Following a bike accident in August 2015 that led to the MTB Hall of Fame inductee living in a care facility to recover, he faced a myriad of health issues stemming from the accident. After a long battle with the aftermath of the crash, Charlie Cunningham has passed away, as seen by a post from Charlie Kelly on Facebook.
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“The bicycle is a way for people to gain contact with something that has been misplaced. Mountain bikes are a perfect way to combine technology and nature in a way that is friendly to life. They can be an alternative to the abuse of technology that is so widespread in our world today. The more one uses a bicycle, especially in a natural environment, the more sympathetic and understanding one becomes of oneself and the planet.”
– Charlie Cunningham
Charlie Cunningham was a pioneer and proud voice in the custom bike-builder community, and his concepts paved the way for what we now see as modern gravel and mountain biking.
Aside from his technical contributions to the sport, it was Cunningham’s perspective that rings true for so many.
While perhaps most widely celebrated for designing the legendary Ground Control tires – famously named by his wife, fellow Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Jacquie Phelan – his groundbreaking contributions span virtually every aspect of bicycle geometry and component design.
MADE
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Frame & Geometry
- Welded Aluminum Mountain Bike Frames: Pioneered the use of heat-treated, oversized aluminum tubing for off-road durability.
- Sloping Top Tube: Developed the compact, sloping frame geometry that went on to define modern mountain bike design.
Steering & Forks
- Custom Fork Designs: Engineered the high-performance Type 11 racing forks as well as the rugged Type 1 towing forks.
- L.D. “Gooseneck” Curved Stem: Designed a unique, high-rise curved stem specifically optimized for off-road drop bar configurations.
- Boltless Taper Stem Mounting: Created a clean, secure, boltless wedge system for mounting stems to steering tubes.
Braking Systems
- Roller Cam Brakes: Invented high-power, cam-actuated brakes that provided superior stopping power in muddy conditions.
- Toggle Brakes: Created innovative, linkage-driven braking mechanisms for precise modulation.
Wheels, Hubs & Serviceability
- Advanced Hub Spacing: Engineered an extra-wide front hub paired with a zero-dish 136 mm rear hub to build significantly stronger, dishless wheels.
- Araya RM-20 Rim Profile: Designed the distinctive, structurally optimized shape of the classic RM-20 rim for Araya.
- Grease Guard Bearings: Revolutionized component longevity by introducing user-serviceable grease ports directly into hubs and other critical moving parts.
- Tow Flips: Created specialized “tow flips” for added utility and functionality.