132km/h BICYCLE SPEED RECORD

[MalahatTwo7]

Quadra Island cyclist zooms to 132.5 km/h, sets world record

Sandra McCulloch, Times Colonist Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A Quadra Island man riding a bicycle built on Gabriola Island has set a world speed record of 132.5 km/h.

But winning the World Human-Powered Speed Challenge on a Nevada track last Thursday isn't anything new for 36-year-old Sam Whittingham.

He won it in 2000, 2001 and 2002, as well, riding a recumbent bicycle built by Georgi Georgiev, a Belgrade-born resident of Gabriola.

"It was actually a bit of a surprise," Whittingham said on his way home yesterday afternoon.

"The road we've been racing on has been deteriorating over the years, so I was kind of surprised to break the record again."

It was the ninth year at the annual competition "and we not only won, we set a record again," said Georgiev.

"We beat them all. They were crying, we were smiling and we got the $27,000 prize. The goal was to go over 82 miles per hour, and they were quite astounded we could do that."

The track is a straight road eight kilometres long, with the first six kilometres considered an acceleration zone. A 200-metre section near the end clocks the speed of the rider.

Whittingham said he knew his run was fast when he went through the timers. "I have a little computer that was telling me how fast I was going and it was bouncing above and below the record," he said.

Whittingham builds bicycles through his company, Naked Bicycles & Design, that are of such quality that Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong last year bought one for $12,000.

But Whittingham defers to Georgiev when it comes to building really fast bicycles, the world-record-setting kind that are enclosed in fibreglass shells to deflect the wind.

"I don't think anybody in the world can build bikes to go as fast as his do," said Whittingham.

"And we've been doing it as a team for almost 20 years now. We have a little team going."

Whittingham rode a bike called the Diablo IV -- "a very good bike," said its builder, Georgiev.

"The bikes I've built have been successful for 15 years now," he said. "They're not very useful to go on the road."

Georgiev also builds and sells hand-powered bicycles for disabled people.

Whittingham keeps thinking of retiring from racing, but it's hard to stop, he said.

"Every year I think this will be the last year I do it and then I go and do it again."

He credits his wife and children back home and a close team of mechanics and others with helping his successful career.

"You can't do these kinds of things without some sort of support group."

smcculloch@tc.canwest.com

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

[doughesson]

I keep seeing that Discovery Channel spot for the show "Destroyed in Seconds" where it shows a bicyclist going downhill until the bike falls apart on him.
When I first saw it,I thought"That ain't gonna grow back."
I used to ride a bike around Paducah Ky and even responded to fire calls when I was a volunteer.
One in particular was just South of an overpass and got me clocked by a Kentucky State Trooper as doing 48 mph in a 40 mph zone.
I made that speed by going downhill on that overpass responding to a wreck,pedaling just as hard as I could with the wind at my back.It took me a few minutes to explain to the trooper that I WAS a member of the local department and was responding to the wreck in sight.
Given how little control that I'd had coming down that grade bumping off beer bottles,clumps of grass and broken concrete,I think that will remain my all time personal best.

[MalahatTwo7]

Growing up during the summers at my Grandparents was always full of stunts like that, with bikes.

Their farm and my Great Uncles were separated by about 2/3 of a mile, both backed by a 1000 foot cut bank. On my Uncles side, there was a horse trail that led to the top. A buddy and I used to push our bikes to the top and ride down.....

We did that I dont know how many times through the summer, till one of my Aunts caught us. We were just at the bottom, coming down the "chute" into the long flat approach to the driveway and parking lot (this was a garden nursery). She figured we had to be doing at least 60. I dont know but it sure was FUN!

And I know the Discovery commercial you're thinking of. I saw it the other day and just curled into a ball.......

[firedog21]

Hey Malahat

Sam Whittingham is married to my wife's cousin. He has been chasing this record for awhile now. He has been the world fastest man for quite sometime but to break this record is huge for him. Not just for the money. Sam's wife Andrea also held the record as the worlds fastest women, for a few years as well too. I never have bothered togo riding with them though, cause I couldn't keep up in my truck.

Cheers Firedog21
I.A.F.F. Proud

[MalahatTwo7]

Thats pretty kuul - I dont find articles that showcase someone who is known to people I call friends very often.