Andy Pulford - Luton, England

Thanks for the kind words. I've actually not had a chance to go pick up the new ProCycling yet and need to go grab a copy.

I remember back when I was a little kid watching tennis on television with my mom and dad; my dad would ramble on about how he really didn’t like Jimmy Connors all that much. The details are vague, but I seem to recall that what he didn’t like about Connors was the fact that he wasn’t old, tried and true. By the time John McEnroe had established himself on the scene, Connors was a bit more of an “old man” of tennis, so my dad warmed up to him and even cheered for him to win – it seems to me that by the time this happened, Jimmy Connors, he was all of 35 years old. Now it seems it is my turn to cheer for the old guys.

Andy my friend, one of the things I have truly enjoyed noticing after the publication of A Dog in a Hat is that along with the people who can remember the names of many of the characters in the book, there seems to be a brand new group of old school cycling fans out there – fans who were but wee tiny children, or not even born, when I was signing my first professional cycling contract. Maybe they are just smarter and more inquisitive, or maybe they’ve just grown tired of manufactured bike racing and bike racers … who knows? I guess sometimes the message of my t-shirt is true – Old’s Cooler.

But I have drifted a ways away from your question.

The t-shirt I am wearing in the ProCycling interview is something that was created by some old school BMX racers from Minnesota, where I graduated from high school and then eventually came to live for more than 15 years, after leaving Belgium for the States. The shirt pays homage to BMX racing in the late 70s / early 80s – the golden age of BMX in the minds of many.

I bought my shirt at One on One Bicycle Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Gene Oberpriller and his wife Jennifer, who are two of my dear friends, own the combination bike shop, coffee shop and art gallery in the warehouse district of the mill city. It has been a frequent haunt of various movers and shakers in the bicycle industry, musicians, famous actors, bike messengers, bike racers and lots of friends of mine. Should you ever find yourself with an extra hour or two in Minneapolis, by all means make your way to 117 North Washington Avenue in Minneapolis. If you see a giant neon marquee on the corner that reads, Sex World, you’re just a few feet away.

If you can’t make it to the mill city, check them out at oneononebike.com – and make sure you tell them I sent you. If I understand correctly, they’ll either have them in stock now or they’ll have them in stock soon.