How This Woman Plans to Become the Fastest Person on a Bike

[Narrator] Two years ago,

Denise Mueller-Korenek

set a new speed record, on her bike.

But it wasn't on a regular bike or on the track.

It was on this.

And she was pedaling at nearly the speed

that a Boeing 737 hits during take off.

It's like a nirvana that's like

I don't get to feel that that often

and it was so awesome.

[Narrator] Mueller-Korenek was pulled

behind a car to 90 miles an hour

across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats

before she released her tow cord

and began pedaling under her own power

in the vehicle's draft

and became the first woman

to ride 147 miles per hour on a bicycle.

Now, she wants to become

the fastest person on a bike.

And I'm going out to set the ultimate record

and beat 167 miles an hour.

Athletes when they talk about being in the zone,

it's because the world shuts off

everywhere except for what you're in the midst of.

And when I was behind the vehicle in 2016,

the focus that is necessary,

it is a life and death situation

so there is nothing else going on.

[Narrator] That singular focus

and the thrill of extreme speed

have drawn a select group of daredevils

for more than a century.

There are not very many people

who have done this record.

There were no other women before myself in 2016

that have ever attempted this record.

And there's about probably close

to a dozen men that have done this since 1899

and in 1899, the first record holder

which is the one that established this

was Charlies Mile a Minute Murphy

and he did it behind a train.

They put planks down between the tracks

and he went a mile a minute,

so 60 miles an hour.

So he established this record,

they did it then in the early 1900s

behind motorcycles and since then

it's been done behind vehicles.

[Narrator] The vehicle creates

an air pocket that reduces the normal

air resistance on a fast rider.

At the back of the air pocket,

an area of greater pressure pushes

the bike forward.

And I'm floating forward and back.

When I'm sort of floating back,

I am pushing everything I can into those cranks

to where I don't shoot out the back end of the draft.

When I hit the back end of the draft,

it's like catching that wave,

sort of pushes me forward

and now I'm light pedaling

because I don't want to slam into

the rear of the vehicle.

[Narrator] The current record

set by Dutch rider, Fred Rompelberg

is 167 miles per hour.

Mueller-Korenek thinks she can beat it.

Her bike is getting tuned up

and she's headed back to the Salts

with a plan to become the fastest person

on two wheels.

Breaking this record actually would

be huge on multiple levels.

Personally because it's a goal we set out.

But number two is there's few records out there

where no matter if you're female or a male,

that you can compete fairly on

and this is one of those records.

[Narrator] She took me to the track

to show me how she trains

by riding to nearly 40 miles an hour

behind an electric motorcycle.

Naturally, I had to try it myself.

We hit about 30

and I was trying to keep tight

on his back wheel

'cause you wind up getting

a lot of free speed if you slip

right into his draft.

I can't imagine doing that at,

you know, five or six times that speed.

To go that fast,

you need a fast car so we went

to the custom auto shop

where the drag racer that she's going

to draft behind is being rebuilt.

This is my workspace.

This is where you're gonna spend your time.

So you've got that metal bumper

out on the front of the bike

that's covered in green tape.

And that'll just come up,

hit right up against this.

Let you ride up as close as you want.

Yes but really a lot of people go

oh my gosh, you're hitting something

at a 150 or 70 miles an hour

and it's like, not really

'cause I'm going 150,

it may be going 150 too,

it's a two mile an hour really bump

so it's a very small...

It's a two mile per hour tap

at 150 miles an hour.

Exactly.

[Narrator] And she even let me try to ride

the ridiculous bike

she'll be using in her record attempt.

Come on pedal, pedal, pedal!

Go, go, go!

It's a single gear bicycle,

custom made and there's no way

to turn that gear because

you only have one gear.

It's like having a car that only has overdrive.

You're not gonna pull out of

the parking lot in overdrive,

you have to get to a speed where that engine

can then crank the gear.

I'm literally pedaling as hard as I can.

I don't know if you can see this,

my leg is off,

I'm putting all my weight (laughs).

Just doesn't work that well, does it?

There you go!

One more round on your own (laughs).

(groaning)

Oh he's doing very well.

[Narrator] Everything about the bike

is custom designed for extreme speed.

It has double reduction gearing

that makes it nearly impossible to ride

until it's going more than 50 miles an hour.

The carbon fiber frame is extra long

and stable and built around 17 inch motorcyle tires

that can withstand ludicrous speeds

on abrasive salt.

There's even a specifically made

tow hitch release.

Of course, if you're gonna pedal

at triple digit speeds, you don't do it

in regular cycling clothes.

If, god forbid, anything were to happen

and I go down,

I need to slide it out.

And if I'm wearing just lycra,

that's not gonna feel very good.

'Cause it's salt too.

Talk about salt in the wound, right?

Anyhow, so I'm wearing an eight pound,

leather, kevlar and neoprene suit.

[Narrator] Mueller-Korenek has sponsors

supporting her new record attempt.

Here's how it will go down.

I start from zero miles per hour

attached and tethered to the vehicle.

I have to be towed up to a speed

at which my legs can turn that gear over

and so I release right around the mile

to mile and a quarter mark

at about 90 miles an hour

and I stay in the draft.

[Narrator] If all goes according to plan,

Mueller-Korenek will set a new record,

riding faster than 167 miles per hour.

I wanna do at least 170 miles an hour.

Of course the closer we get

and the more everybody has their input,

they're like you can do 195.

I think you can do 200!

I was like okay,

let's at least get to the 170

and I'll be happy with that.

(upbeat music)