Flying Scotsman

The record-breaking cyclist shares his battle with bipolar disorder: "One of the best and most moving sports books I have read" (The Times).

 

Number 10 on Cycle Sport's list of Best 50 Cycling Books of All Time

 


On July 17, 1993, cyclist Graeme Obree stunned the world when he emerged from obscurity to smash Francesco Moser's World Hour Record. The Flying Scotsman is his searing autobiography, from his tough upbringing in Scotland, where he found escape on the roads, to his head-to-head duels with Chris Boardman and his rise to stardom on the European circuit.


 


Obree created massive controversy in the professional cycling world with his unique riding style and his pioneering construction techniques—famously using washing-machine parts to complete the building of his "Old Faithful." Yet all his sporting success was achieved in the shadow of mental illness and suicidal despair. In this book, he tells his amazing life story—with all its ups and downs.


 


"Hard-hitting and brutally honest." —Cycling Weekly