This is the thread for people from around the world looking for team mates for Ride The Lobster (the 800km 5 day unicycle race in Nova Scotia, Canada, June 16-20, 2008).
We will be accepting team registrations starting Jan 1, 2008. At that time, you’ll need to have all team members (3 riders plus one non-riding Support person), and your riders will need to have qualified and filled out the Qualifying Ride form.
So the first thing is to find your team mates! Many people are not fortunate enough to live amongst many long distance unicyclists, and if that’s you, please post your name, location and info about what you’re looking for in this thread. The rule that all teammates should be from the same country can certainly be broken if there aren’t enough interested riders from your country. It’s easier to ride with someone close by, but not required. Don’t forget you need 3 riders plus one support person. The support person is really like your team captain - the person who goes to the mandatory daily race meetings and makes sure everything goes smoothly for the racers.
The next email update (goes out to everyone who filled out the Interest form) will contain a link to this thread.
Right now we are working hard on the registration process itself: web site, convenient way to pay the registration fee, etc. Details will be available soon on that.
I’m looking for 2 team mates who will take it serious, but have fun.
I’ve been long distance unicycling for over 3 years now, and went on the New Zealand unicycle tour earlier this year. I’ve got thousands of miles under my belt, and love the sport! I will hopefully have a geared unicycle before RTL which I will use in conjunction with my current 36 set up.
Being relatively close to me is a plus, but it seems most of the riders that are 6 hours or less away from me already have teams, so I guess I will have to look further.
Shoot me a PM, I need to get a team set up so I don’t miss out on this event! It will be fun seeing some familiar faces from the NZ tour.
Need a team here as well. I am from Toronto Canada and I am riding in the race from more of a fun standpoint. If I get out there and find out I am able to keep up with faster people I may try to compete. I have never done a long distance tour on a unicycle, however, I have done extensive bike touring including a ride across Nevada widthwise unassisted.
I have just sold my bedford 29’ which I used to commute 5km on everyday. The only long distance ride I have done is a 40km day ride in and around Toronto on my 29’. I am now looking for a nimbus 36 to buy before the comp.
If anyone in my area would like to be my teammate I would love to go out and do the qualifying ride.
If you live in my area and are worried I am not competitive enough for your riding style, I would also be glad to join a more competitive team as I know that I wouldn’t mind taking that approach to the race if thats how my teammates wish to.
PM me if you are interested.
For anyone lucky enough to live near Toronto, contact Darren Bedford. He is helping a number of teams from there and is going to be providing repairs and spare parts for all teams during the race. He accompanied us to Nova Scotia on our preview trip in Sept. Reach him (phone is probably best) at http://www.bedfordunicycles.ca/
We very much want to encourage fun teams as well as competitive teams. We have changed the prize money to go down to 10th place instead of 5th. We also want to have some kind of award for the “Best Team” where “Best” has nothing to do with speed. Or it’s the “Most Fun Team” or something like that. I am aware of many people who are planning to enter and don’t have a shot at being in the top of the time standings. Many people just want to be part of such a momentous event.
The way it’s looking right now, we don’t have a maximum on the number of teams (although that could change). So there is room for all types of teams; get going finding team mates, qualifying, training etc.
Please keep this thread on track: Finding team mates.
I’m sitting here sipping a sweet & cold limoncello having just finished a qualifying ride write-up from road-work done yesterday and today (see Lobster Qualifying Rides thread) . Though I initially qualified at the start of September, I failed to write it up in a timely fashion and so used this excuse to go at it again.
Barring any nasty accidents (which I’ve never had), I expect to be in very good form come June 2008 Lobster time. And I’m looking for teammates. I’m competitive but not myopic. I want to have fun too. We all do, I’m sure. On the matter of raw endurance ability, I would hope to find teammates that match the s**t that I have - that’s the most that I could ask for.
Feel free to ring me up @ 612-245-2511 if you want to have a chat about aspirations/attitudes/etc. I’m open to teammates from anyplace - I speak English, Spanish & Portuguese (in that order of competency).
I’m mentally committed to purchasing a Schlumpf in the near future (I’ve had a three day go with a Schlumpf 29er). Though guni’s may not change the very top standings much, I think that teams in the field with guni-ability will be better off of it! On the matter of new model guni’s, I just received this email from Florian Schlumpf two days ago;
"Dear Dan,
we are close to start production of the second serie of uni hubs. These come with 100mm distance from centerlines of left to right bearings.
There is also no need for a torque lever.
This may fit your Nimbus frame quite better.
Name: Sid Rajan
Nationality: India (haven’t met any riders from India yet).
Current Location: Melbourne, Australia
Email: dennelli84 (at) yahoo.com
Unicycle: 36" Deluxe Coker. Will be buying a T7 handle soon.
Experience: Unicycled in 8 countries. Been on 2 Uni tours in Laos and India/ Pakistan. My 3rd Tour will be Uninam.
I’ll ride for anyone Competitive or fun…No fuss! It’ll be cool to at least get an Aussie team going but as I said I’ll ride for anyone. Also, once maybe all the US/Canadian riders sort themselves out… there might be a place for me ;)Haven’t done the qualifying ride yet but will get on it Dec./Jan during training for Uninam. Cheerio.
