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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 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?

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  • (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.