Breaking the Rules: Graeme Obree

Obree in the initial stages of innovation. Photo via obree.com

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Innovation is ugly, inelegant. By it’s very definition, it is carried out with almost a kind of contempt for The Rules. With no regard for aesthetics, it is a domain ventured into by the casually courageous and mentally frail. It comes in fits and starts, and success is punctuated by devastating defeats. The same personality that drives innovation thrives on the momentum of success and easily passes over seemingly insurmountable obstacles with hardly a moment’s notice, and is also irreparably upset by inconsequential setbacks.

On an afternoon ride with a friend, Graeme Obree decided to turn up the bars on his road bike in order to achieve a better tuck while riding. After a succession of iterative improvements to that core idea, he arrived at a bicycle that carried cycling into perhaps it’s most prolific period of innovation. When it comes to innovation, success also carries with it the singular distinction of changing the world and the way we operate in it.

If ever there was any question that innovation can be ugly, his trusted bike, Old Faithful – famously built out of bits of washing machine and scrap metal – definitively put the question to rest. However ugly the machine, uncompromising function can in it’s own right be beautiful, and Obree’s “I’ve been kicked in the boys” tuck exhibited only grace and elegance as he flew around the track in Norway to set the World Hour Record in 1993.

Obree led the charge in revitalizing interest in the Hour, fearlessly taking on much better funded pros such as Chris Boardman, Tony Rominger, and Miguel Indurain. I look back on this period as perhaps one of the most exciting times in our great sport, and it all started with one crazy idea.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6KT5MArC8[/youtube]

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71 Replies to “Breaking the Rules: Graeme Obree”

  1. Fun to listen to the voice of you-know-who in the video! Seems like a long time since anyone took a shot at the hour.

  2. I never knew how to take Merckx’s comment that “For the first time in the history of the Hour record a weaker man has beaten a stronger man” when Moser beat his hour record. Undoubtably Merckx’s bike in ’72 was far advanced over the guys from the 50’s and 60’s. I think that thinking outside the box is all a part of being a great champion. BTW, the “Flying Dutchman” is such a good movie. Both great for cycling fans and for non-famns a like (kind of like “Breaking Away” in my opinion).

  3. Merckx’s comment reflected the vast difference Moser’s aerodynamic machine made, )although we all know Conconi’s blood doping certainly assisted!). When Merckx set the record he was riding a souped-up standard track bike, aside from minor tweaks essentially the same as the machines ridden by Ritter, Riviere, Anquetil and Coppi. There’s no way that Moser was stronger than Merckx, so Eddy’s remark just bluntly stated the truth.

  4. I’m reminded of the “praying mantis” position (spearheaded by Floyd I think) and the similar tone he got for that: it was ugly, unsafe, etc… BUT it was innovative. This was happening at the same time as straight aero bars made the rounds. Which you’ll notice have all but disappeared. Not for lack of effectiveness but because its just an uncomfortable for your wrists. But that straight bar was not dissimilar to Obree’s later “superman” position. It’s always interesting how things can come full circle with just enough time.

  5. david :

    Buck Rogers :”Flying Dutchman”

    Scotsman

    OOOOPS! You’re TOTALLY correct there! Sorry about that!

    And I still think that Merckx was just having sour grapes! No disputing that he was the greatest rider ever, but I thought it showed a real lack of class when he said that.

  6. I can’t imagine riding in that position for an hour.

    So it looks like he only had one side of his fork? Was this to save weight or was it for aerodynamics?

  7. @Ron
    Old Faithful had a regular fork – I think it was actually just his old bike which he kept modifying and modifying and modifying.

    In that picture in the article, I believe he’s on the Specialized-built bike that he rode the day before he broke the record, which was a failed attempt. Specialized built him a bike that was supposed to be the same but better than his own bike, but Graeme wasn’t at home on it.

    The next day, he rolled up on his own bike and the starter asked him, “Are you ready?”

    He simply replied, “Are you?”

  8. @Buck Rogers
    I think he might have been having sour grapes, but that also came at a time when historically the strongest riders had always won. Drugs and equipment, while factors, never turned a gregario into a champion, and the lack of the same never caused a champion to become a greggario.

    Moser’s win represented a cold shower in terms the reality of how the sport was changing, and in that light, I think it’s understandable that he wriggles to keep his composure.

    Oh, and the Flying Dutchman is probably a good movie, too.

  9. That bike is ugly as hell. And I’ll have to agree with Oli, Merckx was a much stronger rider. But I suppose this is why we now have two different classifications for hour records now.

  10. @frank

    True. But, while I totally agree, we have to remember that Merckx was famous for drilling holes into anything he could on his bike to lighten it and modify it to be faster (which a lot of other riders thought was crazy and questionable).

    I truly believe that Merckx was the greatest ever, but I still think he lacked class with his comment.

    But, either way, that movie is sooo awesome. I cannot wait to watch it with my wife!

