‘Drag’ racer sets cycle speed record of 174mph

A cyclist has set a speed record of 174.33mph on a £15,000 bike released from the back of a Porsche as it hurtled down a runway.

Architect Neil Campbell, 45, broke the previous record of 167mph using an elongated, custom-built cycle.

He achieved the record at Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire on Saturday, beating the previous mark set by a Dutch rider in 1995.

Mr Campbell, from Little Horkesley, Essex, said: “I am thrilled and relieved, the team worked amazingly well.”

His next challenge will be to try to reach 220mph next year on a six-mile track at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.