The strange object in the picture below is – believe it or not – a bicycle.
It’s not just any old bicycle, though. It is called ARION1 and it has been designed to try and break the world speed record for a pedal powered bike.
How fast can it go? Well, the current record is 83.1 mph and the designers of ORION1 think that their vehicle will break the 90 mph mark. It has been created by students from Liverpool University and they say that it is 40 times more aerodynamic than a supercar like the Bugatti Veyron.
Camera and Monitor Need for the Rider to See Outside
The weird looks can be put down largely to the fact that it is covered with a carbon fibre outer shell to make it more aerodynamic. The rider who is inside the shell will have a computer monitor showing images captured by an exterior camera to help see what is happening outside. The team have worked on it for 6 months and one of the designers, Ben Hogan, says that they are now in a “great position”.
The rider will be pedalling it in a reclined position and will be very close to the ground. The ARION1 isn’t yet ready to be pedalled but the students hope to have it perfected in plenty of time for the World Human Speed Challenge in the Nevada Desert, which will take place in September of 2016.
Would you like to take this bike for a spin?
image courtesy of bikeforums
