The Godfather

If there is a godfather of the dirt drop bar, it's framebuilder and lifelong tinkerer Charlie Cunningham.  He, along with his life parter Jacquie Phelan have been pedaling around dirt drop-equipped bikes for over three decades.  Cunningham is no stranger to technological development, having built his first aluminum bike in the 1978, but unlike other manufacturers who shunned the influence of drop bars from the road cycling scene, Cunningham and others (like Scot Nicol of Ibis fame) realized the benefits achieved by a properly placed drop bar on an off-road bike.  They're fantastic for climbing, reduce fatigue from trail shock, and are excellent at keeping your hands in place on descents.  In addition to his development of the flared dirt drop bar (production models were made both by Specialized and his own company Wilderness Trail Bikes), he's produced a number of quirky, but extremely effective designs.  These include the roller cam brake, bolt-on toe flips for pedals, a full size frame pump tucked inside of a seat post, and Grease Guard.  Check out this interview originally published in Rivendell Reader 27 Summer 2002.  Most images culled from Jacquie's Flickr.