How This Record-Breaking Bike's Design Helps It Go Faster Than Highway Speeds

The Aerovelo Eta speedbike is the brainchild of Todd Reichert and Cameron Robertson, who have created a variety of unusual vehicles. The Eta speedbike is a human-powered bicycle and was able to set a speed record of 86.65 miles per hour in Battle Mountain, Nevada in 2015. 

It achieved such a high speed as a result of several influential factors, most significantly the aerodynamic shell that wraps around the frame of the bike and gives it more of a missile-with-wheels shape. This outer shell was meticulously crafted to allow air to smoothly flow around it even as close as a quarter of an inch. To put this level of aerodynamics into perspective, even a scratch or splattered bug would create additional drag, slowing the bike's speed potential incrementally.

Of course, it isn't only about less drag, Reichert and Robertson had to experiment with several different components like tires, frame rigidity, weight, and bearings. Once these factors were all optimized for the greatest potential of achieving record speeds, there was still one major element required in order to break the record, the right rider.

You can't ask just anybody to climb into an experimental vehicle and attempt to shatter a world record. Fortunately, not only does Aerovelo founder Todd Reichert have the educational background needed, with a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, but he's also an athlete that has been competitive at the national level. With a measured energy output of a single horsepower for 60 seconds, Reichert's legs certainly have the ability to push perceived boundaries and have done so even before the Eta speedbike, with other records such as manning the first human-powered ornithopter.

One of the methods cyclists are measured is in the amount of energy used during a ride or race, calculated in watts. For context, an amateur can make around 100 watts, whereas professionals in the last leg of the Tour de France have clocked an average of 400 watts. You can see where you stack up with something like a Garmin Edge 840 bike computer paired with a peddle sensor, which is just one of the best gadgets for bicycles according to cyclists. Todd Reichert was able to achieve 500 watts in the final minute of the record setting run. But Reichert admitted to Red Bull that, "To get to 130kph (80 mph) you have to go pretty hard right from the beginning of the five-mile run, so by the end you're pretty wiped."

Because any interruption in aerodynamic efficiency would reduce potential speeds, the Eta speed bike shell has no windows or openings of any kind. Once a rider is positioned on the bicycle frame and the shell is lowered over the top, there is no direct view outside. Fortunately, Aerovelo equipped the vehicle with an external camera that provides a video feed to a monitor within the Eta speedbike. This was the only visual feedback provided to Reichert as he pedaled to over 86 miles per hour.

It's also important to point out that in addition to limited visibility, there are other factors which make high speed attempts on the Eta speedbike dangerous. While no cyclist has been critically injured in some time, the team did admit to suffering crashes at speeds up to 95 kilometers per hour (59 miles per hour), fortunately without serious ramifications. Surprisingly, a few of the fastest electric bikes you can buy exceed 59 miles per hour, which is a risky speed to take a spill no matter what kind of bike you're riding. With the Eta speedbike, it's especially susceptible to external influences like wind or bumps if the rider isn't prepared to counteract such forces in a matter of seconds.