tie it to a Honda CBR1000RR and pray

Since the wheel was invented, humans have wondered what was the maximum speed they could achieve if they incorporated it into another device. As a recurring question, throughout history we have seen steam car racing, jet bikes or bicycles at 272 km/h.

Bicycles at 272 km/h…

Wait.

That?

Yes, you read that right. Bicycles at 272 km/h.

If the question is “why.” The answer is: you can stop reading. Because? Because no one in their right mind wonders why someone decided that it was a good idea to get on a bicycle and go at such a speed. Because the answer is as absurd as the fact itself. Because the answer is: because yes. Because you can.

The real question is: how did they do it?

Simple and very dangerous

When it comes to reaching extremely high speeds with a bicycle, there are only two ways: rely on pure aerodynamics or strap a bicycle to another vehicle. And for the two options there are two Guinness Records.

The first option We already told it in its day. It’s a challenge which has been worked on since the beginning of the last century. In this case, the cyclist can pedal and takes advantage of the fact that another vehicle cuts him off from the wind. First, tests were carried out in velodromes using motorcycles to mark the pace. Finally, even Porsche participated in an attempt. First in the 70s and then taking a bicycle over 200 km/h protected behind a Porsche Cayenne.

The second case is that of Elias Schwärzler, a cyclist specialized in mountain descents who holds the Guinness Record for “towed bicycle” speed. In this case, the cyclist does not pedal, he just lets himself be carried by another vehicle that pulls him along a chain. Of course, in this case the bicycle does not undergo any type of modification either since the usual thing in the first case is to make changes to generate more development when pedaling, win “battle” between the wheels and therefore stability or lighten the whole.

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In this case, Schwärzler did none of this. Here the only thing that was done was put this Austrian on a mountain bike, strap him to a Honda CBR1000RR and throw him to the end of a straight line on the circuit. Lausitz-Ring. The record, explained by Guinness Records, has been in force since 2022, when the test was carried out but the cyclist did not reach the expected speed.

Schwärzler’s intention was reach up to 300 km/h to which this motorcycle originating in competition is limited. To do this, he had done his own tests because he didn’t quite trust that the tires would hold up to the pressure. However, the real problem was the wind. And it was blowing strongly in the face which prevented the motorcycle from being able to drag the bike at the desired 300 km/h before the end of the straight.

Once the curve is close, the rider releases the rubber that hooks him to the mountain bike. From there, Schwärzler simply lets himself go. He explained Since the wind conditions were so bad, his intention was to acquire the best possible aerodynamics, but once launched he could no longer make any movement.

In your Youtube channel You can see all the details of the challenge.

In the end, he had to settle for a top speed of 272 km/h.

Photo | Elias Schwärzler

In Xataka | We thought we were very modern, reinventing the bicycle. Almost 100 years ago they already saw it all in Paris and Chicago