24 Hour World Record Under Human Power

* Introduction * Wheels in the Garden * Wheels Outside the Garden * Garden Trails *

* Tri-Sled * Wheels in the Garden * ActionBent Recumbent * Delta Work Trike *

* Trikes in Floods * Turning the upright into a recumbent (and back again) *

The Tri-sled Sorcerer (white) on its way to establishing the world records for the fastest human-powered 1000 km and the furthest travelled in 24 hours about 700 miles.) The Sorcerer is a production model velomobile, a shell on a Tri-sled trike that is a successor to the one pictured here in the garden.

Two World Records:

1109 km in 24 hours (about 40 km over the previous record)

1000 km in 21 hours, 21 minutes (more than an hour faster than the previous record)

From the News page on the Tri-sled website:

Jeff Nielsen has now travelled further in a day using his own power than any other person in the world. Not only did he smash the world 24-hour and 1000km records (not to mention the Australian 6 and 12-hour records along the way), but to the surprise of many, he did it in a modified Tri-Sled velomobile. The Tri-Sled team bucked the trend of using two-wheeled purpose-built speed bikes for endurance record attempts. Instead, they ‘cut and shut’ Tri-Sled’s Sorcerer Series II shape to produce 'a lil overzealous'.

Tri-Sled Director Ben Goodall explained the motivation behind this approach: ‘For me, records are all about exploring the upper limit of the practical possibilities of human power. That’s why we went down the path of a streamlined tricycle for this attempt. Not only did we exceed the world record for what’s possible with human power in one day, but we did it in a vehicle that’s very close to what the average person could ride on the road.’

 

The team used their expertise in Australian HPV racing to devise an innovative strategy for providing Jeff with food and hydration without stops. One of the Tri-Sled Fresh racing team members (predominantly Gareth Hanks) rode alongside Jeff and passed him supplies through the hatch. This strategy was so successful that Jeff didn’t stop until he was 12 hours into the attempt!

And the results? Jeff and a lil overzealous travelled 1109 kms in 24 hours, around 40 kms further than the old mark set by Christain Ascheberg and the biggest margin set in the last four attempts. He also set a new 1000km record in 21 hours and 21 minutes, just over an hour quicker than the previous mark!

Jeff was fuelled by his desire to give something back to his mother, who died from heart disease. Jeff has already raised over $3000 for the Heart Foundation in support of these records.