World Human Powered Speed Challenge 2024 Pushes Back Limits of Muscle and Machine

Good to have you back. The World Human Powered Speed Challenge is an event where innovation and human power meet to push the boundaries of speed. Athletes and engineers from around the world gathered in Nevada last week for the challenge. Here's a look at the action as these teams attempted to break world records and make history. Here at Battle Mountain in Nevada, human-powered velomobile enthusiasts from around the world gather for one purpose. To build the best bike that's possible and to go as fast as possible. If you don't know what velomobiles are, think of them as high-tech bicycles enclosed in sleek shells to maximize aerodynamics. The wheels are covered for less wind resistance in the electronic device here in the center. That's a camera system. That's the monitors, the cameras up here. The sleek designs require riders to use camera systems to see their surroundings. We have monitors. And those emit a little bit of light. Those emit a good amount of light, but other than that you're not really looking at anything. Yeah. Evan and Isabella Morris, two teenagers representing Team Pillbug, even set a world record in their category. Since nobody has set the record for our category, basically whatever we set would be technically a record. Setting a world record isn't easy, and wind is a major factor. Six kilometers an hour, and that's in any direction, so it doesn't matter whether it's a headwind or a tailwind. If the wind is over that limit, your run, even if it's a world record speed, is not considered a world record. Not all velomobiles are practical in everyday life, such as the two-wheel streamliner. Well, the problem with the two wheels is if something happens and you have to come to a stop quickly, what can you do? You can't put your hands out or your feet out. You just fall over. So if a crosswind comes, it can blow you over. Now, in a racing situation, that might not be a problem because you just want to go as fast as you can, and the conditions are going to be okay. However, the bike in back of me is called a velomobile. That's a three-wheel bike, and it's actually very practical. I personally own one of those. I use it to go grocery shopping and to do other kinds of shopping. And I can also go 50 miles an hour. If you could break a world record or simply reach high speeds, you will also get a special gift. We offer hats in five-mile-per-hour increments. Starting at 50. Starting at 50 miles per hour. And you'll see the guys walking around wearing their hats, and they very proudly wear their speed hats. Dr. Calvin Mose, one of the volunteers from Toronto, got an 80 hat. Unlike all the other hats, the 80 hat has some nice decorations on it. Calvin also shares with us the most important thing to reach high speeds. By far, the biggest thing is aerodynamics. After aerodynamics, the next most important thing is probably the athlete. There's not a lot of top-notch athletes who come out for this event, but it certainly makes a huge difference. The next most important thing would be the wheels. After that, it would be the rolling resistance, having the most efficient possible tires. Although it might be a little counterintuitive, a longer, slightly heavier bike can be more efficient than a lighter, shorter one. The length of the bike does matter, but only to the extent that it affects aerodynamics. If there's a very streamlined bike that's a bit longer, that's better than a less aerodynamic bike, even if it's shorter. Since nobody has gone over 90, is it possible to get a 90 hat? Certainly, I'd say it's possible. In fact, one of my teammates reached 89.59 miles per hour, so just a tiny bit short of 90 miles per hour, and maybe very soon somebody will pass that. The International Human Powered Vehicles Association has their world records posted on its website. If you think you can make a world record or even be the first to get a 90 hat, you can join the organization and bring your velomobile to make an attempt every year in September. Helen Billings and Jimmy Ma, NTD News, Battle Mountain, Nevada.