Oscar Juner’s Flying Scot

Oscar Juner’s 1962 Flying Scot

Oscar Juner's Flying Scot bicycle

In 1900, David Rattray and his sister Agnes opened their bicycle shop in Glasgow, Scotland.  Over the next 83 years, their business would become famous for producing Scotland’s premier lightweight bicycle, “The Scot”, sometimes better known as “The Flying Scot”.

In-house bicycle production started in 1928, and was quite brisk leading up to the war, when the shop was contracted to produce pins for Bailey Bridge construction.  In post war Scotland, Rattray’s cycle shop grew under the stewardship of Rattray’s partner Jack Smith to become a focal point and meeting place for cyclists from Scotland and afar, the Scot name representing what was considered to be the best in hand built lightweight racing and touring machines.

The pride of Glasgow

Olympic Rings for various British team members

The Scot head tube badge

This Flying Scot, while being somewhat custom and unique (as they all were), appears to be their “Continental” racing model from the early ’60’s.  It features Nervex Professional lugs and Reynolds 531 tubing, Campagnolo Gran Sport derailleurs, GB Coureur 66 brakes, a Brooks (what else?) saddle, Wolber rims, and sew-up tires.

GB Coureur 66 brakes

Campagnolo Gran Sport

That little knob is a grease port for the headset

This particular Flying Scot was originally owned by Oscar Juner, founder of American Cyclery in San Francisco.  Like Rattray’s, Juner’s bicycle store on the edge of Golden Gate Park was (and still is) a beacon to cycling enthusiasts from far and wide.

Flying Scot 1962 Catalogue

A former Six-Day track racer, and part of an immensely influential cycling family from New York (see brother Augie’s 1930 Appelhans), everyone in the Bay Area who frequented American Cyclery would have wanted to ride the bikes that Oscar rode.

Knowing bike shop owners as we do, it is likely that Oscar began importing Flying Scot bicycles originally because he just really wanted to ride one himself…