Speeds Leads to Organic Design

What do Naked Bikes and RR Cycles have in common?

They’re run by three world record cyclists for human powered speed.

Sam Whittingham of Naked Bikes holds the current overall HPV speed record of 82 mph. And he’s this month’s cover-person of “Reader’s Digest,” Canada.

“Fast” Freddy Markham of RR Cycles has held many world speed records—recently, the Hour at 54 miles—and now owns the Masters record of 77 mph.

Andrea Blasekie, Whittingham’s partner at Naked Bikes, held the women’s overall world speed record of 65 mph until this autumn.

Their streamlined record HPV bikes were designed by Georgi Georgiev, who forewent computers in favor of shapes from nature, such as fish.

Whittingham’s handbuilt bikes on display at NAHBS extend this metaphor further, with the bends, curves, branches and leaves of trees—including extensive use of wood.

Markham’s “out of the box” take on road bike design results in “un-lugs” for his carbon frames. He carves lug shapes out of the thick tube wrappings, to create what he says are frames that can take far more abuse than typical carbon frames (and he’s crashed a lot of carbon at extra high speeds).

Jeff Potter