Ben Godall of australian Trisled trikes and velomobiles has announced on his Facebook page he plan to fight in the World Human Powered Speed Championships in Battle Mountain, Nevada, USA in autumn 2012. Here is what he writes there just yeasterday:
“Ever since I was a boy I have loved going fast, especially under my own steam in a human powdered vehicle! I’ve always loved exploring this limit and there has always been little voice in my head asking “how fast can you go Ben?”

Half a lifetime of experiences, relationships and building my business of building HPV’s for others have prevented me from answering this question. Until now!
I’ve decided to spend most of my free time and funds in 2012 training and custom building a Speed bike HPV to enter the World Human Powered Speed Championships in Nerada desert USA.

I’m not treating this as a land speed record attempt, but rather a well being exercise. To achieve my highest speed I’ll need to tap into all the knowledge and resources of my community, all of my experience of HPV building and prepare both my body and mind.
I don’t think I can set a new land speed record and simply aim to be within reach of the elite few…But who knows! All I do know is I’ve got to have a go at this before I get to old ”

You can find a video under the link here under. Unfornatenuly only in Czech, but with nice shots and good atmosphere.

Source: TV Hradec

Well done Francesco and Demajn!

After the Dekra-Event 2010 Damjan Zabovnik and me joined together to build a streamliner and brake the One-Hour-World-Record. The result is a team who is very experienced in building and riding speedbikes. Exactly one year after our decision to go this way together I set the World Record.

The Eiviestretto (Eivie + Ristretto) is based on Damjan Zabovnik’s Eivie III. So the rider goes backwards, head first and lying on his back, he uses a mirror for navigation. The shape is slightly modified, as I am taller and have longer legs than Damjan. We improved steering mechanism in cooperation with Leon Plestenjak (company 3D konstrukcije), to make more space for the helmet and head. I am very tight inside the vehicle, but I still can steer, breath and pedal normally. Tolerances are within milimeters. The transmission was also redesigned, using different configuration of bearings and better materials, so it provides more efficient power transfer to the rear – driving wheel. Front wheel – steering wheel has a shape of a plate and is not symmetrical, inside the front wheel are steering bearings, instead of the head tube above the wheel as by ordinary bikes. Eiviestretto also has no steering cables, but it has a push-rod instead.

Well, this is not my video, but I could not find it elswehere on youtube or here on vimeo. I found it on russian web, but it seems it is not their video too. If there is anybody who knows more, please leave a message in comment. At least some parts were shot by xl-network.com (a youtube account here).

Cyclevision incredible from Jan Jan on Vimeo.

Maria riding Cruzbike Silvio recumbent

On October 10th, Maria Parker will be riding a Cruzbike recumbent bicycle for 12 hours in a race against the clock. Her goal is to ride over 220 miles on a 20-mile loop course on public roads near White Oak, NC. She is attempting to set the world record, which will be observed by Ultramarathon Cycling Association (UMCA) officials. This is the first attempt at the women’s record. The men’s record is 241.5 miles. No drafting is allowed.

Maria Parker, a 46 year-old mother of four, will be testing her endurance and a new front-wheel-drive recumbent bicycle as she attempts to set the world record in the 12-hour unfaired recumbent bicycle event on October 10th. She undertook this challenge after she not only won her first bicycle race in July, but set the course record . “I didn’t even know if I could ride for 12 hours,” she said, regarding her entry into the annual Saratoga 12-hour race held in New York, “but my bike was so fast and comfortable I was able to go much farther than I expected.” Parker completed 211 miles on the hilly course in Saratoga during the 12-hour race.

Maria Parker

I think that you have already red about this unbelivable weekend in US. During the Ford Human Powered Challenge couple of new world records has been set up. For us, two are the most important and visible. Man and woman one hour record.

Sam Whittingham (Canada) did 90,724 km

Barbara Buatois (France) 82.235 km

You can read more on Sam web page www.timetogetnaked.com or on official page of the race on www.recumbents.com