I can lend you a battery… or even a lights set.Can’t do the race myself but my kit could…
Sarah
Stop it! I’m trying to think of excuses, not arrangements to go do it… 
When I saw Sam had replied I thought “Yay, he’ll do it, I’m saved!” only for him to cop out too. Exams, schmexams…
Phil
Joe, if none of the usual people are up for it I’m quite tempted to have a go at something like that. There are a couple of potential problems in that I’ve never ridden a unicycle in the dark or even raced a unicycle before, so I can’t promise that I’d be very good, but I do claim to be reasonably fit (when I haven’t got a sodding cold!) and usually ride everywhere as fast as I can go.
It’s the thought of being mown down by bikes that scares me… perhaps I should try a daylight race first to get used to the crowds. Mass-start road races on the bike used to scare the pants off me - I was more of a time-trialist.
But anyway, if you’re stuck for a partner I could probably be persuaded to give it a go. But if you find somebody with some experience (I’m surprised Roger hasn’t replied) I won’t be offended 
Rob
Phil,
I’ll be driving past you at some point before Christmas so I could drop off Keith’s & my lights on the way down from London, collect Sarah’s while I’m in Devon & drop those off too. Should I ask Paul Royle for his too?
Des (& Phil)
you could get a sleeper train on Friday night, and come back Sunday night to be back at work first thing Monday.
Hope I’ve been of help 
Mike
Before doing anything else I’ve mailed them to check whether unicyclists are allowed.
Phil, you can get a replacement battery for lumicycles from multicell for £40 http://www.multicell.co.uk/custom.htm lots of people recommend them.
You need to be careful about the polarity if you’re fitting the plug yourself, it’s apparently wired the opposite way to normal. If you do it wrong the charger will not work. Two batteries + a 10w bulb = 10 hours of light.
I’d also say it sounds to be hilly enough to justify riding munis rather than 29ers or cokers, so you’re less likely to injure yourself while night riding.
It looks like it might be a little hilly, although I’d guess they’d not use much higher than 1000 feet otherwise you’d be riding in the clouds for most of the race.
http://www.northernsights.net/strathpeffer-20.html
I have a new sleeping bag that’s rated as comfy down to -8C and usable down to -20 or so. This would be a good chance to use it. They’re apparently going to have hot water and a heated event tent available all through the 24 hours plus lots of bonfires to stay warm around.
Scotland is fantastic to ride in, big hills, mists, blizzards, rain, what more could you want?
As for training for a race like this, it’s only a couple of months away, so you’d need to be pretty fit already, and probably have at least some experience of night riding. Other than that, I’d train by riding lots. There’s nothing else to it. I’d say you’d probably want some experience of mountain conditions and a good waterproof jacket, they’re not saying bring survival bags for no reason.
Joe
Have you ever considered a job in the tourism industry? You’re a natural…
Phil
You’re probably right Joe - I was only volunteering as a last resort if you couldn’t find anybody else. Looks interesting though, much like home but probably colder
I haven’t done any proper competitive cycling since I drifted out of bike time trialling years ago (the nearest I’ve come to racing is Audax rides but they don’t really count) and I’m getting the urge to do some racing on the unicycle. I’ll have to have a go at some night riding on my own (I’m a bit chicken to risk breaking my bike lights that I need to get home from work:o ) and see how I get on, and perhaps think about entering a couple of races with more daylight…
Rob
The salisbury plains challenge is I think relatively near to you Rob. I think it was the first long race I entered. I did the 50K. It was very very muddy in parts as the course defrosted during the ride. I rode the 26 and that was the right choice as the 29er / coker would have been bogged down. Only the 50k route has off road riding, so you should do that one. It was a good ride, everyone was pretty friendly, and you’re unlikely to come last as there are some very slow bike riders who do it and the conditions make having a very low maintenance cycle very useful.
http://www.spambiking.co.uk/spam_spc2004.htm
Joe
Thanks for that Joe. I’ll have to look into that one.
Rob
Edit: Free bananas 
Got to be worth it just for those!
This looks like a good idea… I’ve been ponderin’ about another battery for a while anyway, so when on the bike I can have one light on my head and one on the bike without having to attach myself to the bike.
How do they come regarding cables? Looking at the original battery the wires just vanish into the shrink-wrapped plastic. Does the new battery come with bare-ended wires sticking out, nothing at all, or can you get them to attach a proper plug on the end?
Phil
Joe
I’m tempted in a masochistic kind of way. I’ve hardly been out since redbull, but really enjoyed the back to back night laps I did. That 7 - 8 hrs darkness was too much for my cheapo lights, so I’d need new ones. Pencil me in as a possible maybe tentative, if phil / a.n.other doesn’tgo for it…(I’m not that quick mind)
Joe
The organisers just got back to me and said that unicycles are fine to go. I swear part of me was hoping they’d save me from my own stupidity!
Joe
Looks interesting, Inverness aint far from me.
I got a coker and a 24" muni. I’m guessing it aint coker-able, and the muni has 165’s so the distance would kill my knees.
Then there’s the work side of things, settling into new job, etc…
If I was unemployed and had a 26" muni then I might be more inclined to do it.
T.
Its too far, and on an inconvenient date for me, but the Salisbury Plain Challenge looks to be perfectly placed for me, I’d really be up for that, especially on my LM26 with the 127mm cranks.
Loose.
The weekend has arrived; tomorrow Joe and Joe will either prove they are utterly, utterly mental or freeze to death trying.
They’ve probably gone now (they’re going to be late otherwise) but here’s wishing them good luck!
Phil
I just spoke to my flatmate who said that on “The Adventure Show” on BBC Scotland the other night, they had an interview with one of the unicyclists. From my flatmates description, it sounded like Joe Marshall.
How did the guys get on? Any word back from them?
Did anyone else see it or hopefully record/capture it? Or have I missed a thread, I searched for “Strathpuffer” and got this thread.
T.
It was fun, though it took it’s toll on the body. We got on telly (a bit).
My ‘probably’ broken wrist has now graduated to a very much broken scaphoid, in a ‘bend it back as far as it will go’ cast, which is fun.
No uni, mountain bike, driving, kayaking, kiting, getting wet, or falling on left side etc for at least a month. arse! . 
unlucky Joe, hope it heals fast
Mike
It never stopped me unicycling just saved wear and tear on one wrist guard.
Hope if sets first time off. It took me 3 goes and ended up with an additional lump of stainless steel in my wrist to fix it.
Good luck
Roger