HI i am a newcomer to this website…so forgive me
But i am planning to ride from John O’groats to land’s end (about 900 miles)
this summer on my 36" nimbus nightrider
and was wondering if anyone had any tips on modifications to the unicycle
and if you have done it before any routes
Also, if you have done a long distance ride any advice on how to carry tents etc.
Thanks
Cosmo
If you use the “search” feature at the top of the page and type in Lands end or O’groats I’m sure that some recent info will be displayed.
Yes, a group of regulars from this forum just did it in about 7 days. There’s a long thread about it.
Good luck.
The best way to carry tents, etc is on the bike of one of your companions.
But what if i am doing it solo
Are you camping or hotel/hosteling it?
If you are hoteling, then you need to work out a route with all the stops planned and places booked.
If you are camping, it’s much easier. Have a route planned and then ride until you want to stop. Find somewhere to camp, or someone to stay with. Pubs are a great place to end the day. Someone with either know good place to park up, or will offer you a floor to sleep on. CouchSurfing is also good, but a little more difficult as you have to contact them in advance.
I use a hammock for camping. It’s lightweight, versitile and you don’t need to carry poles. It usually lives round my hub, but I think it’s causing my spokes to break.
Speaking of spokes. A great place to store your spare spokes, is to tape them to the down tubes of you frame. I normally carry two spares and poke the heads into the expansion holes on the nightrider frame.
I also travel pretty light. A 30 litre backpack, a change of riding clothes, shorts to pull on over my lycra, a fleece, food for a day and a half (In England, you’re never that far from a supermarket. It might be different in Scotland), some basic tools, small med kit, wash kit, and a light sleeping bag and cut down roll mat strapped to the back of my T7 handle.
There’s probably more, but that’s all I can think of for now.
Mods to make to your uni?
Do you have a handle, they are really useful for distance rides.
If you find the saddle is killing you after a long day riding, you can make a air-cushioned seat with a 12" innertube and some material. I’m sure there are some great tutorials on here.
Swapping the heavy 36" innertube for a 29", or maybe even a good quality 26" tube will reduce the weight of the wheel and allow for better acceleration. Again, tutorials are around.
Going tubeless might be an option, but I have no idea about the reliability.
Best advice I can think of is to train a lot for this. Ride out on Friday/Saturday, camp the night somewhere, and then ride home again. Ride a lot throughout the week and build up your distance, speed, and the amount of weight you are carrying.
Thanks