Students at Delft Technical University have developed a recumbent bicycle with which they hope to break the current bike speed record. The bicycle has an oval, aerodynamic chassis to reduce air resistance. The record attempt will take place in the desert in the US state of Nevada in September.
The current world record is held by Canadian Sam Whittingham, who reached speeds of 133 km per hour in 2009 in his Varna Tempest.
The students hope the aerodynamic chassis will help them break the record. The chassis has been remoulded 30 times to reduce air resistance by 20 to 30 percent. The actual bike is larger than the record holder’s bicycle so that it can accomodate a larger and stronger cyclist.
The bike is being tested on a disused runway in Soesterberg today. It will be raced in Germany at the end of July.
source: www.rnw.nl
