Denise Mueller-Korenek just set a new record for the fastest bike ride ever on Sunday. She rode at 183.9 mph. The previous record was set in 1995 by Dutch Fred Rompelberg, who went only 167 mph.
Professional drag race car driver, Shea Holbrook, helped her to reach the speed by towing her along to begin and then helping Mueller-Korenek to slow down in a safe manner. In 2016, Mueller-Korenek set the women’s fastest biking record at 147.74 mph, but now she has topped both the men’s and women’s categories.
Initially, the duo was not supposed to go over 175 mph for concern for Mueller-Korenek’s safety and wellbeing, but their risk clearly paid off as this new pace will be extremely difficult to beat. It is a really good thing that Mueller-Korenek is okay after going that insanely fast speed in the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah.
Mueller-Korenek was once a competitive cycler and had multiple wins at the national and world stages, but then retired to start a home security business. With the help of John Howard, she got back into the sport and started pursuing goals of going fast – very, very fast.
A 45-year-old from Valley Center, California, she has truly defied the odds of cycling speed. She used a custom-made bike, and the team that put on the record was dubbed, “Team Speed.” According to the Wall Street Journal, she was able to pedal 130 feet with just one pedal stroke. The drag race car had to tow a large apparatus behind it to shield Mueller-Korenek from flying salt. They tried on Saturday but only hit 155 mph.
Our record run! Sunday cruising at 183.9mph! Project Speed Denise Mueller-Korenek ??
Posted by Shea Holbrook Chorley on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Alongside Eliud Kipchoge’s new marathon world record (which happened on the same day), it’s been quite an amazing week for sports speed history. What possibilities could we see next as the world of athletes are training harder, faster, and smarter?
Featured Image via Max Pixel
