Are you trying to offend me?
can you sign in with your bike, then switch right before the race?
You can mount a second wheel on your handlebar–perhaps an inline skate wheel. It would be useful for rolling the uni along and for avoiding impact to more delicate parts of the cycle in a UPD. If they want two wheels then give them two wheels. 
Scott
I’m sure it’s a concern for potential liability and/or lack of insurance coverage. Many people have the impression that unicycles are inherently dangerous (including me, actually, before I learned to ride :p). One uninsured damages claim can not only kill the profits for the event, but also actually kill the event altogether for the future. Damn lawyers.
When I bought my first uni (not so long ago), I didn’t realize what a bunch of subversive, anti-establishment bad-asses I was throwing my lot in with! I’ll know better if and when I sign up for a charity ride…register as a biker and emerge from the bushes (with fake mustache) on the uni! Ride on brothers and sisters!
Wait what?! Do all those bikers with aftermarket water bottle cages know about this?
i can see the organizers worry. they are probably afraid all the bikes will have to weave around you and surely cause an accident. so they should let you start after the bikes take off… chances are you will not be in their way.
Having had a day to think about it, I think that for starters, they should have their terms and conditions on their website, and not only given when one applies to go on the ride. Think it’s called ‘Transparency’ 
(big deal for large organisations). I had bought my 36" Nimbus ‘Impulse’ Unicycle with ‘Shadow’ Handle especially for the event (although even without the event its a great cycle), and have been training for over 3 months.
Secondly, I now feel it is my duty on behalf of the unicycling fraternity to enlighten the British Heart Foundation with regard to the role that we could (and should) be able to play within their drive to raises money for their cause.
I am considering writing to the chief executive and the board of trusties to see if they are able to get their heads around the concept of allowing unicycles to contribute and to change the terms and conditions so that instead of saying ‘Two wheels’ it should say 'Three (for the handicapped who use hand cranks), Two, (for those who still use a training wheel:)), and One wheel.
Let me know you thoughts on the matter.
a letter is good… but a face to face meeting would be better. but be sure to hit them with a plan, such as a different start time for alternative entrants. they may not be enlightened as to what kind of uni you will ride… they may think you are a clown with a 10" wheel. show them pics and give stats as to distance and speeds attainable on your ike. on the other hand they may just be hard-headed or jealous and it won’t matter what you do. but go for it.
Are you suggesting that 6’ giraffes are unsafe? 
Speed-wise, they’re way safer than a bicycle.
They might already know about it. All it takes is one liability lawsuit to ruin ones’ day, potentially to the tune of millions of pounds, not a couple of thousand. It means they have chosen to go the conservative route. I have heard about some horrific bike crashes on these large group events; some fatal, some life-changing. They’re worried that adding a unicycle to the mix could make them liable. Unfortunately, insurance companies have no data available to tell them not to be afraid of unicycles.
Yes, unless you’re the same person who already asked about using a unicycle… 
Yup, insurance companies don’t ride unicycles.
I would rather they didn’t. This would eliminate your “out” for showing up on ride day with a unicycle.
Interestingly, the events I’ve been in with unicycles have never banned unicycles in subsequent years. We’ve always been welcomed, especially after they’ve seen us in action. In the biggest event I’ve been in, the NYC 5-Boro Bike Tour, people on “odd vehicles” are invited to start at the front of the pack. This event is limited to a speed of 10 mph at the front though.
Unicycles in big bicycle events do not cause problems any different from any other cyclist. People ride slow or stop in the middle of the road, they weave, they ride in clumps and keep you from passing, they don’t pay attention, they break down. We can’t do any worse, really.
In the mountain bike races I’ve entered, the only time we cause a nuisance is if they have us start as a pack at the beginning. Then we’re in the way because everyone’s going to pass us pretty quick. After that, there’s usually plenty of room for passing, and we don’t take up any more room than a bike does. I’ve always gotten positive responses from mountain bike racers.
My recommendation for future events is to just show up. Go ahead and read their event rules and regulations, and abide by them. If they exclude unicycles, find a “better” event to enter. They may come around eventually, after a few years of press with unicycles in other events. Or we can hope for that.
