The man cycled at a speed of 200 km/h more than 60 years ago
On July 19, 1962, on a highway near Friedburg, José Meiffret set a cycling speed record of 204 km/h.
This achievement made Meiffret, a French cyclist, the first person to break the 200 km/h speed barrier on a bicycle. To reach such an unimaginable speed using only human power, his bike underwent several modifications.
The standard chainring was replaced with an oversized 130-tooth chainring connected to a 15-tooth rear cog, creating an extremely high gear ratio. The rear wheel was also enlarged so that each pedal stroke covered more distance. The fork was reversed to bring the rider closer to the windscreen of the lead vehicle. The rims were made of wood to prevent overheating, and tubular tires were used for optimal performance.
Meiffret practiced a type of racing known as motor-paced cycling, where a cyclist rides closely behind a motor vehicle, known as a “pacer,” to benefit from the slipstream. The leading vehicle was equipped with a large windscreen at the back to shield the bicycle from air turbulence, significantly reducing drag and allowing for speeds unattainable by a human-powered bicycle alone.
The dangers of high-speed cycling
Speed cycling is an extremely dangerous sport that has claimed the lives of countless cyclists, including some of the world’s best. In 1903, American cyclist Harry Elkes was killed when his tire exploded at 100 km/h, causing him to be run over by another rider’s pacer vehicle. Bobby Walthour, one of America’s top cyclists of the time, endured an almost unimaginable list of injuries throughout his career.
Historian Peter Nye documented Walthour’s “impressive (or terrifying) list of injuries,” including 28 fractures of his right collarbone, 18 of his left collarbone, 32 broken ribs, and 60 stitches to his face and head. At one point, according to family history, he was mistakenly declared dead in Paris, France, and taken to a morgue—only to wake up on the autopsy table.
Meiffret himself had a near-fatal accident in 1952 while racing in Montlhéry, France. At high speed, his bicycle collapsed, throwing him into the air. He crashed hard onto the ground, rolled for hundreds of meters, and slid further before coming to a stop. His body was severely scraped and covered in blood. Doctors found five separate skull fractures, yet miraculously, he survived.
Meiffret was fully aware of the risks when he attempted to break his speed record on the highway near Friedberg, Germany. “Beneath the front windscreen, there is a roller. If you touch it at 160 km/h, you will crash. On the other hand, if you fall just 45 cm behind, the turbulence will turn you into a mess. If the lead car jerks, sways, or hits an obstacle, your life is in immediate danger,” wrote Clifford L. Graves, author of My Life on Two Wheels.
In his pocket, Meiffret carried a note that read:
“In the event of a fatal accident, I ask the spectators not to pity me. I am a poor man, orphaned at 11, and I have endured much suffering. Death does not frighten me. This record attempt is my way of expressing myself. If doctors can do nothing more for me, please bury me at the roadside where I fall.”
The journey to breaking records
José Meiffret was born in 1913 in the village of Boulouris on the French Riviera. As a young man, he initially tried long-distance road racing but found himself lacking the necessary skills. It was Henry Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France, who suggested Meiffret try high-speed cycling.
In his first race, between Nice and Cannes, Meiffret finished first, seven minutes ahead of his competitors. Encouraged by this victory, he decided to repeat the route behind a more powerful motorcycle, completing the 60-km race in just over an hour.
After World War II, Meiffret returned to high-speed cycling and broke the one-hour record previously set by fellow Frenchman Paillard in the 1930s, covering 87.9 km in one hour. However, Paillard quickly reclaimed the title by increasing the record to 96.5 km. Determined to surpass Paillard again, Meiffret chose the Grenzlandring track in Germany, where he covered 104.8 km in one hour.
At this point, Meiffret began riding behind a car instead of a motorcycle. Cars provided better wind protection and could achieve higher speeds. At the time, the cycling speed record behind a car was held by Frenchman Alfred Letourneur, who reached 175.3 km/h on a Los Angeles highway in 1941. Meiffret took only three attempts to surpass Letourneur’s record, reaching 175.6 km/h.
After his horrific crash in 1952, Meiffret spent months recovering, battling not only physical injuries but also mental struggles. Seeking peace, he embraced the austere lifestyle of a monk. During this period of reflection, he continued to refine bicycle designs and wrote his first book.
Breaking the 200 km/h barrier
In the fall of 1961, at the age of 48, Meiffret set a new speed record of 186.6 km/h on a highway in Lahr, Germany. This success strengthened his belief that he could break the elusive 200 km/h (124 mph) barrier. Determined to achieve this feat, Meiffret returned to the Autobahn near Freiburg in the summer of 1962, setting the stage for his most famous ride: reaching a top speed of 204.937 km/h (127.342 mph).
Meiffret’s record stood for 34 years until it was broken by Dutch cyclist Fred Rompelberg, who achieved an astonishing speed of 268.831 km/h (167.044 mph) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the U.S. in 1995. This record was later surpassed by American cyclist Denise Mueller-Korenek, who currently holds the world record with a maximum speed of 296 km/h (183.93 mph), set in 2018, also at Bonneville.
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