How fast can your legs carry you?

For two pins

How fast can you make a bike go? Explore leg science.

On your marks

Exploding bottles and recumbent bicycles. Follow the legs diary.

One man. One pair of legs. One goal: Speed.

At the time of making the programme, the current world speed record for a human-powered vehicle was 80.5 mph (117 km/h), set by Canadian athlete Sam Whittingham.

Adam's challenge: to beat it.

But can Adam's fitness level compare with a world athlete? Is his beloved bicycle aerodynamic enough, or does he need a special contraption to help him achieve those ludicrous speeds?

If he stores expended energy over a period of time and releases it explosively will this propel him into the record books?

Content last updated: 30/05/2006