Taipei — A man in Taiwan was spotted riding a turbo-powered bicycle and allegedly reached 133 kph.
A man named Wang, 37, in Tainan City, Taiwan, achieved his childhood dream of owning a radio-controlled (RC) aircraft when he attached the same jet engine to his bicycle.
It was reported that Mr Wang purchased the jet engine and got a university professor to design a frame so that his bicycle could carry the engine on the back.
A video of the trial run was shared by UDN on Sept 2.
The video showed Mr Wang taking a few moments while he revved the engine.
He then “blasted off” on his bicycle without having to pedal.
Taiwan News reported that Mr Wang reached a top speed of 133 kph within 30 seconds.
Local news cited Mr Wang’s surprise at the speed he reached.
Mr Wang purchased the high-end Roxycle road bike, featuring a carbon fibre frame and wheels to withstand high speeds. The bicycle cost NT$150,000 (S$7,300) while the jet engine another NT$180,000 (S$8,760).
For the fuel container, Mr Wang used a water bottle that held 700 cubic centimetres of liquids. Since the engine consumed about 1,100 millilitres of fuel per minute, he could only keep the engine running for 30 seconds.
It took Mr Wang about three weeks to complete the project, reported Taiwan News.
Before long, Taiwan police caught wind of Mr Wang’s experiment.
He was issued a warning for violating three road traffic safety rules.
Despite the trial run being conducted at night with less traffic and not on a major road, authorities expressed concerns that others would follow his example.
Mr Wang cooperated with the police, although he admitted it was only when they knocked on his door did he realize he might have broken the law.
He quickly removed the engine from his bicycle to prevent it from being confiscated. /TISG
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