World Record: At 183.9 MPH, the Bicycle You Ride Is the Difference Between Life and Death

Folks, Denise Korenek, is officially known the world over because of her record-setting feat back in 2018. However, her name was already set in stone in the cycling world. With a background in downhill racing, being sponsored by KHS, and even snatching podium standings in two World Championships, the cycling gods couldn't have picked a better person for the job.

But 2018 wasn't the first time Korenek worked her magic. Back in 2016, she became the world's First Women's Record Holder in the Paced Bicycle class. Yes, the incredible record set was achieved under certain conditions, in particular, that of riding behind a pace car, which does what the name intends but, more importantly, creates a slipstream for the cyclist in which air resistance and drag are no longer a factor.

Now, physics and sheer burning muscle aside, there's another all-important factor to consider: the bicycle itself. Remember, this thing has no electric assistance whatsoever, so plenty of magic had to be conjured to design and build a machine capable of achieving this feat.

To do so, since Denise was and probably still is sponsored by KHS, they stepped in and paid for what would become her steed. But don't go expecting some normal bicycle; no way! To put up with the stress exerted on such a machine at these speeds, the whole idea of a classic bike goes out the window.

While I wasn't able to find a whole lot of information on just how this bike was built - except that Len Lochmiller handcrafted it in conjunction with SDWheelworks - my own experience with such machines can tell us a bit about what's going on, and it all starts with carbon fiber. Judging by the weldless tubing and that funky rear construction, there's no other material but carbon fiber being used.

Part two of the backbone is the wheels. To ensure that Denise didn't go flying off her bicycle, KHS decided to build around 17-inch wheels. This is done to help bring her closer to the ground for more stability. Oh, and since bicycle parts aren't designed to handle such stresses and speeds, motorcycle wheels and tires were used for the feat.

Another aspect of the bike that needs some attention is the fork and the front of the whole thing. Since speed is the name of the game, changes were made in the shape of a slack head tube angle for stability and a short-travel fork to reduce vibrations. Again, it looks ripped right off a motorcycle, but some downhill bicycles can rock something this beefy.

Now, if you've ever ridden a motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard, rollerblade, or anything of the sort, you know what happens at higher speeds: the wobbles. It's not an event you're going to enjoy, I can assure you that. To eliminate the physics that unleashes this often neck-breaking event, a steering stabilizer was used.

A few other small components I'd like to point out are things like the rim/V-brakes spotted on the rear wheel, the shock integrated into the seat post to reduce vibrations, and that extra piece of carbon hanging off the front of the bike, to be used in pulling this bugger up to speeds that allow the drive train to be engaged.

Speaking of drivetrains, this is the final and most crucial component in this story. If you've ridden bicycles before, you know how important it is to have the proper gearing for any sort of riding. Heck, try hitting 35 mph with a single-speed. How about 50 mph with multiple gears? Even professional cyclists barely graze 50 mph in short bursts.

If you happened to explore the images in the gallery and focused on the bike's drivetrain, you noticed that it's way different than what you and I ride. It's called double reduction gearing, and this particular setup was built by Todd Schusterman of daVinci Designs, AKA daVinci Tandems.

Wait a minute, I've heard of this crew before. Oh yeah, I brought to light one of their machines back in 2022. It's a tandem bike dubbed the Symbiosis. It's a full-suspension machine, and comparing the double reduction drivetrain to other daVinci tandems, it's clear that Schusterman was up for the job.

But there's a problem with this type of gearing: there's literally no way you can take off on your own. So, this is where the chase car driven by Shea Holbrook comes in. To get up to speed, Denise is pulled by Shea, and once she can start to move the drivetrain, she's unhooked and let loose to show the world just what the human body, mind, and spirit can achieve: 183.9 mph (296 kph) on a friggin bicycle! Talk about adrenaline.

Since that fateful day in 2018, this record seems to have stood its ground. But the real question here is: just for how long? These days, there are countless manufacturers that could take on breaking this record. So, where are they? Maybe you whip up a bike with double reduction gearing in your garage, and pretty soon, we're writing a story about you.