Central Coast College Students Attempt To Break 60+MPH Speed Record On Bicycle

KCLU | By Andy Vasoyan

Published September 14, 2019 at 9:19 AM PDT

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Josh Gieschen, a 21-year-old member of the Cal Poly Cycling team, tests the high-speed bicycle created by Cal Poly’s Human-Powered Vehicle team at Santa Margarita Ranch earlier this month. ";

courtesy Cal Poly

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The team members pictured include, from left, Kyra Schmidt, Derek Fromm and Keyanna Henderson.

courtesy Cal Poly

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The team members pictured include, from left, Kyra Schmidt, Derek Fromm and Keyanna Henderson.

courtesy Cal Poly

A group of students from a Central Coast college are aiming to break a collegiate speed record on their bicycle.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Human Powered Vehicle Club has been at a racetrack in Nevada this week for the 20th annual World Human-Powered Speed Challenge.

The students designed and built a custom recumbent bicycle, which uses an aerodynamic sheath called a fairing and powerful gearing to get up to high speeds.

The bicycle topped out above 60 mph on a racetrack earlier this week, according to clubmember Kyra Schmidt.

"We went 61.19 miles per hour - which is a Cal Poly record - and so we are .1 exactly miles per hour off the overall collegiate record, which is 61.29," Schmidt says. "We're hoping to break that this week."

The final chance to break the record will be Saturday evening.