Hi, o-friends! I hope somebody still reads this forum and this info will be interesting.
An o-coach from Lithuania R.Švagždiene has collected information about the first orienteering with bikes in Lithuania.
First competitions were held in 1961 in a memory of Liudas Alseika (1887-1960), famous lithuanian traveller. They were organized in 21/05/1961 in Klaipeda district, where the European MTBO championships 2008 will be held:

Information from a bulletin:
“Goals and tasks: Competitions are organized in a memory of the traveller L.Alseika, although it has several other tasks: 1- to give a mass character to a touristic movement, 2 - to promote bike tourism, 3 – determine the strongest tourist teams. Participants: competitions are held in 4 categories: men, women, junior girls, junior men (born at 1943 or later).
Rules: Competitions are held in a closed route, which is overcome in two parts: free order and speed competition. Competitors are allowed to ride only with “simple”, but not “competition” or “tourist” bikes. In I st part: each control is evaluated by points, II nd part: a speed competition.
Course information:
Men: 10 controls,17 km opt.l.,3km bike race,20km in overall,5h max time
Women and junior men:8controls,13km opt.l.,2km bike race,15km in overall,4h max time
Junior girls:6controls,9km opt.l.,1km bike race,10km in overall,3h max time "


Then each year from 1961 to 1965 these competitions were organized.

Maps (1:25000) from the competitions in 1961, 1962 and 1963:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Karolina.Mickeviciute/OldMaps#

Do you know anything about MTBO in your countries???

Best wishes,
Ker

Hi Ker
I come from Poland and I try to complete the datas about history of MTBO in the whole World. Your information is also very precious for me. Thank you very much.
Piotr Cych
University School of Physical Education, Wrocław, Poland