Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Toronto’s third annual Vintage Mountain Bike Show, hosted by BoneshakerMTB and Gremlins Bicycle Emporium, took place earlier this month and celebrated the bikes and culture of the sport we love. Dismount Bike Shop passed out point-and-shoot film cameras to attendees for a unique look at this year’s event. Find those, a gallery of vintage mountain bikes on display, and some words by Jake London and Carson Lessif here…
Words by Jake London and Carson Lessif, film photos by guests of the show (cameras provided by Dismount Toronto)
In a sport that constantly chases the next technological breakthrough, it’s easy to forget that mountain biking was once a scrappy experiment—built by curious riders, welded steel frames, and parts borrowed from whatever worked. For one weekend in Toronto, that early spirit took centre stage again.
Now in its third year, the Vintage Mountain Bike Show, hosted by BoneshakerMTB and Gremlins Bicycle Emporium, gathered collectors, riders, and longtime mountain bike enthusiasts to celebrate the bikes and culture that helped shape the sport’s formative years. What started as a small community event has steadily grown into something bigger: part exhibition, part reunion, and part living archive of mountain bike history.
Dozens of carefully preserved bikes filled the space, representing various chapters in the sport’s evolution, from early rigid trail bikes and handcrafted steel frames to experimental suspension designs from the 1990s. Each bike carries its own story. Some represented important production models that pushed mountain bikes into the mainstream, and others showcased the creativity of independent builders who were experimenting long before standards existed. Together, they formed a snapshot of a time when the rules of mountain biking were still being written.
Throughout the weekend, the space buzzed with conversations between collectors, riders, and curious visitors learning about the history behind the bikes on display. Many attendees traveled from across Canada and the United States, bringing with them their own knowledge, stories, and appreciation for early mountain bike culture. What makes the event unique is the shared enthusiasm in the room. Whether someone arrived with decades of experience restoring vintage bikes or simply wandered in out of curiosity, the atmosphere made it easy to connect over a shared fascination with the sport’s roots. It felt less like a traditional bike show and more like a gathering of people who understand why these bikes still matter.
One of the new additions to this year’s show was a photography exhibit featuring the work of pioneering mountain bike photographer Wende Cragg. Cragg’s images captured the early days of mountain biking in a way that helped define the sport’s visual identity. Her photographs documented riders exploring new terrain, experimenting with equipment, and building the culture that surrounds mountain biking today. Displaying her work alongside the bikes added an entirely new dimension to the event. The frames and components told one part of the story, but Cragg’s photographs showed the people and landscapes that gave those bikes their purpose. A selection of Wende Cragg prints from the exhibit is now available online through Gremlins Bicycle Emporium for those interested in owning a small piece of mountain bike history.
Although vintage mountain bikes may represent the past, the energy surrounding the show feels very much alive. The opening night drew a packed crowd, with visitors spending hours studying details on frames, components, and paint jobs that might otherwise go unnoticed on the trail. Throughout the weekend, many returned for a second or third visit, discovering something new each time they walked through the room. The event also included raffles, games, and limited merchandise created specifically for the show—small touches that helped reinforce the sense that this wasn’t just an exhibition, but a community celebration.
Mountain biking continues to evolve at an incredible pace, but events like the Vintage Mountain Bike Show offer a reminder that innovation didn’t start in a lab. It started with riders tinkering in garages, small builders experimenting with geometry, and photographers documenting a new kind of freedom on two wheels. By bringing these bikes and their stories together in one place, the show helps keep that history alive. And judging by the growing turnout each year, it’s clear that the roots of mountain biking still resonate with riders today.
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