  11. I’ve always thought the hour record should be ” anything goes”. So long as it is non-doped human powered, bring it. Farings, electronic gadgetry, anything. No storage devices, but really – isn’t this a showcase for human powered devices? And really, isn’t that uci weight limit thing sort of out date? I rather understand the safety deal – the uci thinks someone will show up with a paper bike, but isn’t there a better way? Who really cares if the aspect ratio on a pipe is 3:1 or less? Rule V applies to tech as well.

  12. I was thinking at Merckx’s comment on Moser (winner of 1 Giro d’Italia, 3 Paris-Roubaix, 2 Giro di Lombardia, 1 World Championship and many more) and then at the Rule n. 5 (in a very humble way).

  13. eightzero:
    I’ve always thought the hour record should be ” anything goes”. So long as it is non-doped human powered, bring it. Farings, electronic gadgetry, anything. No storage devices, but really – isn’t this a showcase for human powered devices? And really, isn’t that uci weight limit thing sort of out date? I rather understand the safety deal – the uci thinks someone will show up with a paper bike, but isn’t there a better way? Who really cares if the aspect ratio on a pipe is 3:1 or less? Rule V applies to tech as well.

    There are already competitions for faired HPVs. I think it’s cool that we’ve gone back to the “Athlete’s Hour” but I still think Moser, Obree and Boardman’s rides should be regarded as proper records without asterisks…

  14. Pedale.Forchetta:
    I was thinking at Merckx’s comment on Moser (winner of 1 Giro d’Italia, 3 Paris-Roubaix, 2 Giro di Lombardia, 1 World Championship and many more) and then at the Rule n. 5 (in a very humble way).

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Moser fan! He’s one of my all-time faves.

  15. eightzero :
    I’ve always thought the hour record should be ” anything goes”. So long as it is non-doped human powered, bring it.

    Including recumbents?!

  16. @Pedale.Forchetta

    I wonder what Merckx thought when Chris Boardman set the new hour record 10 meters over his old (equal bikes)

    In contrast to his comment about Moser, I think he was pretty human about it, wasn’t he? Something along the lines of, “yeah, well…it’s about time…”

  17. @Pedale.Forchetta

    Moser (winner of 1 Giro d’Italia, 3 Paris-Roubaix, 2 Giro di Lombardia, 1 World Championship and many more)

    What do you make of his 1984 Giro win and the fiasco regarding the helicopter in the final TT? I felt Moser – while I was certainly always a fan – was a bit out of place winning a Grand Tour and the Hour; a man for the classics, and not a terribly great time trialist, I also found it eyebrow-raising that he took the Hour. I love the scene in The Impossible Hour where Ole is training with Moser, his devoted team mate. Foreshadowing?

  18. @eightzero

    So long as it is non-doped human powered, bring it. Farings, electronic gadgetry, anything. No storage devices, but really – isn’t this a showcase for human powered devices?

    I’m with you on sentiment, but then you get this kind of shit rolling, and what good is that alongside a real cyclist?

    And really, isn’t that uci weight limit thing sort of out date? I rather understand the safety deal – the uci thinks someone will show up with a paper bike, but isn’t there a better way?

    Now you’re onto something. The UCI – Union Cyclist Irrationale – is a mess. Of course, there’s also the “everyone rides essentially the same bike” aspect to the idea, it’s not just safety…but safety is always cited as a core factor in keeping the rule. With drilled-out alloys, maybe weight is a relevant measure of strength, but the model breaks down completely with composites. That’s what happens when politicians and not subject-matter experts are the principle advisors on policy.

    I wonder how much strength the weights the riders are putting in their bottom brackets to meet the regulation is adding?

  19. By the way, I always thought the Superman position was rad looking

    I, for one, like the latest setup for the hour; the Athletes Hour for 1-1 comparisons, and then the absolute Hour (whatever it’s called) for anything-goes gear. I only wish the pros took that one more seriously. I’d love to revive the innovation from the early 90’s.

  20. frank :
    By the way, I always thought the Superman position was rad looking

    I, for one, like the latest setup for the hour; the Athletes Hour for 1-1 comparisons, and then the absolute Hour (whatever it’s called) for anything-goes gear. I only with the pros took that one more seriously. I’d love to revive the innovation from the early 90″²s.

    Completely agree about the Superman position. That just strikes me as so aesthetically pleasing and hardcore at the same time!

  21. And when in gets right down to it, is doing the hour on a track any less artificial that making farings illegal? Sure, there is a wind-assist issue, and an indoor track is the only way to eliminate that. But really…so there’s a faring. Big deal.

  22. @frank
    I agree with you Frank, still I think that the words of Merckx on Moser were totally undeserved and that’s why I mentioned Rule n.5

  23. Obree was brilliant, not just the hour but also the pursuit world titles. Check out the gigantic chain ring he’s pushing in the top photo.

  24. @frank
    Looking at the video again, it does look like he’s only got one fork blade, doesn’t it? This will require some further investigation. Anyone know what the deal was with the fork on Old Faithful?

