Graeme Obree

His bicycle, famously known as 'Old Faithful' was constructed by Obree in his garage and included pieces from an old washing machine. The total cost of his bicycle was estimated to be about £70. Obree's willingness to experiment was also demonstrated by his development of a new cycling position, with his arms tuck away underneath his body to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The Ayrshire man came out of nowhere took the cycling world by storm. 

Obree's bike and riding style were later outlawed by the authorities and his record was beated, but, once again showing ingenuity in the face of his problems he tried riding with his arms straight out instead of tucked up - the so-called 'Superman' style. In 1995 he broke the record again, but his new style was banned and the rules changed, effectively shutting him out of competition. 

Graeme Obree subsequently suffered from severe personal problems including depression and even attempted suicide. Despite this extremely difficult time he has put his problems behind him to concentrate on his family, and works on motivating others, whilst only cycling at an amateur level. 

In 2006 the film 'The Flying Scotsman', based on his autobiography of the same name, was released.