Unicycle for charity?

Off-topic
1

Well i’ve tried this on the other sections of this forum and didn’t get a great response… and also it was badly timed since the only people who may be interested were probably asleep. So here it goes, one more time before I give up.

Sport Relief is a UK event that gets everyone all over the country to raise money through sponsership by walking just one mile. It all takes place on one day every other year, and this year it’s July the 15th, a saturday from 10am.

I want to plan a mile for unicyclists.

This year’s theme is red socks, so my plan is to register everyone, get their red socks, and we sort out our sponsership, then unicycle our mile along with the rest of the country. I imagine we can probably raise more money by doing more than one mile.

It will probably happen in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, where there are plenty of quiet roads, and a great big flat grassy park. I intend to attempt to get the local media involved, and hopefully the public so we can raise more money on the day.

Who’s interested in joining me?

Sorry all those people not in the UK :frowning:

2

I’m so disappointed.

Oh well. Too bad.

3

I guess people are only interested in unicycling for Jesus and/or beer.

I would do it- if it was a little closer!

4

I would do it too but I usually work on Saturday mornings. I’ve made a note of the date though just in case I’m not working or something.

5

I appear to have missed reading your posts in a timely manner, but here are a few things you may want to consider.

By trying to arrange a unicycle event just one mile long you are aiming far too low. The distance is so short you’ll be finished in 15 minutes or so; it’s not really in a memorable location either, and in making it a unicycle-only event you are going to have such a small turnout it’s going to appeal to local riders only.

A better solution might be to enter one of the many charity bike rides that happen all over the place. I’ve just been given a leaflet about the British Heart Foundation’s Lifecycle events taking place around the country in June and July; I plan to enter the Worcester 30 mile ride on my 29er. Events like these will have far more participants and media coverage so will suit the charities better; people will travel further to a larger event so you will get more unicyclists in attendance, and there is no doubt that a larger event is much more fun than a tiny one. Last year’s Manchester to Blackpool ride was a good ride in itself, but was made memorable by the huge number of people participating and the variety of bizarre entries such as the Hell’s Grannies and massive bikes with ten or so people on. You wouldn’t get that atmosphere at a unicycle ride even if you did get a decent turnout.

Phil

6

You better be sorry.
I was getting really into all these threads about unicycling for jesus, and the spaghetti monster, and then I come on to this.
You want to unicycle for charity?
I can’t believe you.

heh, I’m just kidding…it’s a good idea, but go with what Phil said…you’ll get a lot more of a response from sponsors from one unicyclist joining a bike ride (“that’s cool”) as opposed to sponsors for a bunch of unicyclists riding alone (“bunch of weirdos”).
Good for you though
-edit-
also, you might recruit some new unicyclists

7

This was last year’s Manchester to Blackpool ride; not as big as the London to Brighton but still massive, a constant stream of cycling contraptions over the whole route. The atmosphere was incredible!

Phil

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Do any of you guys do the London to Brighton ride on a unicycle?

This will be my third year doing that (on 2 wheels - sorry) but I’ve not seen a uni on it before. One day I’d like to do it on one, but I think I have a lot of work to do and a bigger wheel to buy first.

As for 1 mile - I agree it’s too short a distance. No challenge, so no incentive. Even on 2 wheels 54 miles makes a challenge, and a whole day (for me at least) which means it’s an event and people are more likely to stump up the sponsor money. Does Sport Relief do anything longer and maybe cycle related? I tried looking at the website but it was too much animation and not enough content so far as I could see.

9

I think Paul Royle has done it the last year or so, but it hasn’t been attended en masse like the Manchester to Blackpool ride. I think he has ideas for this year, mind…

Phil

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i would LOVE to, but i’m not in the uk. :frowning:

11

I would do this, but its too far away from me.

Hopefully, somewhere near me, there will be an event like this, then I can go into that one.

12

Thanks Phil for the good advice,

I would like to explain a few things … ahem…

Basically this idea spawned from a bigger idea, which I think (and hope) you will approve of: Comic Relief 2007. My plan is to organise a UK relay involving as many unicyclists as possible. It would entail passing a ‘baton’ (ie that year’s red nose gimmick) around as many places as possible. Now unicyclists invovled would do as long or short a distance as they like, and it could be in groups or solo (see note below).

My total ideal we’d aim for is a culmination in London on Red Nose Day on TV. I would urge to get all local media of the towns crossed involved at least. I understand that logistics may mean we’d need to cheat a little (skip towns/counties etc) but I the point would be to get invovled even if all you can do on a unicycle is go straightish.

As for the solo bits, I’d organise support all the way: by bike and car/van etc, and I would hope to be along for the whole ride (but not cycling the whole way, I know I would be foolish to try). I would also try to get big brand sponsership like a water company for example, or even unicylce.com or a cycling brand, hence the valuble need to get on tv.

I got in contact with Comic Relief, but was told that they are caught up in Sport Relief, and the friendly person there suggessted I do a mile on the unicycle. Now I knew I didn’t have enough time to sort out as big event as I’ve just described, so I thought me and a bunch of friends could take part. Then I thought I could ask you guys too. To tell you the truth that’s why I joined this forum in the first place.

So! It turns out that if I get people to do the mile, we may have to join a local mile anyway along with all the pedestrians. Otherwise, if we could go it alone, I was thinking of doing several miles anyway, and perhaps raise more money. I’m looking into this.

Plus, I only have a 24", and am likely to only ever have that. (not out of choice believe me).

There’s lot more I can add, like a) I’m not crazy, really b) I’m capable of doing this (with help!) c) I know I can be over ambitious but aim high, hit great!

I would love to know what you guys think.

And thanks you overseas peeps who would love to do it.

ps. and even if the atmosphere isn’t like the cycling events (which I am interested in) it would still mean meeting new unicyclists and having a laugh, and raising a bit of money for a good cause along the way.

ahthankyouverymuch

13

Is the the famed “Crazy Idea”?

14

ya-ha

(“famed”?)

15

No, I’m not just keeping the thread alive…

um…

here’s a quote from Robert Frost:

“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning, and does not stop until you get into the office.”

amen to that

16

I won’t make it to Welyn for the sport releif mle, but may well do it here in Devon. Its athe sort of disance I should be able to do once again by then and would be good to have a goal.
Sarah

17

Good for you! I hope things go well.

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hi! it sounds like a good idea to me, and id love to take part, only one problem -location. Where is hertfordshire?! i think i found it on a map just north of london,is that where it is? well i live south of london (nearer brighton actually…), and wud like to take part but dont know if itd be possible to get there. what do u reckon?

19

Hi anaats,

Sure it’s easy to get to Hertfordshire, but you have to go through London most likely, unless you have a car. You can get train information here As for the exact location, so far it’s Welwyn Garden City, but as I said in my very long post on the other page, it may turn out that we have to join the London mile along with the pedestrians.

I’ll send you updates - is using your e-mail from your profile okay?

Thanks for showing interest!
I’ll post more info as it comes :slight_smile:

20

Kewl idea.
All the comments about 1mile not being much of a challenge seemed to have slightly missed the idea behind it.
With donor-fatigue becoming more and more of a problem for charities, they are beginning to rely on ever more gimmicky incentives for people to part with some of their hard-earned, post-tax money.
Walking a mile isn’t much of a challenge either.
By next year they’ll start looking at ‘novelty ways’ of covering the mile.
Samia is just ahead of the loop on this one.