It takes quite some pedal power to break the speed limit on a motorway, but a visionary cyclist has done just that - setting a new world record in the process.
Canadian Sam Whittingham, founder of Naked Bicycles and Design, hit an incredible 82.4mph on the flat tarmac of Nevada's state route 305, just topping his own previous record as the fastest self-propelled human on Earth.
Despite the incredible speed involved, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a breeze - Whittingham is virtually lying down as he reclines in the saddle of his specially-designed recumbent Varna Tempest.
The super low-riding bike - which stands less than 2ft tall - features a carbon fibre shell encased in a Kevlar skin, reducing air resistance, and providing protection in case it all goes wrong while breaking the speed limit.
However, despite the laid-back position, 37-year-old Whittingham has to put in some real legwork.
To generate the high speeds from nothing more than the human body - and without help from gravity - the gears have to be massive, and it takes Whittingham five whole miles to hit top speed.
"I can reach 50mph in a mile, but the effort required to get up to 80mph is exponential," he puffed.
