A Moment in the Sun

The epic journey of the solar tandem bicycle and the solar pioneers who raced it.

In the early days of solar vehicle racing, one of the most unlikely competitors was a Turkish nuclear physicist living in Australia named Ugur Ortabasi. He designed a four-seated solar powered tandem bicycle only a mother could love but in true underdog fashion it would go on to win the 1986 World Championships of Solar Vehicles. The story behind this unlikely victory was anything but sunshine and smooth sailing.