There is hope.
Here’s the response I got back from the director of the event:
“Unicycles!?! Sounds crazy, but I like it! As far as I know this will be a first, but I will check with our club archivist and see what I can find out.”
Who would have thought that the US would be more liberal than the UK? Litigation against discrimination is the way forward- one wheelism is rife.
This might not be so much a UK/US distinction, as a big city/small town distinction.
Liability concerns are very much alive in the U.S. Actually, just this morning I was advising people not to even consider establishing a new snow mobile trail, due to the liability exposure. 
Hmmm. That sux.
In Perth I am allowed, by published policy, to take the uni on buses and the train even in peak hour. Perhaps you should move downunder.
I will be riding for the fifth time in the our Freeway Bike Hike (for charity). Never had any problems, just extra photo ops. I do however wear a helmet to keep on message.
In fact they even considered my request for making an exception and letting me start a little out of order so that I could make it in time on the giraffe. Knocked back but I haven’t given up on that yet.
Is there any rationale to their stand? Like it’s a lapathon of high speed riders in tight peleons or something? Narrow track where slow riders are a hazard? Anything to make sense of it at all? If not, you should be hitting the talkback radio stations and other media and make it uncomfortable for the organisers. I think having two grand in sponsors will certainly give you cred in the wider community if not with the charity organisers.
colinoldncranky . . . Moving down under . . .i have sugested it to my wife :). The only rational that I can see (or hear) from them is that in their Terms and Condidtions it states two wheels. Like i Said before . . .I have pointed out to them that they already breach their own T & C by inviting riders on three wheels.
Also the event is a charity ride - not a race.
I have sent in numerous photo’s of Unicyclists BHF cycle events (Thanks to those of you who sent me photo’s :)) and have asked them to consider creating an inclusive policy when updating their old one. As uni’s are already doing their events it seems insane that they would stick their heads in the sand.
The BHF is funded by the people , for the people, and if you did a poll of the people I think they would be in favour of unicyclysts being allowed to participate and contribute to the charity.
Maybe you should start a poll. Or get signatures, or walk around during the charity ride that day and do video interviews with riders and spectators about what they think of unicyclists.
And then show the organizers
Had yet another unproductive tel conv with the project mgr. She asured me that no unicyclys have been allowed to participate over the past two years - on her watch, since she’s been the Project Manager. Now just waiting for the written response - saying NO and wondering if they can subsantiate thier claims that a unicycle contravenes their duty of care to the other riders .
I will be writing to the board of directors and trustee’s of the BHF urging them to change things. Meanwhile, I am going to organise an alternative L2B ride ‘going one further’:). When i have more info i will post a new thread on the subject.
P.S. Any one wheelers doing the L2B this year (2011) beware - they have you in their sights! 
Tom,
you could always go with a tri-cyclist. Then you could tell them where your other wheel was!!!
Hope it works out for you, good luck.
James
Hopefully they change their minds but if they don’t, just do it anyways if it’s on public roads. They can’t do anything to stop you. Then donate all the money you raised to them with a letter stating that you did the ride on a unicycle “unofficially” and how great it was. And make sure you contact the press (news, newspapers) to tell your story as I’m sure it would get lots of interest. Then hopefully next year they change their minds. 
Had to laugh, I received an invite for the Gower bike ride today.
Had a quick look though the small print, couldn’t see anything about the number of wheels.
Any news on the London to Brighton event?
I once wanted to be in a bike parade event on my unicycle, and the rules specifically said that it wasn’t allowed. They also had rules about no modified bikes except for the handicapped, ect… I don’t know anything about the setup of this ride you’re talking about, but it turned out that the parade would have been tricky to keep properly paced in by unicycle. It was a single file line of bikes that had to keep a certain distance fender to fender, and it moved pretty quickly. There may be a reason like that that they’d rather not have unis. If not… good luck being allowed to ride! I also think letters to the newspaper editor might be a good idea.
When will the oppression end?
Turn Brighton into Tahrir!
