Old School Throwback: Pulp Traction

Mar 3, 2013
by Matt Wragg  
As Specialized launched their very sexy Enduro 29er it seems like the perfect time to dig out their old gem of a film: Pulp Traction. If nothing else, this video has the best disclaimer of any film we can think of and we will definitely take their advice and will not be attempting any of these "stunts" that are beyond our capability. Remember kids, "when in doubt, chicken out." It was a time when there was only one type of mountain bike and you took whatever bike you had and went hard, before the modern fashion of trying to categorise every type of bike and riding. While many of the better-remembered films pushed the limits of the sport, we have a soft spot for this one as also it tried to encourage everyone to get out and ride.





Thanks for the suggestions last week. We had hoped to run Chain Smoke, but the version we found was pulled from YouTube and some of the early MTB films aren't online, like Tread, NSX and Plush. We'll keep looking...

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78 Comments
  • 19 0
 What's funny is that 90% of riders today probably have more in common with the riding styles and stunts in these films than the do with the modern era 30 foot gap films that everyone watches now. Anyway, I love retro stuff. More please!
  • 3 0
 Fully agree. Modern movies are not about bike riding they are more about bike flying and circus tricks. Maybe except "Life Cycles" this movie really has "something"... in my opinion Smile
  • 21 1
 Tippie is Fuckin dope. For real. He should announce whistler crankworx this year not the monster truck guy.
  • 4 0
 Leave no trace...
  • 5 0
 bahahahhaha, Tippie was even crazy back in the day!!!!!!!! awesome!
  • 1 0
 Tip's always been crazy, but that's why he's so fun! Even w/o the drinking and the drug's, the guy's a riot! Schleyer ain't too serious either.
  • 17 0
 How dare you Youtube, deprive me of the radness that is part 1 of Pulp Traction.... This isn't over.
  • 6 0
 Yeah I got the same BS UMG/EMI blockage. Jerks.
  • 3 0
 VPN
  • 2 0
 Yup vpn suckasSmile
  • 5 0
 what have us Canadians done to deserve this ban ?!?!
  • 6 2
 Allowed Celine Dion and Nickelback to polluted the Earth's airwaves?
  • 9 0
 You forgot justin bieber...
  • 2 0
 For that thou shalt be banned for eternity!!! Wink
  • 1 9
flag MXer125 (Mar 3, 2013 at 21:30) (Below Threshold)
 Nickelback? How does he fit into that category? Shame on you thats good shit.
  • 3 0
 Nickle back is.. pathetic
  • 7 0
 next on the wishlist - Kranked 2 please! So gnarly, so many legends, so awesome!
  • 4 0
 this is making me old ,i was on a BMX at that time we where saying that mtb would die that it was a faze in the 80's ,man was i wrong
  • 2 0
 Can't say of the old school vids, that this one really worked that much for me. I rememeber the Tippie section well, but that is all which maybe say it all.. Chain Smoke, Real Simple, Tread/Re-Tread, I think were better films.

