What does it take to be the fastest human on the planet?

1. Outer shell

The bike’s streamlined dome is built from lightweight composite materials including glass fibre, carbon fibre and Kevlar, held within an epoxy resin. Plymouth University students, technicians and staff were all responsible for creating the structure using these specialised building materials. The concept for the bike’s shell was formulated using computer-aided design software whilst the painstaking task of creating the initial shape of the mould fell to one particular student who had to fashion it from over 40 individual sheets of MDF.

2. On-board sensors

A number of on-board sensors are incorporated into the design. One sensor measures the power being delivered by the rider. Another measures the speed that the rider is peddling at, whilst a corresponding sensor measures the speed of the bike itself. All of this data is used to validate the team’s prior calculations as well as to make the tweaks needed to improve the performance of the bike or get more out of the rider.  

3. Riding position

To power the bike, a rider must sit crouched down with their torso over their knees. It’s a confined position, but making the bike as small as possible was vital to minimising aerodynamic drag – aerodynamics play a key role in producing the bike’s velocity. A chest support adds to the rider’s comfort, while a tray, cast around the shape of the individual athlete’s legs, keeps the lower body in place. All of the power to propel the bike comes from the rider’s arms.

4. Internal mechanism

Many of the bike’s internal components were handmade at Plymouth University. The main frame is built from aluminium and sits alongside other standard, ‘off-the-shelf’ components like the gears and chain set, although, as you might imagine, there is some fairly high-spec technology involved, too. For example, the gears are controlled electronically, much in the same way that an automatic gearbox works on a car.

5. Cycle mechanism

The design for the bike’s unique cycle mechanism is the result of a combined and sustained effort by leagues of students at Plymouth University. Just like the bike’s shell and structure, the final version came about after four years of development through engineering and design projects, final year dissertations and numerous group analysis sessions.

6. Wheels and steering

The wheels used on the Plymouth University team’s bike are actually found as standard on recumbent bikes. However, the mechanism developed to steer them is far from it. The system was conceived and developed at the University and requires a rider to steer the bike using their head. A sensitive pad either side of the rider’s helmet replaces a steering wheel. Instead of turning by hand, a small nudge of the head will point the bike in the required direction.