MQ Speed Team

This is the fastest speed that can be achieved in a vehicle that is solely powered by an athlete. This involves our cyclists sitting in a recumbent bicycle or tricycle, pedalling with their legs while cocooned within a carbon fibre monocoque shell optimised to minimise aerodynamic drag.

The women’s multitrack record that we currently hold with Lizanne Wilmont is 96.8km/h for the flying 200m. The previous mark of 90.8km/h was held by Yasmin Tredell riding for the University of Liverpool Human Powered Team. We also hold the 600/200 record, which is conducted over a much shorter course with a speed of 62.3km/h. The two-wheel male record that we are also pursuing is held by Todd Reichert of Aerovelo at a speed of 144.2km/h.

The World Human Powered Speed Challenge is the main international event for these vehicles and is held at Battle Mountain, Nevada in the USA. A six mile stretch of straight level road running through the desert is closed to the public over the duration of a week allowing competitors to push their vehicles to the limit. The course has been specially selected due to its minimal gradient and altitude resulting in reduced air density. This makes this course the fastest possible location to brake human powered land speed records.

Locally, we also compete at the OzHPv speed trials that are held at large ovals typically used for vehicle testing like the Ford Proving grounds or Lang Lang (former Holden proving grounds).

Challenging human powered land speed records requires a massive effort from our dedicated student team members that are developing and constructing our vehicles. But it also provides them with the opportunity to undertake research and development directly contributing towards more energy efficient transportation solutions. Through the process of doing this, our students gain vital real-world experience that differentiate them from other graduates at a stage in their careers where experience is so difficult to obtain.

Our students obtain valuable experience while being mentored by experts in the following disciplines:

• aerodynamic design
• budgeting and sponsorship
• electrical engineering design
• manufacturing
• mechanical engineering design
• media training
• software development
• sports psychology
• teamwork, management and planning.

Numerous prestigious universities from around the world, as well as private teams, are competing to break these records. Some of our international competitors include; Delft University of Technology, VU University Amsterdam, Portland State University and the University of Toronto.