I’ll be in Barcelona for the week prior to unicon and am looking to see if anyone is driving to San Sebastien that I could possibly hook a ride with. If you have some room please let me know either here or send me a PM. Also if you’re in Barcelona and wanna meet for a ride I would love to meet up.
If you don’t find anyone, I suggest you to try couchsurfing.
I got an email from the Road Race Director yesterday and he says there are more than 400 riders signed up for the 10k!
BTW, I rode 26.2 yesterday in three hours on my 29er. Only one UPD at the 21 mile mark.
Way to go Vertigo on the marithon!
Since I am new to this world, I know nothing about Unicon, except for the videos I have watched. Is a Unicon event worth attending if one isn’t going to be racing? Are there non-race events? Or, is it better for someone like me who just wants to get together and ride to seek out Unicycling festivals?
Thanks Matt.
If you like watching uni events I’m sure it’s worth it. As far as I can tell there are very few official non-race events. Perhaps there will be impromptu rides. I’ve never been to Unicon so I’m not quite sure what to expect. As far as I know most events in the US except NUACC and NYC Unifest are geared towards Muni.
There are also all of the urban competitions, most of which aren’t races.
The website does a pretty good job of describing the many events. A lot of them are racing, but there’s also Basketball, Hockey, Trials, Street, Flatland, Freestyle and a bunch of other awesome things, including (informally) Sumo, if I have anything to do with it.
The question of attending Unicon vs. a local festival is like going to the Olympics vs. the State Fair; hard to compare. But I think you’re asking the wrong question. The racing events (more than most of the others) are designed to be inclusive. People enter them for fun and so should you, if you think you would enjoy it. There is a small group of elite, super-fit riders who are the real competitors. Then there’s a much bigger group of highly talented, still very fit riders, who have a blast playing the games. Then there’s everybody else, who know they aren’t there to win, but they are there to play. And these days, that includes me. I like being able to say I rode in that Marathon race in New Zealand with gusty winds that “literally bitch-slapped me off my unicycle”. Or the killer Uphill race in Italy, with the Dolomites as a backdrop.
Last week I had my gall bladder taken out (stones), and I’m not supposed to lift anything over 10 pounds (~5 kg) until more than a week after our luggage has made it to Spain. So my fitness level this time will be on the poor side. Oh well; aside from already having registered anyway, and the fact that I don’t miss Unicon no matter what, I’m still entering several events and I’m still going to have more fun than watching them.
And I’ll see if I can still snag an “old guys” medal in the IUF Slalom, with even less practice than other recent years.
So I highly recommend entering at least some of the events, and also volunteering. When you volunteer you become part of making things happen, and making them successful. Volunteer help is essential for unicycle conventions to function and it’s very rewarding. I’ll be doing more of that this year also. 
But I do look forward to joining some around-town rides, or dirt rides, or workshops that I hope will get organized. They are also some of the best things about getting together with lots of unicyclists. Here are some pictures from a day of non-competitive Muni that I’ll never forget:
Thanks John. That’s exactly what I needed to hear. I have quite a phobia of flying, so it will take something pretty special to get me on a plane across the pond. This could be just the thing. Maybe I’ll see you there. I hope your recovery from your surgery goes smoothly.
We all need to tell our irrational fears to suck it. That doesn’t make them go away, of course, but it can help us by reminding them that they are not based in fact. Flying is a safer form of travel than anything with wheels (including unicycles). Airplanes work, pilots are smart and very skilled. They’ll get you there, and probably your luggage as well. 
See you in San Sebastian!
Yes, I know all that. The irony is that my brother is a commercial pilot. I could fly anytime I want for next to nothing… it is a terrible waste. I’m working on it. though
I hate flying too. I’ve flown more times than I could ever count for work and personal travel, and I still hate it, and it still terrifies me. The comment that “flying is safer than any other form of transportation” while true, is worthless in the face of deep emotions, and fear really couldn’t give a crap about logic. Also, for the record, those of us that are not children and have a fear of flying have heard this logic about a million times and counting. It’s just as worthless to hear the million and first time as it was the first. For me, it’s as bad as hearing “Where’s your other wheel”. Not trying to pick on you John (OK, maybe a little); I know you’re just trying to be helpful. If you’re not afraid to fly, you don’t get it, and that’s all there is to it.
I personally have had some scary times on planes, and one flight I was on crashed after it dropped us off in Dallas and was headed back to Pittsburgh. It crashed about halfway there due to a mechanical malfunction just a few hours after I got off, and a lot of people died. My understanding is that it carried some of the same crew on board that served us, which is very chilling. If that malfunction had happened just a couple hours before, that could have been us. I’ll never forget that as long as I live.
One of my uncles also died in a plane crash, and one of my great uncles witnessed people burning to death in a plane that crashed right outside the hangar he worked in. He was supposed to be on that plane for his first ever flight, which he missed for some reason, and he never flew aftwards. I don’t think logic and statistics would have worked on him either!
oops, I started something…at least there’s a good bit of time to decide whether to go or not :o
Absolutely! Sorry about the noob response about flying, I should know better. Worse than “Where’s your other wheel”, I stuck my foot in it. Wishing you only the best! If not Unicon, I just learned that next year’s USA Convention will be in Seattle. ROAD TRIP!
Nah, it’s all good. Mostly just trying to be supportive to another person of similar age dealing with their fear of flying. No biggie at all!
Nah, I’m just touchy about it. Darn text! Can’t tell tone! I should have softened my words. They were more harsh then I intended. Sorry!
Hello Vertigo
You can look forward to the pintxos. They are delicious.
See you soon,
Sanne
It’s starting this coming week!!!
Unfortunately I’m sitting here with an ice pack on my hamstring. 
I pulled it during my ride this past Wednesday. That’s after having a spectacular crash Monday night. I was 3.5 miles into a 20+ mile ride and “tripped” over an unexpected pot hole at top speed. My unicycle stopped and I kept going until my face hit the pavement. I have lots of road rash, a huge bruise on my chin and a sore wrist. Thank goodness I was wearing a helmet (but no knee pads or wrist guards). At that point my legs and knees were ok so I rode another 17 miles. I’m hoping all the training I’ve done until now will be enough to see me through the race.
I’m so excited for my first Unicon! See you soon.
Oh no!!
My best wishes for you. Luckily the marathon is the last day, so you have time to recover.
Best regards,
Sanne
I’m in San Sebastian! We arrived a day early from our traveling around other parts of Spain. I only brought one unicycle; the 24" with the thick red rim shown above. My trusty Wilder Muni has had worn-out bearings for a few years now. They creak! I ordered some new ones, which turned out to be the wrong size (inner diameter). After my local bike shop was unable to replace those with some BMX bottom bracket bearings (also off by a bit), time was very short. My wonderful wife said “How old is that uni?” I got it in 2003. “Well maybe it’s time for a new one?” YES! I got hold of Roger Davies, to confirm he would be able to bring what I’ve been wanting for a few years now, a KH 26". It’ll be the first pure KH unicycle I’ve owned! :):)