Laidback and super-fast
A keen cyclist is working hard to save the planet and to keep fit – by travelling 60 miles a day to work on the world's fastest pedal bike.
Malcolm Lamming travels the 30 mile journey from his home in Angmering, West Sussex to EADS Astrium in Portsmouth on a recumbent bike – one on which the rider sits back as in a low-slung sports car.
Mr Lamming, 42, decided four years ago, whilst working in Toulouse in France, that he was keen to avoid the busy traffic and to keep fit, so he spent almost 4,000 on the bike.
'I wanted to cycle to work to get some exercise, fresh air and to avoid traffic jams, so I scoured the world for the world's fastest bike.'
Mr Lamming, an engineering manager at Astrium, eventually found a company in California that made high tech bikes and he gave them a call.
He then flew to Bavaria in Germany to try out one of the bikes.
He put in an order straight away and the bike turned up three months later.
The bike, called the Lightning F-40, can get up to a speed of 50 miles an hour.
'The fastest I have ever measured on it is about 45 when going down a steep hill,' added Mr Lamming.
The super-bike even protects him from the bad weather as he rarely gets wet in the rain.
And he admitted his unusual form of transport certainly does make people stop and look.
He said: 'It gets a surprising amount of attention, younger people ask to have a go on it and people take photographs from cars.
'I get a lot of remarks, but most of the reaction is very positive. I get some teenagers saying 'that is so cool'.'
Many people in America use the bikes on a regular basis, because they are very popular out there for commuters who want to avoid traffic.
The bikes, also known as recumbent bicycles, are different from the average pedal bike because they are more comfortable, approximately 30 per cent faster and considerably safer.
Lightning bikes in particular have earned over 20 world records and they are designed by aerospace engineers.
They are hand-made in California by people who also construct and operate jet aircraft, space satellites and large rockets. People from all over the world use them to commute to work.
The Lightning F-40 has broken many records, including travelling 603 miles in 24 hours. Four men also travelled together from Los Angeles to New York on the hi-tech pedal bikes.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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