John Tomac?

Motodork
Posts
545
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Carlsbad, CA US
4/28/2017 1:28pm
This is total insider info, even John is going to wonder how someone knows this. He moved to Durango Colorado in the early 90's and like mentioned earlier is from Mi. There was a painter named John Cassidy that had a paint shop in Cortez on Hwy 666, the same Hwy 666 that you are on when you turn down his road (won't list said road) that his compound is on. John wanted to restore his old 2 ton International truck so he brought it to Cortez and made many trips while restoring his truck. That is how he found his property. The 4 corners was a hot bed of moto at the time as was New Mexico. A ton of great riders came off the tracks he grew up racing, Buckelew, the Tedesco bros, Kevin Johnson, Ryan Clark, plus there was a vet named John Perry that was buddies with Jodie that hung out with them all the time. I Remember Eli racing Mancos and Aztec along with Moriarty all the time as a 6 and 7 year old.
mach6972
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335
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3/14/2012
Location
Charlotte, NC US
4/28/2017 1:47pm
Another Norba National I was racing and don't remember where the night before the race Palmer was riding is DH bike naked about 1 am in the morning drunk as hell and got put in jail. He made it back the next morning so hungover he couldn't hold his head up. His mechanic was trying to to give him water and food but he couldn't hold it down.It was crazy and there's more to the story but he's my friend so I'll stop there. LOL
crowe176
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6614
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9/8/2006
Location
Spring Lake, MI US
4/28/2017 1:51pm
Motodork wrote:
This is total insider info, even John is going to wonder how someone knows this. He moved to Durango Colorado in the early 90's and like...
This is total insider info, even John is going to wonder how someone knows this. He moved to Durango Colorado in the early 90's and like mentioned earlier is from Mi. There was a painter named John Cassidy that had a paint shop in Cortez on Hwy 666, the same Hwy 666 that you are on when you turn down his road (won't list said road) that his compound is on. John wanted to restore his old 2 ton International truck so he brought it to Cortez and made many trips while restoring his truck. That is how he found his property. The 4 corners was a hot bed of moto at the time as was New Mexico. A ton of great riders came off the tracks he grew up racing, Buckelew, the Tedesco bros, Kevin Johnson, Ryan Clark, plus there was a vet named John Perry that was buddies with Jodie that hung out with them all the time. I Remember Eli racing Mancos and Aztec along with Moriarty all the time as a 6 and 7 year old.
Annnnnnnnd restraining order.

The Shop

Philly215
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404
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2/20/2012
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Ithaca, NY US
4/28/2017 1:55pm Edited Date/Time 4/28/2017 1:56pm
JT never raced the Tour de France. He raced the Diro de Italia. He said he never liked those long stage races and yea the doping was really hardcore in road cycling. I'm not sure how bad it was in cross country at the time he was winning.
RACERX69
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1072
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4/1/2008
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San Antonio, TX US
4/28/2017 7:40pm


Johnny T knocked it out of the park with the Nevegal Stick-E. All I ran on my 26er's back in the day. These tires were incredible out here on the knarly Central Tx single track. Especially when it was wet. Didn't roll that well, but dayum they hooked up.

MaxPower
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2646
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8/15/2006
Location
NJ US
4/28/2017 9:02pm
John Tomac is to MTB racing what Jeremy McGrath is to SX
Nighttrain
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2620
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12/5/2011
Location
Charleston, SC US
4/29/2017 2:44pm
When I first started racing road and MTB there was VeloNews mag to cover road cycling and NORBA News for MTB. Ned Overend, Tomac, Tinker Juarez, and Julie Furtado were always featured in NORBA News and ruled American MTB races. Legends.
4/29/2017 3:04pm
Whoever mentioned Palmer...Palmer made Mountain Biking cool by not only winning, ALOT, but by bringing the whole motocross look to the sport. He also kept good...
Whoever mentioned Palmer...Palmer made Mountain Biking cool by not only winning, ALOT, but by bringing the whole motocross look to the sport. He also kept good company.

Same with Skiing and Boardercross. Smoking the best of the best in moto stuff instead of goofy round helmets.

Nobody has won more types of different sports than Palmer at the Highest level.
Snowboards, Skiiing, Mountain Bikes, Car racing. And competitive at a crap load of other sports also at the highest level.
As mentioned, he made a main in SX.

That's why USA today called him the worlds greatest athlete, which ultimately Penthouse ran an article about it also.








https://youtu.be/AmYM-O9PEps
Palmer also qualified for the final in snocross at one of the first Winter X Games.

