The Machine

In the late seventies, when Georgi Georgiev left Bulgaria, he emigrated as a sculptor, not bike designer. For over a decade, his artist's approach to the wind-cheating physics of HPVs has helped Sam go faster than any other cyclist in history.

In 2002, a big-budget British team threw science and engineering at a problem Georgi solves though artistic intuition. Powered by Jason Queally, a Gold Medalist track star from Britain, the Blue Yonder speedbike became the "Blue Blunder" when a 250,000 Pound budget somehow made the machine gorgeous but slow: Queally went just over 65 MPH as a result wobbly steering and an inexperienced pilot [see picture below].

Sam and Georgi's lack of funds is countered by their collective wealth of practical experience; this is what makes Varna Diablo so quick-it is a palimpsest of trail and error. Over the years, Georgi and Sam have laboured over various designs, from tricycles to pedal-powered helicopters. Georgi's Varna name is well-known in the disabled cycling community, for whom he designs and builds arm-drive recumbent tricycles, and more.

What seems to drive Georgi's designis is his fascination with how objects react with space, whether it be arm-driven bicycles, recumbents, or sculpture.

Before Diablo, Sam had ridden Mephisto for several years, taking this bike to speeds over 75 MPH on several occasions. Mephisto propelled Andrea Blaseckie, Sam's wife, into the 65 MPH club in 2002. Fast Freddy Markham bought and refurbished Mephisto last year, and used it to join the 75 MPH in Battle Mountain, Nevada.

George, Sam, and Andrea will apply their collective experience and creative noggins to the task of upping both the all-out speed record and one-hour record for 2006. As with each new design, the 2006 speedbike will only get faster.

Below is a table of some of Sam's earlier bike statistics, including the 81 MPH record bike, Diablo. For an excellent photo-essay of Diablo's insides, click here.

Dimensions:

Drag calculations:

To see some pictures of Diablo's changes, and the new bike for 2006, click here.

Last-minute preparations before launch; note the semi-successful breather mask, which ended up sucking air out of Sam's lungs (2003, Battle Mountain, Nevada, Speed Challenge).

Diablo II in the desert. On target for the 200 metre-long timing traps. That's a chase vehicle on the course behind him, not Nevada traffic.

Sam passes infront of the Battle Mountain spectator area, at speed.

Andrea Blaseckie gets ready for a record run in Mephisto. In 2006, the former world's fastest woman lost her title by only 1 MPH to Lisa Vetterlein.

A 1996 press-clipping of Mephisto. Sam went nearly 70 MPH even back then.

Thanks to Georgi's successful and reliable designs, many clones of his creations pop-up at various HPV events across the globe.

Jason Queally attempts to get the high-tech but bulky Blue Yonder up to speed. He managed roughly 64 MPH in 2001. Neither he nor his team from Britain have been seen since on the HPV circuit.

Queally (r) congratulates Sam for his 81 MPH run. Queally really was gracious about the whole thing; after all, he had won an Olympic Gold Medal the year before.