Comments on: Reader email

By: bikesgonewild

bikesgonewild — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:00:09 +0000

blah, blah, mo rev.

Vermont Nats, early ’90’s.
My folks drive in for visit. Ol’ man a sports car guy. Understands tech shit.
World Downhill Champion H-ball is prepping MIYATA for D-hill race. Brief intro & H-ball drops everything & takes time to show & explain details of his current rig.
Says something.

Granted, mo rev, lousy photo, but GH pretty straight up dude.

By: the mostly reverend

the mostly reverend — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:28:31 +0000

i’ve always thought hairball was one of the most pretentious, self-important, self-inflated bike shills out there.
i LOVE this photo: i’m going to print it, and hang it by fat lemond and fat elvis, in my hall of egos display.

By: bikesgonewild

bikesgonewild — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:27:46 +0000

I was on that hill w/ ya that day, Slim P as I’ll bet a few others @ this site were. Within sight of the finish line & fortunate enough to be hanging w/ friends & a nice chica I met on the flight in.

Different days, but ya know, still a lotta good people around.

Nature of the beast called cycling.

By: Slim Pickens

Slim Pickens — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 06:40:48 +0000

I saw Greg win his first championship in Durango, Co in 199o and I was ten. He was my Dad’s wrench and Dad tells Herbolds story over and over again of how smooth he was coming down the downhill course. Man, I miss the beginning of MTB. Tinker, Giove, Herbold, Tomac, etc. Where have all my heros gone?

By: chiefhiawatha

chiefhiawatha — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:00:16 +0000

I’m very relieved that I had the wrong guy!

By: jojo

jojo — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 01:24:12 +0000

I think Ned and JT would have been good tour riders, but they
are more like 1 day racers.. maybe im worng.. JT had the cross
rig setup, epic..

By: jdub

jdub — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:11:15 +0000

H-ball was badass back in the day. He used to show up at some MBAA races back in the early 90’s and make a go of XC racing. Him, Weins, Tinker, Russ Worley, Dave Cullinan, etc. would always be around. Good times…

By: Crawdad in Indy

Crawdad in Indy — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:42:46 +0000

Saw H-ball driving his Miyata/Onza box truck to and from Mammoth back in ‘93 while traveling out west. Should have stopped and chatted.

Didn’t JT ride for 7-Eleven on the road for a brief period. He is the all around best.

I would like to have seen (still like to see) Ned take on the doppers in the alps. He can still make the best look like sissies on a mountain.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:23:17 +0000

Obviously I should have included a name along with the pics. My Bad. Its Greg “H-Ball” Herbold. He was one of a few riders that made a go of riding exclusivly DH and related gravity events back in the day. Granted, he did some XC events but was just finishing ahead of guys like “Earthquake” Jake Watson.

JT was the best all-round rider ie. BMX,XC,DH and he did a stint with a road team(anyone out there remember the drop bars?) and Ned was/is still the lung.

H-Ball is still one of my fav’s having contributed to the evolution of the mtn bike. I cant convince the kids (I coach)that Greg is The Man! No disrespect HB but I hope the suit was a gag.

Peas out!

By: bikesgonewild

bikesgonewild — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:03:56 +0000

Chris Chance & his people were an east coast class act back when things were getting rolling. I worked for a left coast company back when & was at a lotta races around the country.

Smaller sport then & you got to raise a glass regularly w/ the principals in different lo-cals.

Ya can’t live on memories, but man, I’m glad I got ‘em.

JT excelled @ cross country & downhill, Ned’s still kickin’ somebodies (younger) ass, H-ball to this day wouldn’t know how to go slow down a hill.

We might all be getting older & plumper, but ain’t no dinosaurs in this sport!

By: jojo

jojo — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:49:02 +0000

no fucking way.. LOL.. bro is still jamming up the peace sign..

By: Chris Chance

Chris Chance — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:35:43 +0000

Tomac was/is the greatest all around rider ever. He was “the man” ahead of his time. Can’t remember if it was the first X games or what, but Johnny T got a bad start out of the gate and was behind. No problem, let me hit the double on a freakin MTB with shit for suspension. He landed in front of the pack, literally on the bend of the corner, but couldn’t hold the corner because he was carrying so much speed. I think Missy G was commentating and she could only laugh and say “only Tomac would have tried that move”.

If that truly is a picture of Tomac, he’s defintely changed in the last couple of years. I saw a 2005 interview and he looks totally different. The man is only 39 and that dude looks mid to late 40’s.