The students of the Human Power Team Delft & Amsterdam presented the design of their new bicycle, the Velox3, earlier this month. With it, the team, consisting of Delft students and students of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, hope to break the world cycling speed record, set at just over 133 kilometres per hour.
It will be the third year in a row that the students participate in the World Human Powered Speed Challenge held each autumn near the little town of Battle Mountain in Nevada. In 2011 and 2012 the students won with speeds attaining almost 130 kilometres per hour.
The Velox3 will be slimmer than its predecessors. This is possible due to the fact that this year’s bicycle will use rear traction. This should result in fifteen per cent less air drag. What’s more, the rear traction should also make the bicycle more stable.
The tires are also new. They should result in fifty per cent less rolling resistance, the students believe.
The downside is that these tires wear down much faster. “We could ride for a thousand hours with the tires we had last year”, says team leader Wouter Lion. “But what’s the use of that? If they hold for just one hour than that is sufficient.”
Riding for the team, like previous years, is Sebastiaan Bowier. And this year the students also recruited mountain bike champion Wil Baselmans.
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