Human Powered Aero Monocoque Racer

To create the human powered prototypes, the team needs lightweight materials with very high stiffness and resistance to impact. Hence the use of advanced composites to achieve this aim.

Cerberus is Team Policumbent's first arm-powered prototype. It's designed with the intention of breaking the current world record of 83.46 kmh and to try to reach the extraordinary speed of 100 kmh.

To reach the high speeds necessary to do well in the competition, our wheels have to be lightweight, durable and withstand the high centrifugal and impact forces (due to the imperfection of the tarmac). As such they are one of the most important parts of the prototype. Our wheels spin at around 1600 rpm. To create the structure of the wheel we use the carbon fibre spread tow as material, so that the part results very light yet very strong and stiff.

All these features allow the wheel and prototype bike to go at over 100kph. This is the speed reached by our Paralympic athlete, Diego Colombari, with our latest prototype, Cerberus.

Our entire bike was produced as a carbon fibre monocoque. It has a carbon-PVC-Kevlar front fairing and a GRP rear fairing. The main monocoque uses a sandwich construction of carbon fibre, PVC core as well as aluminium parts where necessary.