Rocket powered bikes - the future?

There are times when a cyclist wishes they some help on their ride. When riding against the wind or up a steep hill, we would all appreciate a boost.

Strapping a rocket to the bike of your bike might be going a bit far though.

Swiss rider François Gissy, working with Exotic Thermo Engineering, fit his bicycle with a hydrogen peroxide propulsion unit. At the famous Circuit Paul Ricard, Gissy's bike was filmed reaching a speed of 207mph in less than 5 seconds, breaking his own world record by 44mph.

The bike was so fast it left behind a Ferrari F430, which can go from 0 to 62 mph in 4 seconds.

Gissy said the wind is extremely powerful, "I’m lucky my head is still bolted on my body!

"If we can find some serious sponsors, then we would like to build a monstrous bicycle, which will be called 'Spine Crusher’”. Let’s hope that his new invention doesn’t actually crush any spines!

Exotic Thermo Engineering's include other rocket-based inventions such as a rocket-powered go-cart, a rocket car, and a jetpack called a "rocket belt."

According to Guinness World Records, the fastest speed ever for a bicycle that wasn't rocket powered was 268.831 km/h by Fred Rompelberg of the Netherlands. 

So it probably isn't for everyone, and rocket-powered bicycles aren't likely to be available to purchase any time soon (if ever). However, we wish François the best of luck on his adverntures...but we're afraid we won't be joining him!

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