[Photo Cred: Recumbents.com]

Sam Whittingham broke world records last week when he successfully managed to pedal his aerodynamic recumbent bicycle up to a world record breaking speed of 82.3 mph. Held on State Route 305 in Battle Mountain, Nevada, the original deciMACH Speed Dash offered a cash prize for the first human powered vehicle to reach over 75 mph. In 2002, Whittingham and his teammates shattered that record when they attained speeds of 81.02 mph, but they weren’t content to stop there. Training vigorously with his partner and bike designer, Georgi Georgiev, Whittingham arrived in Nevada last Thursday determined to break his previous record. With lady luck and perfect weather conditions on his side, Whittingham was able to do just that.

View footage of Whittingham’s incredible ride after the jump

Despite having achieved his goal, Whittingham is clear that he’s in no way ready for retirement. A builder of specialized bikes during the winter, Whittingham says that as long as his body is willing, he’ll be out to compete every year. “You know, how many chances do you get to do this stuff?” he explained, “So, as long as I’m capable of being here and capable of going fast, I should be here. This is what I’m supposed to do.”

Whittingham flying by on his HPV [Human Powered Vehicle], the Varna Diablo III

[Source: The Tyree]