This Is a Bike. Trust Us.

Whatever you call it, this little sucker is honking along so fast that it could merge comfortably into traffic on the 405. Moreover, the rider plans to maintain this speed for the next 52 minutes, thereby setting a world record by covering nearly 55 miles in an hour without the aid of an internal combustion engine, electric motor or flux capacitor. Oh, and we're not talking about a cycling legend like Lance Armstrong, tearing it up on a gazillion-dollar bike built of unobtainium. No, today's would-be hero is a 29-year-old Brit by the name of Rob English who manages to race full-time even though he doesn't get paid for it. "I have a very cheap lifestyle," he explains, "and a very understanding mother."

Which brings us to the dirty little secret of cycling: The fastest, most innovative, highest-tech bikes in the world aren't found in the Olympics or the Tour de France. They're the creations of the small and largely mocked world of HPV racing, a close-knit community of free-thinkers dominated by engineering geeks--many of them California dreamers--whose idea of bling is a platinum-plated pocket calculator. Even when ridden by top pros, conventional diamond-frame bikes rarely exceed 40 mph on level ground. Meanwhile, HPVs (also known as speedbikes) have blasted past 80 mph thanks to their sleek composite bodies and recumbent, i.e. prone, seating position.

In October, HPV racers from all over the world will congregate near Battle Mountain, Nev., for a weeklong series of late-afternoon runs along State Route 305. Each record attempt will entail four miles of banzai pedaling to accelerate up to top speed and then--when the cyclist is about to puke, pass out, explode or all of the above--powering through a 200-meter-long timing zone. Four years ago, Canadian Sam Whittingham became the world's fastest human by blistering the speed trap at Battle Mountain at 81 mph.