Lastly, if the event is held on public roadways that are open, you are probably as legal to ride on those roadways as anyone else. The event called America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, at Lake Tahoe, filters riders through a section of road that’s closed to traffic in the morning. You have to be a registered rider to get through their checkpoint – until such time that the road is re-opened to traffic. Then you can have at it!
Yeah, what could there possibly be to worry about?
I was looking at it from the organizers point of view (assuming they know little or nothing about road unicycling) If I was is that position, the first thing that would come to my mind would be an image of a peleton of cyclists riding by and one clowner on a 6’ giraffe in full racing kit.
I love giraffes (and I’d like to ride one) but I think it would look more like mockery at a serious charity event (assuming it is serious, and not full of guys riding around covered in feathers and wearing funny hats, which could be its own fun charity too…)
I hope I am making some sense here, even though I don’t feel like it.
A unicyclist would just run that out 
The first mass-ride I ever entered was a March of Dimes “Super-ride”, a 75k event to raise money for the charity. I did the whole thing on my geared-up 6’ giraffe. And there were two of us riding those. We were the first to start and the last to finish. It was the longest ride I’d ever done for many years after that…
And also my first unicycling newspaper pic!
Interesting story, 75k on a giraffe is nuts! But I don’t think I’m explaining correctly. I am saying how I can see this as the mentality of the race organizer. I’d be fine with people riding their trikes and max skate bikes in it, seeing as that it’s for charity, but I’m not organizing the event 
All I meant to say in the first place, was that the organizer didn’t sound like they understood what he would be riding exactly. People are scared of things that they don’t have knowledge of.
I agree a letter is good. I am certain they are worried about insurance and think they are setting a presidence that would be difficult to change.
They obviously don’t know the largest cycle race in the UK, Mountain Meyhem accepts unicycles, so has the Polaris Challege has been accepting unicycles since 1997. There are also multiple races that have included unicycles, including the Warwick City Centre road race and the Dragon Ride. Many of the cycle rides in the UK have welcomed unicycles over the years, Manchester to Blackpool, London to Cambridge and Seahouses to Tynemouth are just examples. I also assume they have suitably forgotton that their own even has been welcoming unicycles for years.
Unicycles are a great way to raise money and add an additional challenge to the event. They are considerably safer than many of the bikes on the road, to say nothing of the absolute certaincy that they are a LOT safer than mixing handcrank wheelchairs and bikes being mixed together.
I would suggest that you use this as a positive move from them and use it for getting publisity and hence raise more money. Then do the ride on an alternative date… or even the same date (the ride is on public roads).
rogeratunicycledotcom . . .your absolutely right about using it as a positive
I had already sent and email (which she had up on her screen while when had the phone conversation) with photo’s attached of unicyclists doing the London to Brighton, one was even one of their own one’s with their logo and dates of the ride! (about this photo her response was that she had not been the organiser at the time and so was not responsible) I explained that unicyclists have been doing the ride for over a decade and outlined what kind of unicycle i would be riding, and that it was purpose built for distance . Her response was that she could not be held responsible for the actions of the marshals allowing them through the start gate, also she said that they may have joined further along the route.
Pointing out that the other races include uni’s will also be in my letter. Am also considering where it should be an open letter that includes the press, might see what the response to the letter is before i let fly.
There you go…
I agree that most people (including marshalls) will not only let a unicyclist participate, but will actively support and encourage . . .my point is that I want the BHF to change their Terms and Conditions.
I am drafting a letter to the Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees to ask them to re-evaluate their policy.
PLEASE Could anyone who has pictures of themselves doing the British Heart Foundation’s London to Brighton cycle ride send them to me. also anyone who has a copy of the Terms and Conditions . . .could they send them to me as well, THANKS:).
I didn’t ever receive the terms and conditions as we were being pre-registered by the person responsible for Celebrity Liaison and publicity (my team mate being a celeb).
I think that they should have the Terms and Conditions on the website for all to read . . . it doesn’t change the fact that if as a unicyclist you apply and get accepted you have already received them and therefore doesn’t affect the ‘I didn’t know’ situation.
I find it a bit scary that they won’t show their terms and conditions… I know it’s the BHF but still, so many people agree to those terms without having a clue what they are!
Just had a chat with my initial contact at the BHF, and they inform me that the organiser is going to call me back . . . Lets wait and see what they say.
Into the blue . . . thanks for the Photo’s
More Pics Please - Any British Heart Foundation cycle event.