Two Monash University engineering students have officially broken the Australian single track speed record for a human powered vehicle, achieving 116km/h on a desert track at the World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Nevada.
“Bilby” the bike is the third they have built and features extensive modifications and improvements to the frame and drivetrain and to the aerodynamics of the external shell, which have been extensively tested in the Monash wind tunnel.
Monash Human Power (MHP) is a student-led engineering team from Monash University which has been designing, manufacturing and racing fully enclosed human-powered vehicles (HPV) to push the limits of human speed since 2015.
Reclining bicycles in an aerodynamically engineered vehicle are used.
Students Kit Kirby and Alastair Haslam were two of four riders in this year’s team, finishing second and third respectively in the men’s single-track competition behind former world professional track cycling champion François Pervis of France.
The Monash team’s other two riders Oscar Varney and Chris Hall also achieved speeds greater than 110km/h during the week-long competition.
“Having the chance to go highway speeds under my own power creates a feeling I have been chasing since I rode at the OzHPV Speed Trials last year,” says Kirby.
“The test location is on State Route 305 with a speed limit of 70mph (112.6km/h) so after the speed trials this year, powered solely by my own two legs, I had the rare thrill of being ceremoniously delivered a speeding ticket.”
Hall says riding Bilby at 110km/h is “the coolest thing” he’s done on a bike.
MHP chief operating officer Jessica Mark says the team will be working through all the insights gathered from the World Human Powered Speed Challenge during the next year.
“We’re designing and engineering our Version 4 bike so we move straight into analysing our results and how we can improve the next model,” she explains.
“We’re also in the process of developing a tricycle with the aim of being able to enter more local HPV competitions and try something new as a team.”
Team chief executive Sydney Buntine says MHP has its sights set on breaking a new world speed record.
