Trivia
Human Powered Vehicles
The Fastest Land world speed records for human-powered vehicles (HPVs) 200 m flying start (single rider)
are 105.383 km/h (65.484 mph) by Fred Markham at Mono Lake, CA on 11 May 1986 and 101.25 km/h (62.92 mph)
(multiple riders) by Dave Grylls and Leigh Barczewski at the Ontario Speedway, CA on 4 May 1980.
The one-hour standing start (single rider) is held by Fred Markham, riding Garner Martin's Gold Rush,
averaging a speed of 72 km/h (44.73 mph) on 15 Sep 1989 at Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn Michigan.
Water cycle.
The Men's 2000 m (6,562 ft) (single ride) is 20.66 km/h (12.84 mph) in Flying Fish
by Steve Hegg at Long Beach, CA on 20 July 1987.
Longest Tandem
The longest true tandem bicycle ever built (i.e., without a third stabilizing wheel) is one
of 20.4 m (66 ft 11 in) for 35 riders built by the Pedaalstompers Westmalle of Belgium.
They rode c.60 m (195 ft) in practice on 20 April 1979. The machine weighs 1100 kg 2, (425 lb).
Terry Thessman of Pahiatua, New Zealand designed and built a bike measuring 22.24 m (72.96 ft) long,
and weighing 154.2 kg (340 lb), which was ridden a distance of 246 m (807 ft) on 27 February 1988.
Money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Mile-eating taken to extremes!
Thomas Edward Godwin (Great Britain) (1912-75) in the 365 days of 1939, covered 75,065 miles, or an average
of 205.65 miles per day. He then completed 100,000 miles by bicycle in 500 days to 14 May 1940.
Jay Aldous and Matt DeWaal cycled 14,290 miles on a around-the-world trip from Place Monument, Salt Lake City,
UT in 106 days, from 2 April-16 July 1984.
Nicholas Mark Sanders (b. 26 November 1957) of Glossop, Great Britain circumnavigated the world (13,035 road miles) in 78 days 3 hr 30 min between 5 July and 21 S
ep 1985.,Country: Great Britain.
Underwater Cycling
A team of 32 divers pedaled a distance of 116.66 miles in 75 hr 20 min on a standard tricycle at Diver's Den,
Santa Barbara, CA on 16-19 June 1988 to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
"The Diabolical Device Of The Demon of Darkness"
What Does the Word "BICYCLE" Mean?
The word bicycle is from the Latin, bis, meaning twice and the Greek, kyclos, meaning circle. This fashionable mode of
transport was denounced by a Baltimore preacher in 1896 as a "diabolical device of the demon of darkness". His reason
for condemnation was NOT on the perfectly justifiable grounds that the word is an ugly Latin-Greek hybrid because
etymological purists would only ride a bicycle. But simply because too many of his parishioners were lured
away from church on pleasant Sunday afternoons by the temptation of a bike ride. Perhaps because they are aware of
the potential corrupting danger to moral standards, British Columbia has imposed a 10 mph limit for tricycles.
Trivia - Bicycle History
The first design for a machine propelled by cranks and pedals with connecting rods has been attributed to
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), or one of his pupils, dated c. 1493.
In 1870, James Starley, in Coventry, Great Britain, W. Midlands, Great Britain constructed the first 'penny-farthing'
or ordinary bicycle. It had wire-spoked wheels for lightness and was available with an optional speed gear.
The earliest such design actually built was in 1839-40 by Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1810-78) of Dumfries. It is now in the
Science Museum, London, Great Britain.
The first practical bicycle was the velocipede built in March 1861 by Pierre and his son Ernest Michaux
of Rue de Verneuil, Paris, France.
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