Most people ride bikes for leisure. Some for sport.
But in 1962, one cyclist aimed for something far more extreme: speed that rivaled motorcycles—on a single-speed bicycle.
Reaching an astonishing 124 miles per hour, this record wasn’t achieved with gears, fancy materials, or electric motors. It was raw human power, aided by a moving vehicle ahead, creating a vacuum of low air resistance behind it—a technique known as motor pacing.
But that wasn’t the only oddity.
Photos from the attempt show something curious:
the front fork of the bicycle was turned backwards—a modification that may have been made to adjust the bike's handling at high speeds, possibly altering the rider's posture or steering sensitivity.
There were no wind tunnels. No computer simulations.
Just a cyclist, a motor vehicle, and nerves of steel.
This daring feat was a strange mix of athleticism, innovation, and risk—a reminder that records are often set by those willing to do things a little differently… and a little dangerously.
Today, the story lives on as a symbol of how far we’ll go when human power meets a bit of ingenuity—and a lot of speed.
