GRAEME Obree is to have another crack at entering the history books - but this time it is his son Jamie who will be in the driving seat.
Ayrshire-based Obree clocked a new record of 56.62mph in the prone cycling position at the World Human Powered Speed Championships at Battle Mountain, Nevada, last September.
His son, Jamie, 20, accompanied him on the trip and was desperate to have a shot himself, but Obree felt his self-built machine, dubbed "The Beastie", was too unstable to risk it.
Obree has twice held the famed Hour record - which will be tackled by German cyclist Jens Voigt later today - and is a former double world champion in the individual pursuit. The 49-year-old is now in the process of crafting a new cycling creation that he hopes Jamie will use to pedal to victory in the event next year, even if it means he usurps his own time. "I'm building the bike so Jamie can attack my prone record," said Obree. "We both got a taste for it when we were out there last year and can't wait to go back for another bash. My record survived this year's championships and I'd be quite happy to see Jamie beat it. That would be a fantastic way to spend my 50th birthday."
The Beastie, the majority of which was constructed in the kitchen of Obree's small flat in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, comprised a computer-modelled, teardrop-shaped carbon fibre-shell built around components including a stainless steel saucepan, bashed up old bike parts and a pair of roller-skates found in a charity shop.
Obree, who is currently looking for a sponsor to back the new attempt, believes the lessons drawn from that project can be used to build a bolder and better Beastie Mark II.
"I've realised how much better the shell could be as that was something I had issues with first time around," he said. "I'd never built a shell before and even assuming aerodynamic principles, it wasn't quite right."
Jamie, who is studying to become a nurse or paramedic, is preparing himself for the demands of the challenge with a daily cycle commute to college between Irvine and Ayr.
"There are three aspects: the bike, the shell and the engine," said Obree. "Jamie's build makes him more of a power rider than me as I'm an endurance rider. That probably makes him better suited to that short burst required for breaking the record."
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