"Previous world hour record holder Graeme Obree found himself back in business over the weekend, albeit at a local level.
The man, nicknamed ‘The Flying Scotsman’ after he smashed Francesco Moser’s previous long-standing hour record for all the wrong reasons on July 17, 1993, convincingly won the Glasgow Couriers-Bennett Developments 10 mile time trial last Saturday, April 30. His time of 19 minutes and 55 seconds was almost one minute faster than that of the next two placegetters, Arthur Doyle (Ivy CC) and Hugh Jamieson (Inverclyde Velo).
The victory was a welcome return for Obree, who had endured a long period of manic depression and an attempt to end his life on December 17, 2001, where he was found unconscious, hanging from the rafters of a barn near his home in rural Scotland. He has spent the last few years recovering at home, in the company of his wife and two children."
I have been trying to get a copy of his book for ages with no success. The only copies that seem to be available are in the UK and are selling used (which is fine with me).
Anyone in North America willing to sell me theirs?
Apparently GB cycled to the event (about 30 miles??) with a turbo trainer and spare wheel on his back, then knocked out a sub 20. He’s down to ride the national 10 champs but is rated as perhaps only 3 rd favourite.
His latest tt bike has a mountain bike handlebar and brake lever and a single tri bar, way outside the box and very aero.
Its a pretty dark book in places. I met him at a cycle show where jkallen13 and myself got ours copies signed. He’s been keeping a low profile but keeps popping up winning local TT’s near to his home in Scotland. Encouraging stuff. Not many guys who try to hang themselves from the rafters would be able to find a way back…
He makes the occasional TT appearance (I think he has also appeared on the track at Manchester in one of the revolution meets). He rode one of the national TT champs a couple of years ago, cannot remember what distance though. I have a feeling I read a few weeks ago that he beat the Scottish Masters 10mile record. It is also interesting that he thinks his current UCI legal tt position is the fastest he has used - with his hands together it is not unlike Bjorn’s current positon (I bet Obree did not use a wind tunnel to optimise it though). I was hoping for a Sean Yates / Graeme Obree show down at some stage but I see Sean has had to retire from racing this year due to Heart problems which is sad.
I will be interesting to see if he does race how Graeme will fair against the current crop of Top National Testers, particulary the lastest young sensation 18 year old Alex Dowsett who seems to be thrashing most in the UK Time trials at the Moment. Alex rode a local road race on a new circuit which is fairly flat but generally very windy - he escaped to put a whole 2mile lap into the entire field of useful local racers - very impressive.
I believe this photo is about a month old. Can’t say for sure. I copied it from another forum. Note that’s a fixie he’s riding.
Why is the seat so far back?
And why are his arms so stretched out?
Obree invented what’s called “The Superman Position” which extends the arms like that. It’s one way of helping to bring the head and torso down lower and streamline the frontal presentation to reduce drag. (Note that the current “Mantis” positions used by Landis, Leipheimer and a growing list of others accomplishes the same thing by lowering the elbows rather than by moving them out forward.)
The UCI restricts the distance the aerobars can extend to 75 cms from a vertical line through the center of the bottom bracket. In order for Obree to achieve that superman kind of position and adhere to that UCI rule, his saddle must be slammed way back … which is a good thing since the UCI also mandates that the nose of the saddle must be at least 5 cms behind that vertical line through the bottom bracket.
That’s my take on it all, FWIW. I could be wrong.
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I am really surprised that so many people like the double aero bar, and that there are no single bars that I am aware of.
I wanted this setup so much, I made one myself this winter.
Note there are elbow pads, partially wrapped under the bar tape. (I haven’t re-wrapped the bars with new tape yet, and I need a little more length. That is the only reason the pads are not totally covered.
The pad is on top of a plastic carrier that I ground; the plastic fits half way around the bar, but the top surface is flat. This flat surface provides more surface area, so more cushioning. The width of the pad allows me to ride as narrow as having my elbows/forearms touch the steerer tube, or significantly wider during tricky or windy areas.
So I very much like this setup. Very simple. Takes almost no top bar real estate, and only 230 grams for the whole setup.
I wonder if he made this bike too…out of a washing machine. This guy is fantastic and I really enjoy his story, although it is sad and often time troubled, he is brilliant.
