There’s no room for your briefcase so it’s hard to use for your daily commute, but just think of how fast you’d ride to work on the Aerovelo Eta, which just set a new record for the World’s Fastest Human-Powered vehicle by reaching 145km/hour. That’s faster than you’re legally allowed to drive on most highways.
Photo credit: Aerovolo
The record was broken at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge held in Battle Mountain, Nevada, but the Eta was in no way assisted by a downhill grade. Hitting 145km/hour was made possible by the skill and stamina of pilot Todd Reichert, who also happens to be one of Aerovolo’s co-founders, as well as the technological improvements made to the bike.
The Eta might possibly be the most uncomfortable-looking recumbent bike imaginable, but its low centre of gravity, razor-thin tires, lightweight frame and bullet-like outer housing help minimise rolling friction and wind resistance.
In fact, the amount of pedalling energy needed to reach that record-breaking speed was roughly equivalent to how much power you’d need to illuminate three light bulbs. Maybe we should just give up on the idea of electric cars altogether and start pedalling everywhere we need to go instead.
[Aerovelo]