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.00:00:00  Intro00:00:30  What’s on Today’s Show00:01:13  Panel Introduction00:02:15  Sponsor Introduction00:07:20  Honza Galla with Recumbent News Segment00:13:45  Julian Kraft Interview on the Theta Velomobile01:17:35  Julian responds to questions and comments on the Theta01:34:00  Larry Seidman with the Recumbent Sports Report01:42:20  Sponsor Thanks01:47:25  Announcements01:49:20  Goodbye to panel and crewPlease subscribe to us on YouTube (https://goo.gl/CHOOgX) and Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/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: https://www.patreon.com/laidbackbikereport*Thanks to these wonderful sponsors for making the LBR webcast possible*TerraCycle  https://t-cycle.com/  800-371-5871TerraTrike/Greenspeed https://wizwheelz.com/  800-945-9910Laidback Cycles https://laidbackcycles.com/   916-668-8766Bicycle Man https://bicycleman.com/ 607-587-8835AZUB https://azub.eu/  RecumbentPDX https://recumbentpdx.com/  503-231-1000Steintrikes https://stein-trikes-us.com/  931-237-0889Utah Trikes http://utahTrikes.com 866-446-2065Catrike http://catrike.com 407-999-0200Bacchetta Bikes http://bacchettabikes.com 818-358-2740Angletech cycledifferent.com 719-687-7475HP Velotechnik https://www.hpvelotechnik.com/ Grin Technologies https://ebikes.ca/ (604)-569-0902*Guest Links*Spezi 2026  https://en.spezialradmesse.de/Julian Kraft  https://www.facebook.com/julian.kraft.142German Velomobile Forum  https://www.velomobilforum.de/forum/Larry’s Sports ReportMichigan HPV Rally  https://mhpva.blogspot.com/**Viewer Submissions or Questions**Send to [email protected] the show