On 12 September, Paralympian Karen Darke, MBE set the female world record, reaching a speed of 41.86 mph in 2.5 miles. This exceeded the previous female record by 17 mph, clearly securing the win for the ARION4 team. On the same day, Ken Talbot raced with the aim of adding to the team’s achievements. Talbot took to the five mile course and reached a speed of 51.86 mph, breaking the world record and becoming the first hand cyclist in history to exceed 50 mph. The next day, Darke broke her own record by reaching 46.05 mph. This achievement puts her faster than the previous men’s record, making her the second fastest hand cyclist ever, behind only Talbot.
“We are starting to see the benefits of additive manufacturing in high-speed applications, from the Bloodhound Supersonic Car to the TransFIORmers MotoGP bike,” states Llyr Jones, mechanical engineer at Renishaw. “When aiming to reach high speeds, small technical enhancements can have a large impact. The design freedom of metal 3D printing ensured a crucial component of the bike was strong and light enough to meet the demands of the race.”
