The Obree Way

by Graeme Obree

"With a bike, a turbo trainer and the right advice, you can beat anyone." No one but Graeme Obree has the clarity of vision to get to the heart of the ?problem? of how to improve as a racing cyclist. His innovative approach took him to the top of world cycling, twice breaking the world hour record ? a story picked up in his Hollywood biopic The Flying Scotsman. It can draw the same outstanding athletic performance from you. "The Obree Way" side-steps conventional wisdom and strips cycling back to its elements, always asking the question: ?What actually improves my race time This is no routine training programme. Written in a conversational style, the book explains Graeme Obree's radical insights into technique, training, psychology and diet, and the clear logic behind them. At last, the best kept secret in cycling, the Obree three-phase breathing technique, is revealed in detail, getting more oxygen to your blood with less effort. Graeme Obree's training methods really work ? the man is living proof. He believes that resting is key to training, that you can pedal, stretch and breathe more effectively and that, if you really want it, you can find the will and intensity to improve. Get on your bike!

Genres: Cycling, Nonfiction

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2012

Reviews

[Andrew Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A candid and down to earth look at what it takes to become a high performance cyclist. Graeme's exploration and examination of what it means to develop the right kind of winning-mindset was very interesting. So you get an idea of what it really takes to win and you can really guage if you have the right stuff to get the job done. I agree with him that sport is for many competitive people an outlet, a way to slip the chains of modern societal convention. But this of course also beggars the question: What is a competitive person. And this he answers too with aplomb. I also found the chapters on breathing and pedalling very useful and will be trying it out next time I am on the bike. What is also very refreshing is the lack of any commercial taint, no marketing clap-trap just straightforward advice from a man who was driven to do the best he could and he beat them all despite the odds being stacked against him. And this is a good antidote to the vicious circle of marketing-driven all-the-gear-and-no-idea mentality which pollutes all sports nowadays. You are confronted with the reality of what it really takes and then presented with sobering questions to ask yourself. The answers to which ulitmately will decide whether or not you buy that carbon blinged out TT bike you wanted complete with matching skin suit. This is a good thing. Because it comes from a place of truth and experience and because it is real.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of good info, but I don't think this book had an editor. Obree repeats the same phrases verbatim over and over. There is no scientific evidence to back up many of his claims. This is truly some old school training, but I loved the simplicity of the ideas - there is value there, it's just buried under a mess.

[David Hallam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really thought-provoking with some good ideas for anybody who wants to go faster on a bicycle.
Obree sees himself as an outsider but actually a lot of the advice here is in line with current thinking in the cycling world. Either Obree has kept himself up to date with the latest research or the rest of the world has come round to his way of thinking!

[Ioan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting, bit quirky and some pure gold in terms of training tips and how to progress!

[Andy Rixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be essential when I'm riding a lot more. Insanely indepth and I'd thoroughly recommend having a notebook alongside the book!

[Will Henton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult writing style to follow.

[Martin Linkov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight to the point, scientific like advice for better training