Wednesday 3 September 2008

Politicians on Bicycles: the Triumph of Senator Kerry

With the US election looming, I was highly entertained by a recent post by Garmin-Chipotle's Jonathan Vaughters on the team website. As a Canadian I cannot vote, of course, by my job requires me to watch developments south of the border.

In the last Presidential election in 2004, Senator John Kerry was ridiculed for riding an effete Serotta bicycle, in comparison to the manly, all-American Trek mountain bike of President Bush. Of course, the critics also thought that the Serotta, made in Saratoga Springs, New York, was an Italian bike, but anyway. The only photo I saw of Sen. Kerry with the bike showed him wearing a pair of baggy shorts and looking kind of dorky, so I assumed he was not all that serious a rider but could easily afford his expensive bikes.

It turns out that at 65 Sen. Kerry is lean and mean and quite the avenue animal. Jonathan, who accompanied our own Stevie Z. on the Alpe d'Huez during the Tour d'Enfer recently, rode with the Senator in Colorado after loaning him a spare David Millar bike and it was an eye-opening experience, as you can read here. But in addition to riding well, Jonathan relates that Sen. Kerry had a lot of good questions and comments about cycling and its place in America, as well as concerns over doping. He is apparently knowledgeable about racing and its history. Must have been a fun ride, and the Senator looks good in his team kit. Shaved legs and all.

1 comment:

Groover said...

I just assumed Serrotta was an Italian brand, too. Thanks for saving me from potential future embarrassment. Good story.