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Cyclist Reaches 85.71 Mph on Way to Human-powered Speed World Record

posted by martyb on Saturday September 19 2015, @12:34AM   Printer-friendly
from the waiting-to-see-him-pop-a-wheelie dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Aboard an enclosed recumbent bicycle in Nevada today, Canadian Todd Reichart has claimed the world record for human powered speed. The annual World Human Powered Speed Challenge draws cyclists from around the world seeking to push the limits of pedal-powered motion, but it was the 33-year-old who left the competition in his wake to clock a top speed of 85.71 mph (137.9 km/h).
...
The pilot sits in the recumbent position, with their legs out in front of them, in an enclosed capsule crafted with aerodynamics as a driving principle. Using a camera mounted to the top of the vehicle and a video monitor to see ahead, Eta was expected to offer around a one percent improvement on performance compared to its predecessor, according to the team's computer simulations.

Pretty cool, but their human-powered ornithopter is possibly cooler.

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  • (Score: 2) by penguinoid on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:17AM

    by penguinoid (5331) on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:17AM (#238255)

    Why would a bicycle count and not, say, a jet engine, or climbing then jumping?

    What if the fuel for the jet were synthesized using a human-powered energy source?

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    • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:39AM

      by MostCynical (2589) on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:39AM (#238264) Journal

      The sythesis/human-to-fuel process would have to *also* be human-powered.

      http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/no-we-cant-burn-people-for-electricity [mnn.com]
      http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/1263/is-the-basic-premise-of-humans-as-a-power-source-in-the-matrix-reasonable [stackexchange.com]

      Looks like using legs or arms are the only way to qualify as "human-powered".

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      • (Score: 2) by M. Baranczak on Saturday September 19 2015, @02:11AM

        by M. Baranczak (1673) on Saturday September 19 2015, @02:11AM (#238277)
        In "The Matrix", humans are used as energy storage, not as an energy source. (I'm really not sure which idea makes less sense.)

    • (Score: 2) by eof on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:49AM

      by eof (5559) on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:49AM (#238267)

      It is all about direct and continued (individual?) human effort to produce motion. Jet engines and motors of all types are produced by humans, but the motion they give rise to is produced by using external chemical means to directly drive external machinery--no humans necessary. (I won't contemplate humans as fuel.) With jumping, cannons, slingshots, etc, no continuous effort is involved. I'm sure using skates, a skateboard, or a non-motorized scooter would count under the same conditions as the bike.

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by penguinoid on Saturday September 19 2015, @04:00AM

        by penguinoid (5331) on Saturday September 19 2015, @04:00AM (#238321)

        I won't contemplate humans as fuel.

        Liposuction biodiesel!

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    • (Score: 2) by Username on Saturday September 19 2015, @03:59AM

      by Username (4557) on Saturday September 19 2015, @03:59AM (#238319)

      I got a big beef with saying it’s human powered when there’s a camera and display involved.

      If he petals a generator to power them, then why can’t he petal a generator all night long and use an electric motor to power the bike the next day?

      • (Score: 2) by Nuke on Saturday September 19 2015, @09:55AM

        by Nuke (3162) on Saturday September 19 2015, @09:55AM (#238388)

        I would have that beef too if the video is battery powered rather than from a generator driven by his pedals in real time, which I doubt.

        In organised cycle racing, things using batteries like radio contact with the team manager and heart rate monitors are allowed (but not always), it being arguable that they are not essential to the performance. In the case of this record however, the camera and display do seem to be essential, to see where he is heading. He could have used a mirror somehow to save argument.

  • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:24AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 19 2015, @01:24AM (#238259)

    is a hell of drug.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by CirclesInSand on Saturday September 19 2015, @02:33AM

    by CirclesInSand (2899) on Saturday September 19 2015, @02:33AM (#238284)

    Ornithopter link is one of the worst examples of human powered flight I've ever seen taken seriously. It isn't even honestly human powered, it is just falling after being powered by a gas engine.

    I would recommend looking at "Speed with Guy Martin" the episode on Human Powered Aircraft. There is also a good Nova special floating around on youtube on an amazing Greek HPF attempt a few decades back.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by jasassin on Saturday September 19 2015, @06:26AM

    by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Saturday September 19 2015, @06:26AM (#238352) Homepage Journal

    All he needs is a flux capacitor and a little more leg muscle, he don't need no stinking DeLorean.

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