An impressively brave Frenchman broke the world speed record for a bicycle on Friday, hurtling from zero to 207 miles per hour in under five seconds. Daredevil bicyclist Francois Gissy wasn’t riding your grandmother’s Schwinn, though. Gissy’s explosive showing last week was assisted by rockets.
Gissy fastened a hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket with three thrusters to the frame of his bike, allowing him to go faster than many sports cars.
The Ferrari F430, in comparison, goes from zero to 62 mph in four seconds. Gissy hit 207 mph in 4.8 seconds.
The 250 meter (about 850 feet) run zipped through Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet in the South of France. Gissy’s bike was built by Exotic Thermo Engineering and designed by Arnold Neracher, a personal friend of Gissy.
“The bicycle is pushed forward by a rocket thruster,” Gissy explained in a post-run interview with Gizmag. “It’s a variant of downhill riding, like on a speed skiing slope, which is relying on a gravity engine. Except that the rocket-propelled variant is much ballsier.”
According to Exotic Thermo Engineering, Gissy’s trip on Friday broke the world speed record for a rocket bike. Gissy beat his own record—last year he rode a similar bike at speeds over 160 mph.
Needless to say, the experience of flying down a track on a bike at such speeds is harrowing.
“You better understand why the wind can do so much damage during powerful storms,” Gissy noted. “I’m lucky my head is still bolted on the body!”
Why a rocket-powered bike and not a more conventional motorcycle?
“I guess I like the craziness of the bicycle too much,” he added. “Maybe when I will get too old I will start to think about the comfort of a motorcycle.”
The fastest speed recorded for a bike without rockets was set in 1995 by Fred Rompelberg of the Netherlands. He hit 167 mph by riding behind a wind-shield fitted dragster, which assisted him by reducing drag.
The fastest bike speed without any assistance sits at 83 mph, but teams are working on breaking that.
As for Gissy, he has no plans of slowing down, and wants to soon crack the 400 km/h (249 mph) barrier. He is working with Exotic Thermo Engineering to find sponsors in order to build another rocket bike they are affectionately calling the “Spine Crusher,” which would supposedly break that speed in less than two seconds.
source: http://www.allvoices.com/article/100002287
by Barry Eitel
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