The Secret Is Out: The 19kg Theta Velomobile Shatters World Records!

In this episode of the Laidback Bike Report, we go behind the scenes of one of the most exciting and secretive recent developments in the recumbent world: The Theta Velomobile. For months, a small team of 4 scientists and engineers in Germany worked in total silence, even hiding their Strava data to keep their project a secret from the "nosy folks" on the German Velomobile Forum. They decided to move beyond modifying existing designs like the DFXL to start with a completely clean slate. The result is a 19kg racing machine that didn't just meet expectations—it dominated. In its public debut at Aldenhoven, the Theta shattered the long-standing 4,000m world record and went on to set a new 24-hour relay record with an average speed of 64 km/h. In this interview, one of the designers-Julian Kraft-discusses: -Lightweight Engineering: How the team achieved a race-ready weight of just 19kg. -The "Secret" Strategy: Why they kept the project hidden until the very last moment. -World-Class Testing: The transition from digital CFD simulations to real-world track testing and world record attempts. -Daily Utility vs. Racing: Why the Theta was designed not just for the track, but for day-to-day commuting and travel. Whether you are interested in high-end aerodynamics, lightweight carbon fiber construction, or the thrill of world-record HPV racing, you won't want to miss this deep dive into the Theta Project. YouTube thumbnail pictures courtesy of Jörg Basler. 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:30 What’s on Today’s Show 00:01:13 Panel Introduction 00:02:15 Sponsor Introduction 00:07:20 Honza Galla with Recumbent News Segment 00:13:45 Julian Kraft Interview on the Theta Velomobile 01:17:35 Julian responds to questions and comments on the Theta 01:34:00 Larry Seidman with the Recumbent Sports Report 01:42:20 Sponsor Thanks 01:47:25 Announcements 01:49:20 Goodbye to panel and crew Please subscribe to us on YouTube (https://goo.gl/CHOOgX) and Like us on Facebook (  / laidbackbikereport  ) if you haven't already done so. Lot's more info and you can also buy a hat on our website: https://www.laidbackbikereport.com/. We would love to have you as a Patreon Patron where you can support all we do for as little as $1/month. Check out how it works and the benefits you can reap here:   / laidbackbikereport   Thanks to these wonderful sponsors for making the LBR webcast possible TerraCycle https://t-cycle.com/ 800-371-5871 TerraTrike/Greenspeed https://wizwheelz.com/ 800-945-9910 Laidback Cycles https://laidbackcycles.com/ 916-668-8766 Bicycle Man https://bicycleman.com/ 607-587-8835 AZUB https://azub.eu/ RecumbentPDX https://recumbentpdx.com/ 503-231-1000 Steintrikes https://stein-trikes-us.com/ 931-237-0889 Utah Trikes http://utahTrikes.com 866-446-2065 Catrike http://catrike.com 407-999-0200 Bacchetta Bikes http://bacchettabikes.com 818-358-2740 Angletech cycledifferent.com 719-687-7475 HP Velotechnik https://www.hpvelotechnik.com/ Grin Technologies https://ebikes.ca/ (604)-569-0902 Honza’s News Report Links --Recumbent News https://www.recumbent.news/ Guest Links Spezi 2026 https://en.spezialradmesse.de/ Julian Kraft   / julian.kraft.142   German Velomobile Forum https://www.velomobilforum.de/forum/ Larry’s Sports Report Michigan HPV Rally https://mhpva.blogspot.com/ LBR Review Team Links LBR Crew Links -Recumbent News-online news website by Honza Galla https://www.recumbent.news/ -BentRider/Larry Varney http://www.bentrideronline.com/ -Nina Paley’s Links -Nina’s blog https://blog.ninapaley.com/ -Nina’s bike merchandise http://www.palegraylabs.com/other-stu... -Peter Stull https://bicycleman.com/ -Josef Janning   / josef.janning   -Tim Segard https://www.bentrevolution.com/ -Tray Bourgoyne [email protected] *The absolute best archive of early recumbent history is Recumbent Cyclist News* Find years of publisher Bob Bryant’s hard work here: https://rcnpdf.com/ *Viewer Submissions or Questions* Send to [email protected]