Ornithopter Creators Aim For World's Fastest Bicycle

Inventors and engineers Cameron Robertson and Todd Reichert are aiming to create the world's fastest bike. The previous record stands at 133.8 kilometers per hour (83.1 mph) – Robertson and Reichert will be aiming to blaze past with their strange looking Eta bike this September.

Robertson and Reichert will be aiming to bump up the world record for human-powered bicycle speed at the World Human-Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, Nevada. There they'll be bringing Eta – funds willing – in all its lozenge-shaped glory.

Above you'll see the Eta model known as "Bluenose" at Battle Mountain, Nevada, at a speed of 78MPH (125 Km/h). This photo was taken by Tom Amick.

Above you'll see an Eta configuration rendering. This machine is made with a recumbent bike-like contraption inside, with the frame attaching to the top of the rear wheel and the center of the front wheel. Needless to say, this bike isn't built for comfort- nor visibility.

The outer bits of this amalgamation of bits are made of carbon fiber, while the interior frame is made from carbon fiber composite. The biker will have to rely on a camera display inside the vehicle instead of a windshield.

Eta was part of a KickStarter campaign over the past month, surpassing its $30,000 goal by nearly $2k. The final vehicle will look something like what you see above and below.

The folks creating this bike are also responsible for the human-powered helicopter you may have seen appear back in 2012. Have a peek at our original article on the human-powered helicopter, and keep in mind that these folks aren't the only ones innovating on a bicycle tip – they just appear to be some of the best at spreading the world.

They're so good, in fact, that they've been invited to appear on a Mythbusters episode that'll air some time this summer. The episode checks out the "myth" of the ornithopter, using this team's successful 64-second-flight of a human-powered flapping, flying machine as an example.