Cyclist Graeme Obree among six athletes in Hall of Fame

[tintin40]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8570091.stm

 

[Lysander]

And I should bloody well think so too!!

 

[tintin40]

Not before time. Still better late than never :roll:

 

[lewis1641]

Good on him. He deserves far more recognition than he gets/got.

The man broke a world record off his own back and the papers at the time were more interested in his washing machine bike. It wouldn't have been so bad if they were saying 'that's the spirit' but i remember it being more like 'look at this loon'

Typical english media i guess

 

[pigman]

flying scotsman on tv, monday night, BBC1 I'm told. its showing after mark beaumont II

 

[Pickle]

flying scotsman on tv, monday night, BBC1 I'm told.

One of the best films I've seen in a long time.

Quite a dark story actually. Very moving.

 

[Steve Kish]

... and rightly so. This one man revolutionised the myth surrounding the Hour Record, created two innovative riding positions and had the tools and talent to pull it off.

Even the legend that is Chris Boardman admitted that he couldn't get near Obree on his best day.

Didn't see the film but the book of the same name was both inspriring and depressing - a super read showing the mans strengths and weaknesses to the extreme.

All Hail the Demi-God Obree, here in his glory days, catching the then-current RTTC 25 -Mile Champion Richard Prebble for two minutes in a 25 in 1993:-

 

[tintin40]

That is a mad riding position. Just love it. Looks like he is going to fall over any second. Then when they banned it. He changed it to the superman. And he is superman on a bike.
I'd love to be in his local club. I'd even enjoy riding on the road to be near him he is a year younger than me I better stop eating chocolate and get riding to work again

 

[pigman]

I can still recall a picture in cycling weekly showing the Gb road squad laughing at a picture of Obree riding a scottish TT in the tuck position. The caption sort of went along with the laugh, along the lines of "talented guy, needs to conform a bit". A year or so later he was on the world stage and the UCI were working damn hard to contain this genius who was revolutionising cycling.

I honestly believe if it werent for the black dog, he'd be up there with merckx.

 

[Kerplunk]

I think its difficult to tell how much the depression actually helped his career. Having read his book it seemed that a lot of the drive and determination was through fear of being a failure. Would he have pushed himself quite so far without it. Hard to tell.
The man's a sporting genius though, its a big shame that he's mocked for a bike that broke world records. The washing machine bearings a prime example, something thats rotates at 10,000rpm+ without falling to bits is a decent place to start for speed and reliability. .