It wasn’t really that well planned, but its been something I’d been meaning to do at some point…
Ride the 9.5 miles from home to work.
The journey went something like this:
Grab breakfast, wear cycling top and shorts, get 2 x 500ML bottles of water, a banana, first aid kit, phone, wallet and shove it all in a cycling backpack… & get out the house before the kids wake up. Standing outside the house, its 6.20am - early moring Sun and fairly warm. Jump on 24" Nimbus unicycle and go!
Get to the end of the street and turn following my usual route that I normally ride on a Bicycle. Thoughts: I must be mad, this is a really slow way of travelling, I’ll never make it. I’ll catch the bus if I can’t make it (my bail out plan).
The next mile is not good, adverse cambers on the pavements make for scrappy riding - I ride on road where I can. Still feels really slow. Then it all seems to get better - I’m in the flow of it at last. Rest at halfway point for 5 minutes: drink and eat banana.
Roadie-type cyclists (lycra, sports bike, no luggage) ignore me when I’m riding my bicycle, but they continue to ignore me even when I’m riding a Unicycle! Strange lot.
3 miles to go. Thoughts: Hey, I think I can actually make this! Adrenaline kicks in.
1 mile to go. Legs are getting quite tight now, have to stop for more water and rest bum and legs.
Arrive 8.00am. I made it… Wow! (collapse in a sweaty heap). The return trip will be… on the bus!
Conclusion:
- Hard work, get a bigger wheel, shorter cranks
- Route by Unicycle is 40 minutes longer than by Bicycle
- Unicycle tick list: ride to work - TICK
