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Denise Mueller sets new Women’s Cycling World Speed Record

  • Ron 

California bicyclist Denise Mueller set a women’s world speed record here on Saturday, hitting 147 miles per hour while pedaling a highly specialized bike behind a pace car.

Mueller set the Woman’s Paced Bicycle Land Speed Record while drafting a vehicle driven by professional auto racer Shea Holbrook across Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. Holbrook’s precision driving, just inches ahead of Mueller’s front wheel, punched a hole in the air, minimizing wind resistance for Mueller.

Mueller is coached by U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame member John Howard, a three-time Olympian, 20-time National Champion and previous Paced Bicycle Land Speed Record holder. Howard set a land speed record of 152.2 miles per hour in 1985, also on the Bonneville Salt Flats and drafting a dragster.

Mueller’s bike was custom built by Chris Garcia of SD Wheel Works with technical support from DaVinci Bikes and KHS Bicycles.  It includes a range of technologies that enable Mueller to maintain stability and minimize wobble at high speeds while generating maximum power. These innovations include double-reduction gearing, massive 60 tooth chainrings, custom built 17-inch dragster wheels with s haved tires, an elongated frame, steering stabilizers, and a BodyFloat isolation seatpost that dampens harmonics and vibrations, ensuring a smooth pedaling cadence and optimal traction at speed.

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Mueller, 43, of Carlsbad, Calif., is an accomplished bicycle and motosports racer, the current National Criterium Champion, and a 15-time National Champion, as well as a mother of three. “The BodyFloat isolation seatpost is an incredible performance enhancer that helps me stay connected and smooths my spin.  It allows me to keep the bike extremely stable underneath me,” Mueller said. “I urge anyone who wants to go faster, and be more comfortable, to check it out.”

“Denise is an incredible athlete and we are proud to be part of this incredible event,” said Charlie Heggem, co-founder of Cirrus Cycles and co-inventor of the BodyFloat isolation post. “BodyFloat is well known for its comfort-enhancing properties, but this world record highlights its uncanny ability to enhance performance, power and speed on a bicycle.”

On Monday and Tuesday, Mueller will attempt to top 147 mph and beat her coach’s old record of 152.2. “We fully expect her to beat 152 and maybe hit 155.” The men’s world record, 167 mph, was set in 1995 by Fred Rompleberg of the Netherlands. “We don’t have enough track to beat the men’s world record,” Howard says. “We’ve got four miles and we’d need six.”

This is the second world record set on BodyFloat in recent months. In August, Ravi Kempaiah set a Guinness World Record by riding 5,000 miles in 34 days on an electric bike equipped with the BodyFloat isolation post.

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