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The Fastest Bicycle

The film tells the amazing story of Sir Roger Bannister’s grandson Barney Townsend and his team’s attempt at the World Human Powered Vehicle land speed record at Battle Mountain Nevada which stands at an eye watering 89.5 mph. Think Cool Runnings meets F1 Drive to Survive as Barney and the team tackle a missing bike, high speed crashes, team member departures, serious design flaws and injury. Its a story of perseverance beyond limits and of community, as the team discover that their competitors can also be their greatest allies.

  • Michael B Clifford
    Director
    Chasing the Sun (2024), Bicycle, Brown Paper Bag (BAFTA winner), Bouncer (BAFTA nominated) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1282420/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
  • Sam Lockyer
    Producer
    501 Not Out
  • Mike Burrows
    Key Cast
    "Designer"
    Olympic Gold Medal Bike Designer
  • Chris Boardman
    Key Cast
    Olympic Gold Medalist
  • Francois Pervis
    Key Cast
    "Rider"
    Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record Holder
  • Karen Darke
    Key Cast
    "Rider"
    Paralympic Gold Medalist
  • Barney Townsend
    Key Cast
    "Team Principle "
    Grandson of Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a Four Minute Mile
  • Ilona Pelletier
    Key Cast
    "Rider"
    World Record Holder - Fastest Woman in the World
  • Russell Bridge
    Key Cast
    "Rider"
  • Noah Phillips
    Key Cast
    "Rider"
  • Todd Reichert
    Key Cast
    World Record Holder - Fastest Man in the World
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 39 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 21, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    38,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom, United States
  • Language:
    English, French
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Ana Saiz, Impronta Films
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Michael B Clifford

Michael has been making films for three decades, starting out with a documentary about London's most infamous cinema - The Scala. Since then he's made work for BFI, Channel 4, 5 and BBC, Arts Council England, been distributed in UK cinemas and by Amazon Prime, won two BAFTAs for his work in drama and travelled the globe. He has a passion for developing new techniques and talent for the industry and seeking out methods for low carbon production. Michael lives in Stratford Upon Avon, England.

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Director Statement

‘I dont know why but the British teams come here with very high expectations’ (Jun Nogan - Human Powered Speed Challenge organiser)

I started making this film in 2018 and followed a British team to the Nevada desert, who were giddy with excitement at the idea that they had a bicycle that would go 93mph, only to see their hopes dashed on route 305. The events were as extraordinary as the landscape. But my film didn’t have an ending. Both I and the team had to go back and we did in 2019 and 22. The harsh lessons they learnt at each event saw them slowly progress and finally triumph. I was always aware of the dramatic content I had, the crashes, the design failures, the injury, the bike that went missing and the teams breaking world records while our team watched on, seemingly helpless. I’d noted that they kept trying though and that rivals came to their aid, this event was special. And it was these aspects that came to the fore in the edit. They are universal themes - perseverance and community, ones that have helped me to keep going in making a film that has often felt harder than building the bike, that have helped me face other challenges and that I hope will appeal to audiences everywhere.