{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreifkxpmcfdxlhdekgoi52bqr554xph4u7lnvjw2bdmhp6oa3zz77ky",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:jcu7nrruxovhg3q5vlsnw3wt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbw2mkpqlt2"
  },
  "description": "Mert Lawwill, a pioneering force in both mountain bikes and motorsports racing, passed away this week at the age of 85. Lawwill made his name in motorcycle racing as the 1969 AMA Grand Champion in dirt track racing and then went on to star in the iconic 1971 Bruce Brown documentary On Any Sunday, alongside famed actor Steve McQueen.\n\nBut Lawwill was also a major figure in the early days of mountain biking, where he made his name as a suspension designer. In 1978 he created one of the first produ",
  "path": "/famed-mountain-bike-designer-mert-lawwill-passes-away/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-07T19:08:19.000Z",
  "site": "https://escapecollective.com",
  "tags": [
    "On Any Sunday",
    "suspension designs for Schwinn and Yeti",
    "Mountain Bike Hall of Fame"
  ],
  "textContent": "Mert Lawwill, a pioneering force in both mountain bikes and motorsports racing, passed away this week at the age of 85. Lawwill made his name in motorcycle racing as the 1969 AMA Grand Champion in dirt track racing and then went on to star in the iconic 1971 Bruce Brown documentary On Any Sunday, alongside famed actor Steve McQueen.\n\nBut Lawwill was also a major figure in the early days of mountain biking, where he made his name as a suspension designer. In 1978 he created one of the first production mountain bikes in the sport, the Lawwill/Knight Pro Cruiser. His 1990 suspension design for the Gary Fisher RS-1 was the first four-bar suspension in the sport and Lawwill may have been the first rider ever to race full suspension when he used the bike at the 1990 World Championships in Durango. He also designed the trailing-link Lawwill Leader suspension fork and suspension designs for Schwinn and Yeti (where he also ran the DH racing team).\n\nLawwill is perhaps the only person ever inducted into both the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. According to his obituary, Lawwill passed away at 85 at his home in Idaho, surrounded by family and friends. No cause of death was given. _Escape Collective_ extends its condolences to Lawwill's family and wide circle of friends.",
  "title": "Famed mountain bike designer Mert Lawwill passes away",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-07T19:08:20.761Z"
}