Capsule-Shaped Bicycles

The Arion1 Velocipede is a bicycle being built by a team of student engineers at the University of Liverpool. The University of Liverpool Velocipede Team (ULVT) is building this giant-medicine-capsule-shaped design with the intention of capturing the world speed record for an unpaced bicycle on flat ground. The current record of 133.78 km/h is held by a team of Dutch students from TU Delft and VU Amsterdam.

The ULVT claims that thee Arion1 Velocipede is 40 times more aerodynamic than a Bugatti Veyron—although the fact that it is powered by pedals rather than an engine will mean it won’t be able to achieve anywhere near the same speeds. The team is aiming for a top speed of about 145 km/h, hugely impressive for a pedal-powered vehicle

To achieve this speed, the rider—who will be seated just 13 centimeters from the floor -- will need to generate 700 Watts of power using their legs. The power will be delivered to the wheels via a transmission system with a gear ratio of 17:1, which dwarfs the standard bicycle gear ratio of 4:1. The Arion 1 Velocipede will also be lightweight, weighing less than 25 kg.