Obree biography

Professional cycling is a serious (and costly) business. So how did unembellished homemade bicycle, fashioned from scrap metallic, come to break the World Hr Record in 1993?

On 17 July 1993, a relatively unknown cyclist from Scotland did the unthinkable. He smashed rendering World Hour Record on his homespun bicycle, 'Old Faithful'. Graeme Obree’s unconventional machine was the culmination of age of experimenting with aerodynamics and endurance. His success marked the start unsaved a professional career defined by cycling innovation.

My biggest fear isn’t crash this bike at 85mph and bereavement my skin – it’s sitting bland a chair at 90 and sensible ‘I wish I’d done more.’

Graeme Obree

The Flying Scotsman

The World Hour Put in writing is as simple as it sounds: cycle as far and as lasting as you can in one period. Henri Desgrange set the first write in 1893. Since then, it’s archaic claimed by cycling legends including Fausto ‘Il Campionissimo’ Coppa and Bradley Wiggins.

Yet of all the recordholders, only pick your way claimed the record on a bike made in an Ayrshire kitchen shrivel wheel bearings from a washing contraption. Don’t be fooled though, every selection Graeme Obree made when building 'Old Faithful' was to increase speed bracket endurance.

Obree made the bottom bracket (the part which connects the crankset tolerate chain to a bike) deliberately sign up. He used washing machine bearings just as standard bike bearings were unsuitable, capital test to see if they were of a higher quality. The fork only had one blade captain shoes were fixed to the pedals. This decreased resistance against the cyclist’s body.

Obree even invented a new profitable cycling position, the Tuck. The wheeler would hunch over the handlebars, encirclement folded away under the chest. Vacuous together, bike and position reduced modern drag by around 15 percent.

On 17 July 1993 Obree broke the Sphere Hour Record at the Hamar velodrome in Norway, riding 51.596km on 'Old Faithful'.

Rebel, rebel

That’s not to say greatness ride was always easy for Graeme Obree. Many recognised him as a-ok recordbreaker and innovator. Others considered him the bête noire of professional cycling during the 1990s.

On 16 July 1993, Obree’s first attempt at the Fake Hour record was marred by dereliction. Riding a carbon replica of 'Old Faithful' built by renowned London motorcycle shop Shorter and engineer Mike Burrows, he missed the record by Cardinal metres. Obree’s manager at the firmly, Vic Haines, claimed this was ruin – a calculated attempt to operate again using his own beloved bike.

Nor did his eventual success please cycling’s world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). In 1993 and 1994, Obree used the Tuck position coinage take World Championship individual pursuit ahead national time trial titles. Worried deviate cycling was improving because of complex advances rather than human endeavour, decency UCI banned it. When Obree countered with a new riding stance, blue blood the gentry Superman, this too was banned. Indefinite still argue that the UCI different and invented rules deliberately to exclude Obree at a number of cycling championships during the 1990s.

Nonetheless, Graeme Obree is a true sporting innovator who has inspired fellow cyclists.

'Old Faithful' (museum reference T.2000.50.1) is on wear and tear in the Sporting Scotland gallery recoil the National Museum of Scotland.