Thanks to Dean Bradley we bring you this shot from the start line of the 1985 NORBA Nationals, held in a burnt out field in Santa Barbara, CA. As you can see, all the big stars are in attendance on their cutting edge equipment. As was par for the course in the mid eighties, Joe Murray put the hurt on everyone to take his second National Championship in as many years. Not sure how the rest of the podium shaped up since I wasn’t on it, but I’ll do my best to name as many names as possible, L to R in the front row: Ned Overend (kinda behind Tom, bike leaning up), Tom Ritchey, Jeff Kauch(?), Roger Marquis (Gavin called him “The three-toed tree sloth”), Max Jones, Mike Jordan, Gavin Chilcott, “Smokin’” Joe Murray, Jimmy Deaton (He’s some BMX guy. More on that later), Dave McLaughlin, Laurence Malone (kinda behind Dave), Joey Peterson (in Suntour), George Theobald (pointing and notable as “Slasher” in “Hot Dog” the mid 80’s ski flick), and Roy Rivers, far right in Suntour. Other notables that I can recognize include Alan Ott, Todd DeAngelis (Suntour, three rows back), John Loomis, those two hippy/stoner guys, and (I think) Mike Bell. Pretty much everyone is riding U.S. bikes, with Gavin, Laurence and Dave on what would now be considered gravel bikes.
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