At 06:25 on the morning of March 13 Nicholas George will set out to challenge the new Cape Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour route record! He will be riding an exciting, cutting edge race trike. Can three wheels beat two?

Sponsored by The ScienCentre and Popular Mechanics for this Cycle Tour, this is not your average three wheeler! It has two wheels in the front and one at the back with a low slung seat suspended between. The trike is clad in a high tech carbon fibre shell specially shaped to smooth the air flow around the vehicle and reduce it’s drag.

At speed most of the rider’s energy is needed to push the air aside. The trike could get up to 100km/h on the fast sections of the route and it is here that the fairing will achieve it’s maximum benefit! Watch Nicholas flash by on the Blue Route, along the Nature Reserve stretch and down past Llandudno to the finish.

Of course, there is a trade off. The fairing adds weight. This means that more energy is needed to climb the hilly parts of the course.

Nicholas will need all your encouragement as he powers up Wynberg Hill, Chapman’s Peak and especially the dreaded Suikerbossie!

While you shout for Nicholas remember to ’Track the Trike’ by calling 0839100091! You could win one of 10 great prizes sponsored by The Sciencentre and Popular Mechanics! Answer two easy questions to qualify for the draw. See www.mtnsciencentre.org.za for details.

If all goes well Nicholas will cross the finish line in Green Point at about 09:00. This will be an energy breakthrough to inspire learners across South Africa as they gear up for the first South African EnergyBreakthrough.

This event has been a phenomonal success in Australia and is now launching here. Teams of learners from schools construct a human powered vehicle and race it in a testing 24hour endurance challenge. On a resource hungry planet the EnergyBreakthrough teaches and emphasises the value of human power! Get involved at www.energybreakthrough.org.za.