Dutch cyclist claims new world speed record in Nevada

[TrickyDicky]

Reported by the BBC:

Dutch cyclist Sebastiaan Bowier claims to have broken the record for the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Nevada.

Riding a recumbent bike designed by the Delft University of Technology and the VU University Amsterdam, he reached a speed of 133.78 kilometres per hour (83.13 miles per hour) on a desert road in Nevada, United States.

[joea]

http://news.sky.com/story/1143040/cyclist-sebastiaan-bowier-breaks-speed-record

[dw230]

If you use the "same kind of coating as used on Formula One cars", how can you lose?

I also noted a reference to bad weather for the three days leading up to the record.
DW

[bak189]

One must always remember...." If it is not Dutch...it is not much"...................
"And you can always tell a Dutchman....but not much"......................

[Frankie7799]

I wouldve been more impressed had he been able to go that fast without the carbon body around him. Ive been about 40 coming down a mountain on my road bike and that was scary, i cant imagine going twice that fast

[tortoise]

If you use the "same kind of coating as used on Formula One cars", how can you lose?

I've been unsuccessfully searching for any real info on the Sikkens coating used. The McLaren team has an exclusive on this stuff, apparently. On very, very clean shapes, skin friction is the biggest part of drag, so don't scoff.

The other notable thing about this bike is the forward vision by video only.

[fredvance]

Maybe it is time to reopen the discussion on "dimples"







'

[WOODY@DDLLC]

If you use the "same kind of coating as used on Formula One cars", how can you lose?

I've been unsuccessfully searching for any real info on the Sikkens coating used. The McLaren team has an exclusive on this stuff, apparently. On very, very clean shapes, skin friction is the biggest part of drag, so don't scoff.

The other notable thing about this bike is the forward vision by video only.

http://www.akzonobel.com/aac/aboutus/mclaren_sponsorship/

I suspect the real advantage is half the paint weight 'cause F-1 is not very slippery! 

[SaltRat]

Sam first broke 80 mph.  Equally impressive as anything I've seen on the salt.  (yeah, throw some bricks)

[Tman]

I wouldve been more impressed had he been able to go that fast without the carbon body around him. Ive been about 40 coming down a mountain on my road bike and that was scary, i cant imagine going twice that fast

My stoker and I hit 55 on a logging road descent in the Chequamegon 40 about 20 years ago. Had a lot of fun racing tandems. That one was a two wheel drift and we used all 30 feet of that road exiting with the tires hugging the windrowed berm on the outside.

[floydjer]

My 5 `0 " stoker would have not been amused...She gets nervous over 25 or so........... Captain Floydjer

[Tman]

My 5 `0 " stoker would have not been amused...She gets nervous over 25 or so........... Captain Floydjer

Mine was 5'4" but he also was a world champion power lifter that experienced the occasional roid rage.............yes, we broke lots of parts!

[SteveM]

Achieving 80 mph in a streamliner/recumbent bicycle is quite a feat, indeed.  I haven't seen any power numbers, but just a SWAG that he might have been able to maintain something on the high side of 1,000 watts for the timed portion of the run.

Big-Time power!

Steve.

[Stan Back]

He had batteries?

[Malcolm UK]

He had batteries?

That brought a smile - The HPV rules are very strict.  I think you know that human power output is measured in Watts (or in old money fractions of a horsepower) continuously.

Malcolm, derby, England