Come to think of it, I also remember John Tomac doing some snow downhill mtb stuff at X Games.
5/3/2017 7:05pm
Do any of you guys know your retro bikes and what is in demand or worth something? Got the wife's old Garry Fisher WAHOO with early ROCK SHOX I picked up for her year's ago and wondering if it's worth anything?
GuyB
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35693
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Location
Aliso Viejo, CA US
Fantasy
1274th
5/3/2017 9:17pm
Nighttrain wrote:
When I first started racing road and MTB there was VeloNews mag to cover road cycling and NORBA News for MTB. Ned Overend, Tomac, Tinker Juarez...
When I first started racing road and MTB there was VeloNews mag to cover road cycling and NORBA News for MTB. Ned Overend, Tomac, Tinker Juarez, and Julie Furtado were always featured in NORBA News and ruled American MTB races. Legends.
I shot all of them back in the day, working on Mountain Biking and Mountain Bike Racing magazines, and later at Specialized Bicycles.

I'd say I was there for a good portion of the Ned years, but heck, he's still out there crushing it. I did see him during most of his prime years, though, including tons of battles with John Tomac. Also, I got to watch Shaun Palmer go from a box van privateer on an Intense, to riding for Specialized and with his Prevost bus with its metal flake/checkered flag/flame paint job. He was a freaking rock star in that thing.

When he was on, he was amazing to watch.
endurox
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1873
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3/22/2014
Location
Garden City, ID US
5/3/2017 9:25pm
friday10 wrote:
Me and JT at the Sierra 7500 many moons ago. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/04/25/190508/s1200_Tomac_and_me.jpg[/img]
Me and JT at the Sierra 7500 many moons ago.


Is this pic near White Mountain?
rubarb
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byda beech, CA US
6/29/2017 1:03pm
"dude has strong legs"
Manco
Posts
318
Joined
6/19/2014
Location
Denver, CO US
6/29/2017 9:13pm
ayearinmx wrote:
One of my bikes.... [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/04/28/191108/s1200_20160205_091432_2.jpg[/img]
One of my bikes....
Those 204 Magnums are rad bikes. The first edition with the 4 bar linkage rear suspension was, is and will be the sickest two wheeled contraption I have ever owned. It was the Tomac brand's first model of downhill bike. Only two hundred were made. The suspension was so plush every bike or motorcycle I have owned/ridden since are put to shame by the 4 bar linkage technology. Never should have sold it. I would love to have one again. Probably never will as all of them are more then likely stuck in collector's hordes. I never got to ride the single swingarm style like yours. Always wondered how it differed. Figured the company went to the single swingarm to save weight and reduce manufacturing costs/time.



BobbyM
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Location
AZ US
6/29/2017 10:54pm
I know he started with Lance Armstrong in the road racing world. Didn't like the PED use and wanted to get into this new thing called...
I know he started with Lance Armstrong in the road racing world. Didn't like the PED use and wanted to get into this new thing called mountain biking. Something he would go on to dominate with his wife Kathy. I can't remember why Eli went in that direction.


GuyB wrote:
Funny thing...I shot a few of those covers above. :) Actually, John was a factory-sponsored BMXer (Mongoose) before taking up mountain and road bikes. I spent...
Funny thing...I shot a few of those covers above. Smile

Actually, John was a factory-sponsored BMXer (Mongoose) before taking up mountain and road bikes.

I spent a lot of years shooting John, and he was one of the early stars of mountain biking. One of the things that made him interesting was that he was competitive no matter the discipline, and he'd often race dual slalom, cross-country, and downhill on the same weekend.

World Champ? National Champ? I think he was both of those...probably multiple times, and maybe more than one discipline.
Sounds like the Dick Mann of bicycle racing.
Mini Elsinore
Posts
1968
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Huntington Beach, CA US
6/30/2017 5:07am
Nighttrain wrote:
When I first started racing road and MTB there was VeloNews mag to cover road cycling and NORBA News for MTB. Ned Overend, Tomac, Tinker Juarez...
When I first started racing road and MTB there was VeloNews mag to cover road cycling and NORBA News for MTB. Ned Overend, Tomac, Tinker Juarez, and Julie Furtado were always featured in NORBA News and ruled American MTB races. Legends.
GuyB wrote:
I shot all of them back in the day, working on Mountain Biking and Mountain Bike Racing magazines, and later at Specialized Bicycles. I'd say I...
I shot all of them back in the day, working on Mountain Biking and Mountain Bike Racing magazines, and later at Specialized Bicycles.

I'd say I was there for a good portion of the Ned years, but heck, he's still out there crushing it. I did see him during most of his prime years, though, including tons of battles with John Tomac. Also, I got to watch Shaun Palmer go from a box van privateer on an Intense, to riding for Specialized and with his Prevost bus with its metal flake/checkered flag/flame paint job. He was a freaking rock star in that thing.

When he was on, he was amazing to watch.
Any pics of that bus?
ledger
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3673
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1/17/2013
Location
TN US
6/30/2017 9:05am
Speaking of mountain bike legends. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/04/28/191128/s1200_sammy.jpg[/img]
Speaking of mountain bike legends.



Sammy Hagar ? I can't drive 55 ?

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