Here’s another to add to your case
(btw the face on the shirt is tribute to an expatriot pom and a great mate, the legendary late Reg Bolton. Who says England never gave Australia anything worthwhile?)
Unfortunately for you they are probably on solid ground in classifying a trike as a bike while excluding a unicycle. In various state of the US and other places the common definition of a bike seems to be two or three wheels. None I have noted deviates from this. I would expect that Britain is no different.
In Western Australia where I live, a unicycle shares with skateboards the classification of “wheeled recreational device”. This enables me to ride on most local roads among other things as well as freeing me from the compulsory wearing of an approved helmet. But I am most definitely excluded from being a bicycle. All either states in Australia share a common set of laws by agreement.
Here is the latest Email From the British Heart Foundation regarding Unicycling and their events. Seems to me that they don’t know / aren’t aware of the developments in unicycling and what can be achieved (no big surprise really).
The British Heart Foundation aims to be as inclusive as possible. However, our primary concern for events is to ensure they are as safe as possible for all those taking part. With this in mind we need to be aware of the needs and restrictions of each different event, which sometimes leads us to having different safety policies across the events programme.
You are right, unicyclists can add an exciting extra dimension to an event; generating media interest and grabbing the imagination of the general public. However, these benefits need to be weighed up against any safety concerns.
For our regional events like the Gower Bike Ride, for any participant who contacts with an unusual request (such as riding a unicycle, using a hand bike or even dressing in fancy dress) we would aim to accommodate them on the event. This could include recommending alternative approaches if we had concerns resulting from their activity which could impact on the safety of them, other participants, our staff or volunteers . Having spoken to the Gower Bike Ride’s present event organiser I believe that they have advised unicyclists that the main ride was not suitable as it used main roads over a hilly terrain. However, if they did want to take part they should take the shorter route which was flatter and based on cycle paths. This is the approach we would take if the situation arose at other BHF organised events.
Due to its scale, the London to Brighton Bike Ride is a unique event within the BHF’s calendar. Each year 28,000 riders take part; they ride on roads which are not always closed, climb and descend steep hills and ride in close proximity to each other. I am sure you appreciate that this brings its own set of safety issues and related controls. It is for this reason that the terms and conditions of entry for the Bike Ride are different to our other regional events, such as the Gower Bike Ride.
It is for the reasons stated above, that we limit the type of bikes people use on the ride to either conventional bikes, tandems and modified bikes for riders with disabilities.
I am very sorry if you feel that you have been misled in any way or that the BHF is doing the unicycle community a disservice. I can assure you that this has not been a deliberate, and hope that the above helps to explain our position.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your enthusiasm for the London to Brighton Bike Ride. I do appreciate that our decision will not be the answer that you are looking for, but hope that you will still decide to join us on the Ride – even if it’s not on your vehicle of choice.
Best wishes.
In the UK our laws mean that a unicycle should be ridden on the road, and are now subject to the same laws as bicycles.
Now that is a real answer. Looks like maybe not this year, but you’ve put it in their mind and maybe next year they will let unicyclists
I trust that doesn’t include Wales…
I was talking to someone at work the other day who was buying a bike purely to do the London to Brighton, and he seemed amazed and excited that unicyclists could ride it as well. Seems his excitement will be short lived…
Oh well, I will continue to tempt people into buying unicycles instead of the bikes I am employed to sell :D, just wont mention this lol
That guy appears to be wearing a rider number. An official entry?
From the letter, it seems they are concerned that unicycles either won’t be able to make it the distance, or can’t ride hills. If they thought something other, such as being too unstable or slow, they sure did not say it in the letter.
Again, I would have stopped wasting my time with them by this point, and entered events that were more uni-friendly. But if you want to continue pursuing it, I recommend showing them some images from Ride the Lobster, or one of our Unicon 10k races where there are lots of riders in a small space. Meanwhile, I still get the impression that the route is a public thoroughfare and unless it is closed to all other traffic, you are legally not barred from riding it.
Like this?
