Although land speed records are usually associated with cars, of all types of varieties including EVs and hybrids, there are also land speed records for bicycles, too.
In August 2011, wooden bike designer and builder Michael Thompson from Norfolk and triathlete James Tully broke a land speed record with Thompson’s wooden bicycle – the Splinterbike. It is made entirely of wood, and though they were aiming to reach the heady heights of 30mph, they managed to establish a world speed record for 100% wooden bicycles at 11.25mph.
Although they set a new world record for a wooden bike, they didn’t come anywhere near the current world record for a bicycle land speed record – which is held by a Canadian, Sam Whittingham. His record speed is 82.3mph, set in the World Human Powered Speed Challenge, an annual event for speed obsessives. In 2009, a section of a Nevada highway was closed off to its usual array of family cars, trucks and lorries for the event to take place, and Whittingham broke his own previous record.
Whittingham used to be a track cyclist, but now pays for his record attempts by building bikes for other people. His world record braking bike is a recumbent bike encased in a carbon fibre shell, with a Kevlar skin, designed to stop the carbon disintegrating in case of a crash. The highest point of the bike is only 2 feet above the ground and its tyres are less than 1 inch across, to minimise rolling resistance. It only has five gears, but they are enormous – it takes more than five miles for him to get his bike up to full speed.
Of course, bicycles will never get close to the kind of speeds which can be achieved in car land speed records – the current aspiration for the next record is 1000mph.
The fastest bikes in the world
Solar bikes – the cleanest form of transport
For years now, it’s been possible to convert your bike into an electric bicycle. It’s a simple matter of fitting an electric motor that is charged by rechargeable batteries, and the kit can go on to pretty much any bicycle.
A few types of electric bicycles use regenerative braking to store excess energy during braking to recharge the batteries – in the same way that hybrids do.
As with all renewable energy technology, there have been further developments in the electric cycling world. There are some experimental bikes that are powered by other alternatives to pedal power, such as solar panels, gas generators and fuel cells.
In 2008, a solar bicycle concept vehicle was designed as the commuter’s answer to pollution-free travel. The Cycle Sol was a bright yellow bicycle with a matching roof canopy that housed a solar panel to charge the bicycle’s motor during daylight hours. It also doubled up as a rain cover for the rider, and its look was a bit reminiscent of BMW’s C1 scooter. Somehow though, it never seemed to get beyond the concept stage, or if it did, it certainly didn’t gain much popularity amongst the commuters it was intended for.
It will probably be a long time yet until solar powered family cars become a real possibility, but because of their light weight there are bound to be more solar powered bicycles developed in the next few years.
Already, another step further has been taken along the eco-friendly electric vehicle route, where electricity is generated without burning fossil fuels. The E-V Sunny Electric Bicycle is a Canadian solar powered bicycle that has photovoltaic panels built into the wheels. These panels power a 500W motor which can drive the bike at up to 30km or 19 miles per hour. It’s also possible to fit the photovoltaic panels to existing bicycles as a retrofit solar conversion kit.
Sweat free cycling
The idea of cycling to work is all well and good; it saves you time and money, and means you don’t have to be crushed into a train carriage with a bunch of strangers. However, one downside is that you tend to get a bit hot and sweaty and not all companies lay on showering and changing facilities for their cycle commuters. If you’ve considered getting an electric bike for this purpose, but felt it was a bit of a cop-out, there’s a new bike coming out in 2012 that might suit you better.
Smart has developed the Smart ebike – which parent company Daimler describes as a hybrid rather than an electric bike because the electric motor only switches on when the rider starts pedalling. So, rather than letting the bike do all the work, riders have to pedal, but can choose between four different levels of power assistance, simply by pushing a button on the handlebar.
The 250W motor is powered by a 400Wh lithium-ion battery pack. The charge range is around 60 miles but that depends on the power level used and the type of road being cycled on. For example, steep hills will use up the charge more quickly.
As with all hybrid vehicles, the ebike also has a regenerative braking system, meaning that whenever the rider uses the front or rear brakes the motor is recharged. There’s also an integrated USB port so riders can plug in their smart phones.
With ever-increasing fuel prices and parking restrictions, electric bicycles are becoming a viable option as an inexpensive and eco-friendly way to get to work.
As with low emission cars and normal bikes, electric bikes aren’t subject to road tax or congestion zone charges either. It’s not surprising that sales are soaring across Europe.
Old School Bicycle – The Penny Farthing
A penny farthing bike is a 19th century invention that authorized folks to find a way around cobblestone streets quicker than walking and safer in comparison to its progenitor, the Boneshaker. We recognise the penny farthing bike as the classical old school bike, with its giant front wheel, small back wheel, and tall seat at nearly eye-level. They were designed and reworked during the 1870s, till they caught on and shoved the cycling craze of the 1880s. A penny farthing bike’s name comes from the simile of the enormous front wheel to a penny and the little rear wheel to a farthing coin. The bike sits so high, it needs to have a mounting step to get up to the seat, called a hammock saddle. A straightforward brake works on the front wheel. The pedals are welded to the wheel, the way a child’s modern tricycle works. To provide compensation for the absence of gears and a chain, the front wheel had a maximum rim, such that your legs could work less and cover more ground. A penny farthing bike was measured in height, with models to provide compensation for children’s status, from around 30-60″ ( 76-153 cm ).
Somebody could have selected a penny farthing bike over a Boneshaker because its body was made completely of metal, rather than wood. Another improvement was real rubber tires on the wheels, instead of plain wood wheels covered in iron that rattled, dented, or chipped. Even these enhancements could not keep the penny farthing bike from causing riders to “take a header” and topple forward. The high centre of balance enticed the bike to tip every time it hit another bike, a dog, uneven pavement, or a miniscule pebble.
Not only did a penny farthing bike get folks from place to place, it heralded the start of a cycle club trend. Riders would join local clubs, purchase matching uniforms and hats, embroider the name of the club on their breast, and go on out on weekends. They might have races, contests, and assault course challenges. Cycling clubs also popularised bikes at a point when pony drawn carriages were competing for space on the road.
Some fans find classic, antique penny farthing bikes to revive, ride, or collect. There are even firms which make custom reproductions or original copies that attempt to come as near as feasible to a genuine penny farthing bike. They have formed clubs in America as well as Europe, complete along with old style clothing and Sun. morning rides.