Originally Posted by Veloduo
Just found this out today: I've always been a HUGE fan of Ginger Baker, drummer for (among others) Cream and Blind Faith. Evidently, as a teen in the 50s in London, Baker had big ambitions and trained to be an internationally competitive cyclist. He became an accomplished junior time-trialist and wanted to go to the continent to pursue a possible pro career. Subsequently crashed his bike, got injured, started playing music (first jazz trumpet, then drums), and the rest is rock and roll history. Baker attributed his ability to speedily play double bass drums to the legs he developed on the bike.
Cool!
Any of yall know of any similar trivia? I seem to remember that former 80s-era Formula 1 driver Stefan Johansson of Sweden (drove for Ferrari and others) was an avid cyclist...
An earlier thread contained claims that all three members of Cream had some interest in bikes, and that the album title "Disraeli Gears" was a pun on "derailleur gears" as well as a reference to former Brit Prime Minister Disraeli.