builders had done.

More than "just" a custom frame builder, Cunningham described the bicycle as an extension of a rider's body and mind. He differs from other custom builders in what can be described as an almost "organic" approach to bicycle building: the idea that every part, piece, and component is optimized with obsessive detail to perform as efficiently and effectively as possible. Cunningham is known to frequently modify off-the-shelf bicycle components for his own use.

Along with custom framebuilder Steve Potts and Mark Slate, Cunningham co-founded Wilderness Trail Bikes, or WTB, manufacturer of many innovative and high-quality bicycle components, most of which were designed to last for many years, unlike the "planned obsolescence" of other major bicycle component manufacturers. Both Cunningham and Potts split from WTB in 2002, however. Cunningham also invented many innovative and beloved mountain bike products such as the cam-operated brake and especially the Ground Control off-road tire, manufactured by Specialized. Cunningham was included in the first group of individuals to be inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1988. He is married to another MTB Hall of Fame member, Jacquie Phelan.

A 1989 quote by Charlie “The mountain bike is a new resource that will soon prove its value on a global scale. It will come to be known as a sane, friendly technology bringing solutions to the world pollution and transportation problems while helping to heal humanity through contact with nature."

Charlie Cunningham is sometimes confused with Richard Cunningham, builder of Mantis bicycles and erstwhile editor of Mountain Bike Action magazine.