Cyclist slipstreams Porsche to 149mph record

Brit Neil Campbell has set a new European bicycle speed record – with a little help from a Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

The 44-year-old beat his own record of 135mph at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.

Neil’s bicycle was created by Cheshire-based Moss Bikes and is designed to be incredibly strong and stable at speeds of up to 200mph.

Made from a mix of carbon fibre and 3D printed parts, it has interchangeable gears, a wheelbase that’s much longer than a conventional bicycle and tyres specially rated for the purpose.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo he used to slipstream is powered by a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine producing 550hp. It can accelerate from rest to 62mph in just 4.1 seconds and hits a top speed of 177mph.

With a rig mounted to the back of the car, disrupting the airflow, the Porsche needed to use all of its 550hp to exceed 150mph as it travelled down the two-mile runway.

“The acceleration of the Cayenne was incredible – it was like being strapped to a rocket,” said Neil.

“I was pedalling throughout, harder and harder, before I was released from the car at just over 100mph and got my head down and gave it all I could.

“All the time the Cayenne was right ahead of me, clearing the air – it was so stable. We’re within touching distance of the world record.”