Graeme Obree

Browsing through Youtube came across a load of videos about Obree, really interesting stuff. He was undoubtedly unfairly targeted by the cycling hierarchy when he was at his peak as their golden boy was Boardman.
Anyway, well worth a look. I won't post up links as quite a lot but just search and you'll find. He was and still is a maverick of cycling. He ideal ride apparently is long, hilly and headwindy! Long and hilly I can cope with but headwinds I loathe.

Boardman was also targeted by the UCI, they scrapped his world records and refused an exemption for him to use Testosterone despite having a long term medical condition that required it's use. The latter refusal is absurd considering the blind eye they had turned to doping for over 30 years, they didn't like the thought of any British riding being superior to those from the continent.

Obree is an interesting guy, drinking pint after pint of water so he stayed awake prior to breaking the hour record such was his fear of his body seizing up. I've always been conflicted on whether Old faithful or the Lotus should have been allowed; the current rules state that equipment shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practicing cycling as a sport, that seems preferable to me.

A right nutter-I love 'em! To be fair, the Continent has had its quota too-how about Jackie Durand for starters?

Admittedly, he didn't attempt a World Hour as far as I'm aware; maybe if they'd told him there was a pursuer he'd have acquitted himself with honours...

Obree's Old Faithful was not from an engineering perspective a particularly good bike, but it was unique in allowing him to develop the tuck position with his hands under his shoulders and incredibly small frontal area and in having a very narrow pedal set up.

The difficulty I have with Obree the cyclist is knowing whether he was an exceptional rider physiologically or merely a very good one who hit on an advantageous riding position that gave him too many benefits. The lack of any sort of professional career makes it even harder to judge.