It’s hard to say goodbye to old friends, even those that are inanimate. Yesterday, I had to break the bad news to everyone here that the Stinky Van was being sent back to the leasing company. This van has about 80,000 miles of hard road on it, and the  transmission is a bit wobbly.

But you might be wondering how Stinky Van got its somewhat unjust name. I mean, it didn’t start out “stinky”, it was an acquired “stankiness stigma”, that transported it from being just another van in the company fleet.

Speculation is that during cyclocross season one year, someone spilled a grande latte, and maybe wiped it up with their sweaty sox. The smell had staying power, despite many carpet cleanings, and little hanging X-mas tree air freshener’s, baking soda, and Glade. Nothing worked, especially during the winter months, hence the moniker.

All I can say is that a few of us had a hard time letting her go...

View Paul's touching film of the SV's farewell: (Quicktime 3.9mb **slow loading, be patient**)


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