In 2013 Scotsman Graeme Obree made an attempt at the human powered land speed record, and the documentary film that followed the story, ‘Battle Mountain’, is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer. (Trailer above).
Obree broke the hour record on multiple occasions during the height of his career in the 1990s, and claimed the world championship title in the individual pursuit twice as well.
The story of such exploits, as well as his famous habit of turning bicycle design and aerodynamic thinking on its head, was dramatised in the film The Flying Scotsman (2006), but the latest chapter in Obree’s career and life – his attempt at the 2013 World Human Powered Speed Championships – has been documented in the new production, Battle Mountain: Graeme Obree’s story.
The film, directed by David Street, follows Obree’s attempt at the record, riding ‘The Beastie’ (the pedal-powered vehicle he uses) and dealing with the inevitable ups and downs that such a challenge presents.
The film was first aired on BBC Scotland on 7th February, and will be available on iPlayer until the 6th March, but if you miss it then you can still watch on sources such as Vimeo on Demand, iTunes and Amazon Prime.