The Complete Book of All-Terrain Bicycles

In 1985, Eugene Sloane — the author of numerous cycling books starting in the 60s — published his Complete Book of All-Terrain Bicycles, a manual for selecting and riding ATBs. The label “ATB” was already a number of years old and was a very early usage to define the category. This book was one of my earliest sources of knowledge about off-road riding. It had sections on major brands of the time, on riding technique, on touring and bike camping, and on maintenance.

My New England circle in the 1980s called these bikes ATBs and mountain bikes interchangeably. Nowadays, many of us find “ATB” more elegant and evocative of the actual riding we do. I’m glad that the term is coming back into popularity. Used copies of the book can be found with an internet search.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

30

Field Trips

A Visit to Analog Cycles: Celebrating Dirt and Woods Pedaling

261

Culture

All Terrain Bicycling: An ATB Manifesto

16

Field Trips

Inside Hunter Cycles (and Rick’s Brain via Five Bikes)

21

Dispatch

More New Bikepacking Merch for Spring

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.