New film tells story of LSBU students' attempt to create fastest bicycle
A new documentary film tells the story of a team of LSBU students’ attempt to design and build a bicycle capable of breaking the world human-powered land speed record.
“The Fastest Bicycle” follows LSBU’s course leader for Product Design and Technology Barney Townsend and the university’s Aim93 team as they design, build, and race a human-powered vehicle in the World Human Powered Speed Challenge, at Battle Mountain, Nevada.
Townsend, who is the grandson of Sir Roger Bannister, who ran the first sub-four-minute mile, said the thirteen LSBU students who took part in the film were part of an “unparalleled learning experience”.
“This was an incredibly exciting opportunity for engineers to push the limits of aerodynamics, physiology, structural and mechanical design for a unique challenge,” he said. “In additional to the applied engineering skills, the students who took part learned all kinds of life and employability skills, such as resilience, and managing complex projects. They also learned how to think creatively in response to unanticipated emergencies in the field.”
Combining engineering innovation, sporting ambition, and personal determination, the film captures both the technical challenge and the human drama behind the quest to create the fastest bicycle ever made.
“The students were a key part of the project and brought innovation in terms of new ideas, because they’re not blinkered by pre-conceived notions of how things ought to be done. They also brought such great drive and enthusiasm, they were a pleasure to work with” Townsend added.
One LSBU student who took part, both as an engineer and rider of the bike, was Noah Phillips, who now works as a manufacturing engineer at Brompton Bicycle Ltd.
“I found the project really enjoyable, I was passionate about it, and it gave me a good understanding of how projects are handled in the real world - we were designing bespoke parts from the ground up,” he said. “In the engineering industry, it's important to show a hands-on, results driven approach, and a project like this is a perfect example of these skills.
Another student who took part was Beth Muthoni Irungu, currently completing a PhD in mechanical engineering at LSBU.
“Leading the team not only gave me a sense of pride but also built a strong foundation of confidence in my abilities,” she said. “The project was the spark that showed me what I was capable of, and that spark still drives the work I do today.”
The film was directed by two-time BAFTA winner Michael B. Clifford and made by independent company Iconic Productions.
“The themes of the film are universal - perseverance and community, ones that have helped me to keep going in making a film that has often felt harder than building the bike, that have helped me face other challenges and that I hope will appeal to audiences everywhere,” he said.
In the end the record wasn’t quite smashed, but the team reached speeds of 66mph.
The documentary will receive its official premiere at The Ritzy cinema in Brixton in south London on October 12.
In addition, television audiences in Australia are set to see the film on SBS, which has scheduled the film for broadcast in summer 2026 to coincide with the Tour de France.