This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45572277
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Cycling land speed: Denise Mueller-Korenek breaks world record | Cycling land speed: Denise Mueller-Korenek breaks world record |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| For most people, the idea of travelling along the ground at more than 180mph in anything other than a plane preparing for take-off is nausea-inducing. | For most people, the idea of travelling along the ground at more than 180mph in anything other than a plane preparing for take-off is nausea-inducing. |
| Denise Mueller-Korenek, it is fair to say, is not most people. | Denise Mueller-Korenek, it is fair to say, is not most people. |
| The US woman reached an eye-watering average speed of 183.932 mph (296.010 km/h) - on a bicycle. | |
| The remarkable speed means the 45-year-old not only smashed her own world record, but the long-standing men's one as well. | The remarkable speed means the 45-year-old not only smashed her own world record, but the long-standing men's one as well. |
| Her reaction? Somewhat understated. | Her reaction? Somewhat understated. |
| "It was a crazy wild ride to 183.9 mph, but so worth the sacrifice and years of focus on becoming the fastest human on a bicycle in the world," Mueller-Korenek said. | "It was a crazy wild ride to 183.9 mph, but so worth the sacrifice and years of focus on becoming the fastest human on a bicycle in the world," Mueller-Korenek said. |
| "We weren't supposed to go more than 175." | "We weren't supposed to go more than 175." |
| Mueller-Korenek's record-breaking feat saw her ride her custom-made bike across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on 16 September. | Mueller-Korenek's record-breaking feat saw her ride her custom-made bike across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on 16 September. |
| She had set the women's record - 147 mph - in 2016, and apparently had her eye on the 167mph record set by Dutchman Fred Rompelberg back in 1995. | She had set the women's record - 147 mph - in 2016, and apparently had her eye on the 167mph record set by Dutchman Fred Rompelberg back in 1995. |
| And, as she followed a racing car driver in a dragster across the flats, Mueller-Korenek made toppling the record look easy. | And, as she followed a racing car driver in a dragster across the flats, Mueller-Korenek made toppling the record look easy. |
| She released a video of the feat on her YouTube channel. | She released a video of the feat on her YouTube channel. |
| In order to reach her record-breaking speed, the former US national track, road and mountain bike champion was pulled along by tow rope at 100 mph, before being released to pedal herself. | In order to reach her record-breaking speed, the former US national track, road and mountain bike champion was pulled along by tow rope at 100 mph, before being released to pedal herself. |
| From that point she was riding in the slipstream of the dragster for 3.5 miles, achieving the record average of 183.9 mph over the last mile. | From that point she was riding in the slipstream of the dragster for 3.5 miles, achieving the record average of 183.9 mph over the last mile. |
| To put that in context, that's about the same speed a Boeing 747 is travelling just before it leaves the runway during take-off. | To put that in context, that's about the same speed a Boeing 747 is travelling just before it leaves the runway during take-off. |
| As a result of her feat, there are calls for Guinness World Records to stop listing separate men's and women's records for the event. | As a result of her feat, there are calls for Guinness World Records to stop listing separate men's and women's records for the event. |
| You may also like: | You may also like: |