Got Tread/Re-Tread on DVD on a double disc! Re-Tread should go up here, even though it's sligthly more up to date, the sections with Missy motor-mouthing her way through the filmm is brilliant, and John Tomac ripping it up, and who can forget 'HB Dude'! with HB's school of cross training which eveyone should live by!
  • 5 0
 yeah but from a historical point of view it was a film that focused on a new thing called freeriding, rather than just racing (not to take away from racing, mtb in all its forms are awesome). The section that has the deep ravine called the Scar? That's still f**king gnarly today.
  • 3 0
 I really love those oldschool throwbacks in the days when you couldn`t bitch about your BB height or headtube angle.. You used what you had and let it roll or you went home.
  • 2 0
 I have Tread or Plush, on a VHS tape. Let me dig out the VCR and convert it. I'll let you know when it's up. Working double shifts for two week to get Angel Fire vacation money. You youngsters should try downhilling on a hard tail with a 2 inch travel front fork to see what a beating us old guys took. I am very happy that DH has progressed to where it is today. My knees and lower back love the long travel suspension.
  • 6 1
 "When in doubt, Chicken out."
  • 1 0
 When in doubt, balls out
  • 4 0
 when in doubt make some lame excuse about your bike , or blame the fact that you have work on monday
  • 2 0
 ^ You missed refer to old injuries and drank too much last night
  • 5 0
 That jazz in part one, with the commentary... sounded like a porno.
  • 2 0
 I will look into that. For research purposes only, of course.
  • 1 0
 Funny...crossed my mind as well. Not that I watch pornos or anything like that.
  • 4 0
 Now we know why Tippie is so awsome, that fork to to his melon did great things Big Grin
  • 3 0
 Stupid EMI.... Part 2 was wicked though! "It's not about speed, it's about who's having the most fun." Beer
I can't wait for spring... Bring on the smiles!!! Big Grin
  • 3 0
 I would love to ride in Canada but I can ride all year long Wink
  • 4 0
 So can I, Vancouver Island, Canada, home of the best backyard on Earth!
  • 1 0
 going to BC or just Canada and ride every part of it is my dream those places looks so perfect but maybe because is something I havent seen on Costa Rica
  • 1 0
 lucky bastards, lol... I can ride all year long as long as I wanna put up with a foot and a half of snow, or ice or pits/washouts in the winter... spring brings repairs and new ideas... I'd like to ride BC as well... rode the olympic park in Calgary, but it was all just REALLY well groomed trail, nothing too techy except the ladderland. home here is awesome A/M enduro style riding, as much climbing as descending, but worth every ounce of effort.
  • 2 0
 yeah here too or is up or down nd we got some rains but nothing that stop someone for ridding
  • 1 0
 Awesome!!! i remember starting out with that style, on those bikes! the change has been nice, the only thing i miss(not on this vid), is how very few of the NS skinnies that i, LOVED, are left. that definantly brings back the memories of doing those types of hills on my old 21" Trek HT, with the short travel RS with center pull brakes.
  • 2 0
 I remember that. I started riding in 1985 , still have my minty 1988 GT Karakoram with some cool old school parts.. Riding my my FS now still seems like a spaceship sometimes...
  • 1 0
 Awesome movie, I never saw it back in the day but I remember the pulp fiction-like ads for it. Cantilever brakes, steep head angles, and XC race gear. They were absolutely going for it, and riding that type of bike down that terrain is more fun because of the challenge. It's safe to say this was one of the first freeride films.
  • 4 0
 that guy that puts over 200k on his bike is still riding i crossed paths with him two years ago.......he's still out riding!
  • 3 0
 mxlemming (24 mins ago)
That jazz in part one, with the commentary... sounded like a porno. hahahahhahahah good one Razz
  • 1 0
 Loved the narrow bars and the super high seats.. haha.. watching old stuff is always a laugh.. Would be good to go back in time and give them a modern dh bike and watch them fly..
  • 3 0
 Part 2 @4:02ish, almost positive thats knutsford and almost positive hunter had that exact shot in seasons.
  • 1 0
 Those are some narrow ass bars. Wow, Sram was still Gripshift and the Cactus Cup was still cool. It's kinda sad that XC races in Phoenix on those same tracks now draw a 10th as many racers as they did in the 90s.
  • 2 0
 Yeah, the Cactus Cup was used to be the big pre-season opening race but Sea Otter gradually replaced it. I always liked the night street crit, that was a unique event and Tomac usually won it with his roadie skills, like he did in the movie.
  • 3 0
 Not the first time I've said this, but...


Tippie = Legend.

that is all.
  • 2 0
 Makes me feel kinda lame running 30 pounds worth of armor , when they were still running that stuff in undies.
  • 3 0
 I still have this on VHS. One of the best
  • 2 0
 'Yeah, like, I'm thinking "whoa! What am I doing here? Why am I doing this?"'
  • 3 0
 can't beat a bit of "Hole ". nice to see tippie was mad back then..
  • 3 0
 I just recently found out my dad had a VCR copy of this. So stoked!
  • 2 0
 hahahaha the old school throwbacks are a blast from the past.... when i was not alive Wink
  • 1 0
 Some other mtb site did a bunch of throwback vids recently that got me pumped. This one...well, it got me more towards jazzed. That's not a bad thing, mind you! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Tread was the film that single-handedly launched me into the mountain bike world I'm living today. It may date me, but I don't give a f@#*. Honch and Spew forever....
  • 3 0
 Craig Olsen at 4:27 in part 2, absolutely insane on that bike!
  • 1 0
 Haha...hell yes! Was just cutting my MTB teeth in '95. Damn those centerpulls & mag 21's!
  • 1 0
 that is some sick riding, considering their bikes. I want to see them shred on the bikes we have now.
  • 1 0
 Nice to see mixed footage from the days when the world was in black and white.
  • 2 0
 Na, when in doubt, flat out!
  • 1 0
 The McRae philosophy!
  • 1 0
 Damn..'95 huh Frown
I guess that means I was 15 when I bought this on VHS and watched it countless times...
  • 2 0
 killing it on hardtails and 24 inch bars. we're so spoiled these days Smile
  • 1 0
 The rider trying to pull the 360 off was awesome ! Didn't give up, just kept on trying.
  • 1 0
 i think the trackin is out on the video.
  • 1 0
 On était beaux il y a 20 ans!
  • 1 0
 such a hipster production.
  • 1 0
 Mmmm... '94 / '95 FSRs... hubba hubba...
  • 2 1
 a bit Trippy in a moments !!
  • 1 0
 jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiizzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  • 2 0
 Tippie !?!?!??! wow
  • 1 0
 i loved the specialized "van" of part 1
  • 1 0
 ...5:07 DROP ON THAT SQUARED BIKE WAS EPIC!!!
  • 2 0
 believe it or not he did some spinal damage during that. That's who the stretcher was for in the later clip.
  • 1 0
 Love that part 2 starts with old school Sugar Ray. Classic.
  • 1 0
 Daves Chain Device, took my a few weeks paper money to buy one of them!
  • 1 0
 Yep, it was annoyingly loud but the only thing that came close to working.
  • 1 0
 old school throw downs are always entertaining!
  • 5 7
 Prop this if you would hate to have to use those old bikes...







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