Hi folks,
I ran into Geoff in Manly on Saturday, who spotted me wheeling my 29" through the crowds.
He told me of a group of Unis riding in the Multiple Sclerosis Australia charity ride on 2nd November.
http://www.msaustralia.org.au/gongride
I had planned to ride the short course (56km from Heathcote.)
Can we arrange to bump into each other en route?
I live in Manly, so if anyone is ever up for a little Manly Dam MUni,
drop me a PM 
bump.
I might actually be able to join you guys! Depending on when I get my visa I should be moving to Sydney mid to end October, and I will be bringing my kh36 with me. I imagine this type of ride would be a pretty good introduction to Australia!
Tomorrow I get my chest x-rays (Australia is terrified of tuberculosis for some reason), and then I play the waiting game.
Anyway, hopefully I will be down under and supporting MS … though I don’t know if I can do the 90km route … and how do you get back to Sydney afterwards anyway???
Tynan
I am keen to do the Syd-Gong ride as long as it does not clash with my university exam timetable. If it is all clear i am keen to hit up the 90km option.
mark
Thanks for the replies guys,
I’m riding a 29" & expect to take around 8 hours for the ride, including breaks.
So I was hoping to start early, perhaps 6 or 7am from Heathcote.
I think Geoff was hoping to have a geared 36" for the trip, & was riding the full 86km. I expect he’ll fly past me mid-morning.
If the speeds & starting points keep us apart, maybe we can meet up for a coldy afterwards?
Hey Laef!
There’s a facebook event that i’m using to organize the ride here.
http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=39956783656
Join the Sydney Unicyclist team on the MS website:
http://register.gongride.org.au/?Sydney%20Unicyclists
I’d like to go the full 96km (hopefully florian will have my hub ready by then) but have considered dropping down to do the 56km (or just starting early) so we can ride as a group!
Def will be grabbing a beer or two once we make it down there.
Getting back is pretty easy, just jump on the train (unless you already live in the gong [nudge UoW nudge!])
My ph/email details are on facebook.
Tynan; awesome news cya soon!
Geoff
This is it folks, in five days Laeth and myself will be taking part in the 2008 MS Gong Ride on our unicycles along with 11,623 other bicyclists. Laeth will be doing the 56km option from Heathcote on his fixed UDC 29" wheel and I will doing the full 84km on my fixed Nimbus 36inch wheel as my new schulmpf unicycle hub won’t arrive in time unfortunately.
Going the distance is one thing but getting down there in one piece is the challenge, the Sydney to the Gong is known by some as the craziest and most dangerous thing you can do on a bike, as descending into the park at Waterfall and then down Bald Hill can be very hazardus. There will be no overtaking roadies down from the summit of Kelly’s Mountain (Chuck) as there have been some serious casualties in previous years events so we will be taking it extra easy for those two descents.
Getting back from the Gong to Sydney is almost harder than getting down but the current plan is to visit a few local pubs afterwards for a few drinks whilst the slowly trains clear out the majority of the entrants.
So for anyone who can consider making a donation for MS, please click here to goto our team page to contribute and for those who already have - THANKYOU.
Cheers, Geoff
Bah! I wish I could make it!! I arrive in Sydney on the 5th, so close yet so far!!!
Hope you guys have a blast, and maybe I’ll be able to ride in it next year!
Tynan
Good luck Nexty and Dangerlaef I hope you have a good ride.I feel like a dirty stop out for not putting my hand up for the Gong ride but I have my reasons.1/I have ridden the Gong four times on a bike and each time it took longer to get home than it took to ride.2/With bikes being crammed onto the trains it blocks off access to the toilet so re hydrating is problematic.3/At Heathcote and Bald Hill riders are marshalled and released behind a police car in large blocks causing major congestion.4/The longest distance I have ridden on my relatively new 36 is around 20km. 5/I hate crowds.
I am still up for a ride with you guys sometime but not this one.
Mission accomplished…
I completed 56km through the Royal National Park’s hilly terrain in 7 hours on a Nimbus 29"
Geoff rode the 90k course in 9 hours on his 36"… we think he is the first unicyclist to ride the whole course.
It was amazing just how much positive feedback we got,
…apparently I am “a hero,” “a legend” & to one bloke I was “a hellman”
Woo hoo. Lots of fun…
& we raised $610 dollars between us for MS research.
Fantastic achievement dangerlaef and nexty(Geoff).Congratulations:)
Good work guys 
I might have to join you next year.
The video of my ride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=magizTRgiI0
Unfortunately I didn’t get any video of Geoff’s more epic journey.
top video,more like a documentary.
Bravo! superb , i must say. loved the video too, particularly for the look on peoples’ faces
It’s that time of year again!
I have entered into the 2009 sydney to the gong to raise money for MS Australia.
To pitch in or for more details:
http://register.gongride.org.au/?ghuntley
Will be using a KH36 w/125mm schlumpf.
