1984: Keith rescues some 40-hole 700c road bike rims from a dumpster outside Specialized, cuts them down, and re-rolls them into 32-hole, 26" rim. The result is a mountain bike rim far lighter than anything else on the market. The lightweight MTB rim is born.

1986: Keith designs, prototypes, and files a patent for a clamp-style fork crown that becomes the standard for nearly all suspension fork designs, including those used today.

1987: At the bicycle industry trade show, Keith Bontrager and Honda motocross race mechanic Paul Turner unveil a futuristic suspension bike with front and rear shocks. A year later, Turner starts RockShox, launching the RS1, a suspension fork built using Keith's patented fork crown design.