CANADIAN TEAM AIMS TO BUILD WORLD'S FASTEST BIKE

The Canadian team that made an aviation breakthrough last year is trying for a new milestone — the land speed record for a human-powered vehicle. 

The Toronto-based team, AeroVelo, is best known for making the first practical human-powered helicopter last year, taking home a $250,000 prize that went unclaimed for 33 years. 

Headed by two University of Toronto alumni, the team is currently working on a bicycle that can go faster than the current world record of 133.8 km/h. 

"The helicopter was huge in forming our approach here," said Cameron Robertson, one of the team leaders. 

"We had a lot of setbacks and we had a lot of unknowns, and that's really informed a lot of the design choices we have made." Robertson said while the aerodynamics of the vehicle — a recumbent bicycle encased in a slick bullet-shaped shell — are different from the helicopter, the choices of materials and manufacturing processes are similar.

A vehicle by a Dutch team set the record at the World Human-Powered Speed Challenge last fall. Before that, Sam Whittingham of Quadra Island, B.C., held it for nearly 14 years.

Toronto team is hoping to take it back for Canada at this year's challenge in September.

Source: CBC