Speed with Guy Martin

Episode 1 - Britain's Fastest Cyclist, Sunday 29 December, 8pm, Channel 4

Motorcycle racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin loves pushing the boundaries of speed in search of a buzz. He claims that nothing can match the adrenaline rush he gets when racing on public roads around the Isle of Man TT course at 200mph. So now he’s setting out to see if he can find anything that can give him the same kicks. In this four part series, he sets out to create four speed based challenges in which he will explore the boundaries of physics and learn about the science of speed. Whether it’s slip-streaming a racing driver to ride a bicycle at over 100mph using pedal power, or seeing if he can ride a motorbike across a lake, Guy will seek to find out what makes things go fast by getting his hands dirty in a range of unique engineering projects. Along the way celebrities well known in the world of speed help him in his challenges.

To attempt, with the aid of slipstreaming, to break the British record for outright speed on a bicycle - an incredible 110mph, Guy recruits an unlikely team made up of a truck racer, an Olympic gold medallist, a bicycle builder and a design engineer more used to working on next-generation military aircraft. Together they work out how to modify a 1000 horsepower racing lorry to create a large enough slipstream for Guy to cycle in, and build a unique bicycle gearing system capable of triple figure speeds. With help from British Olympic track cyclist Laura Trott Guy undergoes a relentless training regime to get himself fit enough for the record attempt. As he lines up at Pendine Sands in Wales - scene of Sir Malcolm Campbell's historic land speed record attempts in Bluebird - it is without question the most dangerous thing this Isle of Man TT racer has ever done.

Executive Producer: Ewan Keil
Director: James Woodroffe
Prod Co: North One Tv