Colorado Flashback: Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Race of 1980

It's always fun to stumble upon documentation of a simpler time, especially when it involves Colorado ski towns that have changed immensely and rapidly over the years.

In case you're not familiar, one tradition that has taken place in both Aspen and Crested Butte, Colorado for numerous decades is a fun, lighthearted bike race known as the Klunker Classic.

Luckily for us, the Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Classic of 1980 was documented by Dana Atchley of Network TV at the time, and today we have some classic memories to look back on.

Colorado's Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Classic

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The Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Classic began in 1976 with a group of cyclists who were inspired to ride over Pearl Pass by a group of motorcyclists that had previously just done the same thing.

The race gets its name from the unique bicycles used in the race. The Klunkers, as they're called, are typically old paperboy bikes, often with only one speed, that have been modified to be able to take on the more rugged terrain that comes with the trip over Pearl Pass.

With the exception of the planned second race of 1977, the Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Classic has taken place every year since its 1976 inception, making it the oldest annual mountain bike tour in the entire world.

Below, you'll see all kinds of fun throwbacks to a more simple time including vintage clothing, classic cars, and a glimpse into the time at which Crested Butte was more of a ski bum town than we know it today.

Take a trip back in time to the Crested Butte to Aspen Klunker Classic of 1980: