Dear Mr. Laing:
Greetings and salutations:
I hope this is not too gauche to ask. As a cycling/history Raleigh Team buff I found your description of espionage fascinating. If you think its appropriate, could you share your inside scoop would you mind elaborating on why you believe Peter Post had to build said bikes and why they were destroyed? What bike models and approx. vintage were destroyed?
Thanks, Andrew Israel (Can't wait for warmer weather to arrive to )Charlotte, NC
From: Colin Laing <colin_laing@yahoo.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 3:55:56 PM Subject: [CR] Peter Post
Oh ! well, here I go again,,,,,,,When Raleigh decided to put a team on the Continent with Peter Post in charge,,,The powers that be wanted a few Brit riders to be part of the team..I can only remember Dave Lloyd, Phil Bayton and Sid Barras....for some reason or other, Post didn't like this idea and thinking back, maybe there was something fishy with dope being involved ( I bet Barrie knows the score ),,anyway, I had made a bunch of bikes to look like the Raleigh team bikes and was given the same amount back to destroy ( which I did ). I had stamped Jan le Grand on the B'B He was the official builder. Sid, a buddy of mine, was always outspoken, was probably the cleanest rider in history , opened his big Middlesbro' mouth once too often and got a black eye from Post as payment..Sid was sent home to England, talked to the Raleigh chiefs, was told that Post was in charge and Sid would have to ride on the British stationed team. He did with great effect...and I think the other Brits were not far behind due to Peter Posts management.
I am not really bad-mouthing Peter,,I knew him fairly well,,,he was a great rider and an awesome manager,,,but He was not of the British mold,,,RIP Pete..
Colin ( glad to be back ) Laing,,CHANDLER, AZ. USA.