Join us live on Laidback Bike Report with Gary Solomon. 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.
The thumbnail photo courtesy of Jörg Basler.
