A team of nine Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students got a fast start on their Spring Break by pedaling their re-designed human powered vehicle to new speeds at the Nissan One Hour Challenge this past weekend, April 6-8, in Casa Grande, Ariz.

Human-powered vehicles are aerodynamic, highly engineered vehicles that can be used for everyday activities ranging from commuting to and from work to going to the grocery store. Former U.S. Olympic cyclist Freddy Markham set the one hour speed record last year at 53.43 miles from a standing start during the Nissan event.

In its second year as a competing team, Rose-Hulman used the one-hour and 200-meter races around the 5.5 test track to build teamwork and prepare for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Human Powered Vehicle East Coast Challenge (May 11-13 in Orlando, Fla.). Rose-Hulman was the only collegiate team at the Nissan challenge.

Last year, Rose-Hulman’s team placed a surprising second in the endurance race, second in the male sprint race and sixth in the female sprint race at the ASME eastern regional competition.

"We’re making big strides in the development of having a competitive team for the ASME event," said junior mechanical engineering major Tommy Roberts, the team’s project manager. "In Arizona, we were around some of the world’s most competitive human-powered racers. Our competitors welcomed us, gave us some helpful advice and we, thankfully, absorbed as much information as we could. This experience will definitely help us be a more competitive team in the future."

Pedal Power: Danny Sing, a Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology junior mechanical engineering major, shows that driving a human powered vehicles isn't always comfortable. (Photo courtesy of Mike Mowett)

Second-year improvements have included the installation of a light-weight composite body shell, familiarity with driving the vehicle and experience in vehicle development. The body shell didn’t arrive in Arizona (by special courier) until Friday, April 6, and team members spent most of the next two days getting the vehicle ready for racing.

The team’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Nissan Challenge competitors gave the Rose-Hulman squad the unofficial Most Dedication Award for their efforts in getting the vehicle ready.

Joining Roberts at the competition were juniors Zach Goff, the lead engineer who led the construction of every facet of the vehicle; Danny Sing, the team’s rider for the male racing category events; and Molly Nelis, the rider for the female division. She is also leading the development of a two-person vehicle for the ASME competition, and got lots of ideas from the Nissan Challenge.

Freshman team members in Arizona were Michael Wieck, the team’s treasurer; Pooja Saxena, Jeff Van Treuren, Nathan Wendt and Chris Wlezien.

Team members planning to attend the ASME eastern regional competition will be juniors Christina Davis and Luisa Fairfax, two additional female riders; and sophomores Blake Lin and Justin Gerretse, one of the team’s strongest riders. The team’s faculty adviser is Clark Merkel.

"We’re a young team that’s improving every day," Roberts said.