Canadian Todd Reichert and his AeroVelo team have improved on their world human-powered speed record at the 2016 World Human-Powered Speed Championships at Battle Mountain in Nevada in the United States. A new women’s world record was also set by Yasmin Tredell and the University of Liverpool Velocipede Team at the same event.
Competitors are given 8km to gain momentum before reaching a 200m flat section where speeds are measured and recorded. On September 14, Reichart got his recumbent bike Eta up to 88.26mph (142.04km/h), beating his own record of 86.65mph (139.46km/h), which he set last year. Three days later, he improved on that mark again, reaching 89.59mph (144.18km/h).
A new world record! On Saturday, September 17th, Todd piloting Eta hit 89.59 mph/144.18 kph at Battle Mountain pic.twitter.com/vDOPiDMupn
— AeroVelo (@Aerovelo) September 19, 2016
To achieve the feat, former speedskater Reichert pedals in a recumbent bicycle position within a small, aerodynamic carbon fibre shell. He has no direct view of the outside world and must instead rely on two video cameras. A HUD lets him know when to start sprinting.
There was success too for the University of Liverpool Velocipede Team in the updated ARION2. Yasmin Tredell hit 71.05mph (114.34km/h), a massive improvement on the previous women’s record of the previous record of 42.5mph (68.4km/h).
Ken Buckley also improved on his British record, hitting 76.59mph (128.09km/h).
Unfortunately, Buckley crashed at 70mph on the final day of racing and while he was unhurt, ARION2’s shell was damaged meaning Tredell couldn’t make another attempt to improve on her record.
Team leader Rob McKenzie told the Liverpool Echo: “It is the culmination of years of work and the entire team, both those in Nevada and back in Liverpool, are absolutely ecstatic about the team’s achievement. The whole team has worked tirelessly to improve the design of ARION2 and this has really paid off.”
ARION3 is apparently already in development.
In 2013, Graeme Obree made an attempt to beat the human-powered speed record. His bid resulted in the film Battle Mountain, which is now available for download from multiple outlets with a DVD also said to be in the pipeline.
6 thoughts on “Human powered speed records broken (+video)”
Impressive stuff!
Impressive stuff!
To think that you can achieve such speeds with human power alone! Makes you wonder why cars are so slow compared to the horsepower they produce. My car is 90kW, so about 150 to 200 times more power, but it achieves only 10mph faster!
The car is probably the best
The car is probably the best part of 2 tonnes heavier than the bikes and a lot less aerodynamic. It takes a lot of power to accelerate a heavy motor vehicle to top speed at a reasonable rate. The drag coefficients on these bikes are incredibly low. It’s difficult to believe someone could be pedalling inside some of them when you look at the tiny frontal profiles.
Maybe a roomier, tech’d out
Maybe a roomier, tech’d out version of this could be the future of transport. E-versions to get the less able up hills. Covered in super-efficient solar glass to recharge.
Makes much more sense than bicycles as the main mode of transport – you do have limiting factors there because of fitness and weather, with weather likely to get more dramatic in future, and the bridge of going from a massively safe pram to an incredibly vulnerable bicycle is too unimaginable a leap for lesser folk.
You could be nice and safe feeling in something like this. Have all your tech gadgets too.
unconstituted wrote:
Velomobiles & E-Velomobiles already exist. These racers at Battle Mountain are the equivalent to drag racing cars – designed for one purpose only; speed in a straight line.
Unlike a bike, velomobiles cannot be carried up stairs or on a train etc, so are harder for many to live with than a bike. However they are capable of cruising at >25mph whilst carying luggage & the pilot in the dry.
Hopefully not too many gadgets causing distractions tho.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/09/the-velomobile-high-tech-bike-or-low-tech-car.html
Needs marketed cleverly.
From I Love My Bike’s link:
A human powered velomobile is thus 15 to 62 times more energy efficient than a Nissan Leaf. Not just 6 to 25 times, because we are comparing primary energy here. The 15 kWh that is consumed by the Nissan equates to around 37.5 kWh primary energy since electricity plants (in Europe) have an efficiency of 40 percent.
That’s amazing, really.
Needs marketed cleverly. Maybe made by BMW or Apple and less vulnerable looking. Doors on side. But yes, that Sinclair is too ahead of it’s time. We need a transition vehicle to get people from cars to bikes/recumbents. Preferably 4 wheels on it, drivetrain hidden out of the way, and yes, it would need to be tech’d out – people in cars are used to that. GPS, radio, electric everything. Cushion like suspension. Space for shopping, a kid. Lights, horn (they love beeping those).
They can bring out faster, stripped back models like the Sinclair after as a ‘sport’ model. Go faster stripes. BMW M badge on it. Then they’ll buy it. Have to manipulate people like babies.
I’ve been baffled by the lack
I’ve been baffled by the lack of interest in velomobiles in the UK to date. I think the UCI has a lot to answer for! 😉
I think the reason they are much more popular on the continent than here is that they aren’t great at going up hills, due to being quite a lot heavier than bikes. E-versions are available, however.
I did look into it as a potential all-weather commuter a while back, (wet bike, helmet, shoes and clothing is a bit of a hassle even though I don’t actually mind riding in the rain) effectively instead of considering a second car. However, buying one in the UK seems to be a major hassle and the choice very limited. They’re also pretty pricey (no doubt due to small production runs!)
Surely there is a market for these things – I’d like to be able to cruise to work at 30mph whatever the weather, but without all the negatives of cars.