How Graeme Obree brought about innovation and shattered the most prestigious record in his sport
Innovating a 150-year-old device and the 1-hour record
This story was really meant to be about Graeme Obree, but 5 days ago, 27 year old Belgian Victor Campenaerts broke the 1 hour cycling world record and clocked up 55.089 km in 60 mins. He kind of stole the thunder to my story. But please read on.
I grew up on a bicycle. Some of my first childhood memories are of my efforts to balance on a bicycle, with my mother running by my side holding a broomstick attached to the frame. Growing up in a suburb of Copenhagen in the 60s and 70s, this was a great, autonomous way of getting around; it gave me the first experience of freedom and being away from home … but not too far away. By the tender age of 8 years old I went everywhere, to school, to my friends, to the beach, to the harbour.
The first time the word bicycle appeared in English print was in 1868 when “The Daily News” described “the Bysicles and Trysicles” seen in Paris. The French were, as in many other things, ahead of the times, and the word was first used in 1847 in the French-speaking press.
Little changed over the next 100 years until a maverick from Scotland, Graeme Obree, turned up on the world stage with a new riding position and a radical new bike design he had built himself from, among other things, parts from a washing machine. Graeme rightfully reasoned that the bearings from a washing machine would be rather sturdy and should be able to take the load of a pedalling athlete.
More importantly, he created a new riding style that was more aerodynamic, albeit more uncomfortable. Obree went on to join a professional cycling team, was quickly expelled, became a two-time world champion in the 4,000m individuals’ pursuit, and twice broke the 1-hour cycling record. For the non-cycling enthusiast, the 1-hour record is the most prestigious in cycling; it takes place in a velodrome and, very simply, consists of the rider cycling as far as he/she can within 1 hour. The record for men has been held by some of the most eponymous names in cycling; Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, who held it for 12 years, Francesco Moser, and even my fellow countryman Ole Ritter, who held the record for 4 years. Here is how Graeme articulated his desire to break the record:
“The record had fascinated me since Moser broke it. It was the ultimate test — no traffic, one man in a velodrome against the clock. I didn’t tell myself that I will attempt the record, I said I would break it. When your back is against the wall, you can say it’s bad or you can say: ‘I’ll go for it.’ I decided, that’s it, I’ve as good as broken the record.”
Graeme is a talented, hardy, stubborn rider. He innovated brilliantly on cycling equipment and broke conventions. He showed a new way. He also suffers from bipolar disorder, and attempted suicide three times. If you want to learn more about Graeme and his career you can find a great documentary here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIDQH3FeG7Y
Now, this brings me to building companies and teams, and growing businesses. By normal conventions, Graeme would be considered a misfit, however brilliant he is. Over the years, I have seen many companies and entrepreneurs, and one of the biggest challenges in building teams and companies is how to accommodate the brilliant, yet less socially adaptable members of your teams. Founders are not like other people, they challenge, they think differently, sometimes they are geniuses in their own way, sometimes they are misfits, sometimes both.
Misfits often feel like outsiders, as expressed by David Wong: “The freaks spend their lives shambling around, wondering how they got left out, mumbling about conspiracy theories and bigfoot sightings. Their encounters with the world are marked by awkward conversations and stifled laughter, hidden smirks and rolled eyes. And worst of all, pity.”
How do you bring the outsiders in? How do you tap into potential genius? Often they are expelled, or side-lined due to a lack of social skills. This can be a massive lost opportunity. We know we need to build functional teams where individuals have social capabilities that are considered within the norm. What can we do to accommodate the misfits? How do we find room for them? How do we make them contribute? Don’t dismiss the misfits outright, seek ways to accommodate them, give them opportunity, give them a chance.
So, get on your bicycle daily; it is good for you, your well-being, the environment, and society, but while on the bike think about how to accommodate the quirky, the awkward, the misfit that can become a company shaping contributor.
Have a great Easter week!
