Rocket Bike Hits 163 MPH, Sets Land Speed Record [Video]

A French cyclist pedaled his bicycle to an incredible record of 163 mph today. OK, so Francois Gissy didn’t exactly pedal. He slightly modified his bicycle (by adding a rocket to the back of it) in order to set a new land speed record.

According to the Daily Mail, Gissy’s bike is powered by a hydrogen-peroxide rocket. Gissy designed the bike while Exotic Thermo Engineering (ETE) and engineer Arnold Neracher designed the rocket.

According to Gizmodo, the rocket is considered a monopropellant rocket. It pumps concentrated liquid hydrogen peroxide into a secondary chamber that contains a catalyst. The chemical reaction breaks down the hydrogen peroxide into water, oxygen, and 650 degree steam. The steam is forced through the rocket nozzle and propels the bike forward. In this case, the rocket sent the bike flying to 163 mph.

The rocket bike made its record setting run at an old runway at the Munchhouse in North Eastern France. Gissy’s bike beat the previous world record of 150 mph which was set in 2002. Gissy almost broke the overall powered bike speed record of 166 mph set by the Slipstream in 1995.

Here’s a video of the rocket bike. It’s the blur on the screen that flies by a little blue car.