Fastest cycling road in the world

You might think you’re a bit quick on a bike, but on a regular bike it’s tough to go much above 60mph or so. Actually that’s a massive understatement. Unless you’ve got the Alps on your doorstep and a 52:11 top gear you’re pretty unlikely to crack 50. And that needs a pretty substantial hill.

The human-powered speed record, though, is a massive 80.55mph set by Sam Whittingham. On a flat road. That’s a mile every 46 seconds. The secret’s in the bike – the weapon of choice for this sort of stuff is a fully-faired recumbent, knee-high to a garden gnome and slipperier than a bucket of greased eels.

From 30 September to 5 October the race is on to beat Sam’s record and take home $25,000. The World Human Powered Speed Challenge will be held in Battle Mountain, Nevada, USA. The race site is off Interstate 80 on Highway 305 between Salt Lake City, Utah and
Reno, Nevada, USA on one of the straightest, flattest and smoothest roads in the world. Athletes are timed over 200m but they get a three mile run-up. The fastest human over 82mph takes the money.

The line-up contains record holders past and present. Confirmed entries include:

• Sam Whittingham (Canada), 80.55mph World Record Holder
• Matt Weaver (USA), 78.02mph U.S. Record Holder
• Jan Van Eijden (Germany), World Cycling Sprint Champion/Olympian
• Fred Markham (USA), Former 65.48mph World Record Holder/Olympian
• Tanya Markham (USA), 51.27mph Fastest Women’s Kilo. 16yrs old.
• Andrea Blaseckie (Canada), 54.04mph Women’s Top-Speed World Record
• Ellen van der Horst (NLD), 42.46mph Women’s World Hour Record Holder
• Rob English (UK), Top European “low racer” cyclist in the “Mango”
• Plus at least 4 more elite cyclists/teams through a pre-race qualifier.

You can find out more about the World Human Powered Speed Challenge at the official race site, and there’s background information on Matt Weaver’s speed101.com site.