Name: Geoff Elder
Age: 45
Nationality: New Zealand
Current Location: Vermont (lived in the US 20 years)
Would love to ride with a US team or a New Zealand team since either would seem to apply. My wife would be happy to be the support person if needed (she’s a nurse but hopefully those skills wouldn’t be needed).
I’m a very competitive person but looking at this as an opportunity not to be missed since I’m actually new to unicycling and don’t have the experience (or age) to be truly competitive.
My main sports background is Mt Biking including two 24 hour races (1st place team out of 40 teams, and also an 8th out of 21 in a solo race!)
I’ll be riding as much as possible through the VT winter and hope to get in qualifying rides as soon as ability, fitness and more importantly, weather, allows…
We have 4 people. 2 with a high probability of being there, 1 (I think) with a moderate probability and 1 with a slightly less probability. So depending on how things work out, we may end up needed another member, or if we’re lucky there’ll be two NZ teams.
Have a look on the NZ forums: www.unicycle.org.nz
Here are my details:
Name: Ken Looi
Nationality: New Zealand
Current Location: Various locations around NSW, Australia
Email: ken atlissica.com
Unicycle: 36" Diet Coker, 29" Schlumpf
Experience: Current Marathon Road Race World Champ, #2 in 10km, ex 24hr and 1hr record holder. And much faster now than I was last year
Hey, I’m hoping to find a team thats more on the fun side than competitive. I’m willing to push myself hard but im not sure that would be enough to keep pace with the best.
It might be cool to get an all minors team together. It’d be fun to be the underdog in the race and see how far we can push ourselves.
either way, I’m thinking about qualifying this weekend if weather permits, but if anyones interested,
Hey, I’m hoping to find a team thats more on the fun side than competitive. I’m willing to push myself hard but im not sure that would be enough to keep pace with the best.
It might be cool to get an all minors team together. It’d be fun to be the underdog in the race and see how far we can push ourselves.
either way, I’m thinking about qualifying this weekend if weather permits, but if anyones interested,
Hi, my name is Dave (hi, Dave) and, like most people on this thread, I have a problem.
I need to find a RTL team.
On the plus side, I’m definitely serious: my wife is assisting with organizing the volunteers; my Father-in-law already has a room reserved for the week to cheer everyone on, and (most importantly) I’ve already completed the qualifying ride and writeup. Look under USA and “Dave Krack” (yes that is my real last name and we are the only “Krack house” in the local phone directory).
On the minus side: I’m relatively new to distance unicycling (only been at it for about a year), although I guess my annual bike mileage is around 7000 miles- on fixed gears and singlespeeds 95%+ of the time. I also don’t yet have a 36er as my Nimbus 36 should be arriving early next week.
Check the speedgoat.com blog (scroll down a bit) for a pic of me before and after the ride if visuals matter to you.
I live in the hills of Western, PA where long distance unicycling is just slightly more popular than unicorn wrestling. Local being a relative word, I’d love to be on a team that will individually do their best, yet have a great time doing so. Stressing out over standings doesn’t sound like much fun. I do plan on riding as fast as I possibly can over the week and being a team player wherever that puts us in the standings.
RTL looks awesome. Determined not to miss out on qualifying, I completed the qualifying ride on my KH 29er with the Kenda Klaw tire and 150mm cranks.
Training should be easier on the 36er.
Update on the 36er: It’s in! Wow, big wheeled fun! I’ve been putting some commuting miles and errand miles in on the Nimbus. Currently sorting out the brake issue and waiting for the roads to dry from the snow. I’m on the KH 29 until then- boy does it seem small now!
I look forward to seeing everyone in Nova Scotia next June!
We’re both vaguely fit riders who ride every day, so like not looking just to go for the ride, but maybe not likely top 5 contenders unless we get a lot of training in.
Possibly. I definitely want to do RTL, and after living in the UK last year I figure I can qualify as an honorary brit. I’m a pretty good distance rider with a one-day max of 120 miles. I’m not going to beat the fastest riders, but I can do a reasonable pace.
I’m living in Woodinville Washington now so a west coast of the US/Canada team would probably be better if that pans out, but let’s see.
I really hope so, We talked back in May and agreed to be teammates but I have been unable to get ahold of her since. I don’t know if she checks her PMs.
Assuming she is in I have a team but have been thinking lately that we should be looking at our options for other riders. if anyone sees her on the forms could you tell her to get ahold of either me or flyer?
Mark Wiggins and I have recently qualified, but don’t yet have a third team member. While we would of course love to win the race, it is probable that beer will be something of a distraction, especially for me*, so if you are a deadly earnest competitive uber-athlete … Well, good luck in finding a team.
If you are a non-superman (and/or woman), and fancy poddling along with us, please get in touch. We don’t bite, and we don’t smell (much - it all depends on the recent level of consumption of brassicas).
Al
All of my thoughts about Nova Scotia have so far been predicated on the assumption that there are many hostelries of some sort along the route. Am I going to arrive to find an alcoholic wilderness? No doubt we can send the support vehicle via the shops in this eventuality.
Competitive or fun…No fuss! It’ll be cool to at least get an Aussie team going but as I said I’ll ride for anyone. Also, once maybe all the US/Canadian riders sort themselves out… there might be a place for me ;)Haven’t done the qualifying ride yet but will get on it Dec./Jan during training for Uninam. Cheerio.
She might be busy getting prepared for RTL or something.