  25. Pedale.Forchetta :
    @frankI agree with you Frank, still I think that the words of Merckx on Moser were totally undeserved and that’s why I mentioned Rule n.5

    Well said and completely agree!

  26. Rusty Tool Shed :
    Recumbents are not bicycles – period.

    Man, I agree! Nothing rubs me more wrong than when I see someone on a recumbent. I mean, what the HELL are they thinking!!!

  27. Recumbents (and their riders) are a pariah to the cycling world and should be beaten severely about the head and shoulders with a Campy head equipped Silca frame pump anytime they claim to be cyclists or are riding a “bicycle” They are the antithesis of Rule #5, tradition, soul, etc. And then if you publish and article (in jest) in a magazine they get all indignant and cry like little babies and threaten to cancel their subscriptions (as if anyone really cares).

    See the difference?

  28. @Cyclops
    That second shot looks remarkably close to a self-portrait. Facial hair and recumbents are often found together.

  29. I’ve been on group rides before where dude’s show up and ride recumbents in the pace line.

    How do you gents feel about this?

  30. Ron:
    I’ve been on group rides before where dude’s show up and ride recumbents in the pace line.
    How do you gents feel about this?

    I’ve nothing against them per se but no way should they be joining a paceline. They contribute nothing to the aerodynamics and enjoy all the benefits. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong on so many levels.

    I don’t think I can sleep tonight knowing that this has actually happened. I’d feel much better if you told me it was just a hypothetical.

    Having said that, I’m surprised any recumbent could keep up with even a moderately fast group ride on rolling terrain. Maybe it was a visitation from the evil one for your lack of V.

  31. Ron :
    I’ve been on group rides before where dude’s show up and ride recumbents in the pace line.
    How do you gents feel about this?

    I feel that it is a fucking abomination and the recumbents should have been shot and the riders who allowed them in (and to live) shot as well! (Well, maybe not quite that bad, but pretty close! :)

  32. You know what belongs in a road bike pace line? Road bikes.

    No recumbents, no tri-bars, etc. Special dispensation can be made for cross bikes, provided they Rule #5 and keep up. And I know a few guys who can, BTW…

    I look at recumbents they way I look at Segways, Elliptigo’s, fixies (off the track), penny farthings and other ridiculous wheeled contraptions: novelty items. I don’t care who rides ’em, I don’t careto ride ’em.

  33. I think tri bars are OK in a group (they are here in Belgium – and the groups I ride in are anything from Kermesse riders, superprestige CX’s to Quickstep pros) BUT, you MUST ride holding the handlebars – period.

    And because they assume you know how to TT if you have tri bars, you better bloody do the lead out for the sprint(s) – and that’s 55kmh + here – wind or no wind. Otherwise they will consider you as a tagalong wimp.

    We have anything from reccumbents (faired or not), supprisingly fast dudes on citybikes, people with 1960’s CX bikes, 10 year olds learning the ropes to mopeds doing motorpacing all in the same place here – BUT people know how to ride. Everybody gets along great.

    PS – I am a Triathlete and roady

  34. @Cyclops
    Do my eyes deceive me, or is the recumbent rider equipped with both handlebar-mounted mirrors and a helmet mirror?

  35. Nate:
    @Cyclops
    Do my eyes deceive me, or is the recumbent rider equipped with both handlebar-mounted mirrors and a helmet mirror?

    To be fair to him he looks as though he is going to be overtaken often. He can’t be in breach of Rule #66 because recumbents are not bikes.

    It would be unfair to judge them on our standards. We are better.

  36. For an idea of what it is to prepare for and ride the hour, read “The Hour” by Michael Hutchison. Really puts into perspective why no-one, at least not any “names”, will take on the hour again. There is too much face to lose, even Fab wouldn’t dare to try. Look how little distance Boardman put into Merckx’s record and Boardman put his usual legendary research and preparation into the effort while Merckx just jammed it into the middle of his road season. The only advantage Merckx had was altitude.

    But we digress, Obree was the master, whose home-cooked genius the UCI deemed so evil and dangerous that they changed the rules twice just to stop him stomping all over their glamourous sport from his shed. Not only did he break the hour record on his own bike, but he did it the day after he’d failed to break the record.

    I hope one day the UCI will actually recognise his efforts* instead of denigrating them.

    *Like fuck they will

  37. That picture of the cyclops look-alike on the weird recumbent is great. It’s not even a standard one, it’s some crazy custom get-up that looks like it has a faux-leather “executive chair” from Staples for the seat.

    I saw a weird recumbent this weekend where the person was pedaling with their feet AND their hands. Not sure what that was about, clearly they weren’t paralyzed and didn’t need a hand-cycle. Seems like it would make turning harder.

    As for recumbents in a paceline? No fucking way. Whenever recumbent defenders talk about those vehicles, they always talk about how much more aerodynamic they are in that low position. OK, great. Well if your ‘bike’ (har) is so aerodynamic, you don’t need to ride in a paceline with people on standard bicycles.

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