Skip to main content

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

  • Spiked with the Catclaw
    August 5, 2020
    Catclaw is cheap to make and could deter illegal urban pavement parking.
  • Efficient concrete production in Germany
    January 11, 2019
    A German concrete producer, Thomas Beton, is boosting its operating efficiency by using the latest plants. The firm is now producing high-quality ready-mix for a range of projects in North Germany. Thomas Beton is strengthening its local presence and produces concrete at 26 facilities across the German states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen and Lower Saxony. Producing materials closer to operating sites helps lower transportation distances and reduce logistics costs for its clients. When the firm w
  • Oklahoma highway surface upgrade
    February 2, 2017
    A milling and paving project has provided a necessary surface upgrade for a busy stretch of highway in Oklahoma US Route 62 is an important route and runs 3,597km from the Mexico-US border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, on the Canada–US border. A 12km section of the road where it runs through in Oklahoma recently received a rehab. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) project started in Blanchard, Oklahoma, and headed west. This stretch was built in 2000 when ODOT was switc
  • Advances in compact compaction and compact loading machines coming to market
    September 11, 2014
    Key developments are being seen in the markets for compact compaction and loading machines - Mike Woof writes Various new utility machines are now coming to market aimed at the rental segment, with advances in small compaction and loading tools proving particularly popular. These will benefit from the latest low emission engines while delivering increased power and performance, as well as being easier and more comfortable to use.