Cycling heavyweight

A German man from Schleswig-Holstein has set a new world record. With his 1.1tonne bicycle he has now had his name listed by the Guinness World Records for the world’s heaviest bicycle. The man rode his monster, self-built bicycle a distance of 100m to claim the record, beating the previous title holder which tipped the scales at a mere 860kg. Because of its immense size and weight, the bicycle did have to be equipped with training wheels at the rear to ensure it remained stable. Novel features for the bicy
January 27, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
A German man from Schleswig-Holstein has set a new world record. With his 1.1tonne bicycle he has now had his name listed by the Guinness World Records for the world’s heaviest bicycle. The man rode his monster, self-built bicycle a distance of 100m to claim the record, beating the previous title holder which tipped the scales at a mere 860kg. Because of its immense size and weight, the bicycle did have to be equipped with training wheels at the rear to ensure it remained stable. Novel features for the bicycle include secondhand tyres previously fitted to a muck spreader and a seat made of a beer crate, with a piece of bent sheet steel bolted on top. A low gear ratio ensured the man had sufficient strength to cover the distance required to claim the record, while clocking a cruising speed of 5km/h. Its enormous weight and low gear ratio means that its use for long distance cycle touring or regular commuting will be out of the question. The man, a truck driver, said he found inspiration to build his bicycle while sitting by a local canal and watching the ships go by.

Related Content

  • Developments in noise-reducing road surfaces
    February 17, 2012
    Mixtures with special additives are being produced for roads, offering noise reduction and aiding recycling. Patrick Smith reports. Noise-reducing road surfacings have been used in motorway construction for some time. But relatively new are noise-optimised surfacings used on roads in towns that do not follow a standard concept.Road trials with these materials have taken place in Germany since 2007 and have been prioritised due to the European Union Guidelines on the Assessment and Management of Environmenta
    Read More
  • Canine Security
    August 9, 2012
    In China’s Guangxi Province, a cyclist is employing his dog in a bid to dissuade would-be thieves from stealing his bicycle, instead of using a chain and lock. When the man pops into a shop, he leaves his dog outside with his bicycle. The golden retriever patiently waits beside the bicycle, with a paw resting on the frame. Once the man returns and mounts the bicycle, the dog hops onto the rear carrier before barking to tell the owner he is safely seated. Local campaigners are working on providing the pooch
    Read More
  • Canines security
    September 27, 2012
    In China’s Guangxi Province, a cyclist is employing his dog in a bid to dissuade would-be thieves from stealing his bicycle, instead of using a chain and lock. When the man pops into a shop, he leaves his dog outside with his bicycle. The golden retriever patiently waits beside the bicycle, with a paw resting on the frame. Once the man returns and mounts the bicycle, the dog hops onto the rear carrier before barking to tell the owner he is safely seated. Local campaigners are working on providing the pooch
    Read More
  • Rotten record
    February 22, 2012
    A 50-year-old British man is well on track to becoming the country's worst driver. The man has over 110 driving offences on his record and is said to regularly break driving bans, despite living a short distance from a police station. He was recently stopped by police for driving while disqualified and for not having a licence, despite having been due to face a sentence on similar charges. The man has explained that he needs to drive as his job is as a mobile DJ. In all he has been banned from driving 59 ti
    Read More

Highlighted Content