are sometimes smooth and silky, and other times tired and tight.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Return of the Flying Scotsman

I noticed that Graeme Obree is back in the news, with another one of his contraptions. Obree, and his tale of ups and downs, always brings back memories.

Back in the Autumn of 1992, I moved from the East Village of NYC to Edinburgh, Scotland. Culture shock doesn't even begin to describe what I experienced. The one thing that helped me transition from a cosmopolitan, multicultural city with good weather and even better food, to a provincial capital (even if it happens to be a stunning capital) was cycling.

It didn't take long to meet folk who like to wear lycra, shave their legs, and dish out abuse to friends and foes who share the same passion. The one thing that struck me as odd, was the cover boy of Scottish Cycling, namely Graeme Obree.

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Regardless of what he went on to do, the image on the cover of the SCU Handbook was the one of those "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas moments." I still wonder if I should have seen that as a sign, and caught the next flight back to the Big Apple.

2 comments:

RustyTainte said...

Van Steenberge Piraat Belgian Ale.
Just sayin'

owenp said...

I reblogged this with some links back to your site- hope you don't mind.