Red Bull, June 2001.

Red Bull 2001, Simon, IOU, on the scene, as it happened: Normally I don't write too much on web pages, because it just bores the hell out of poeple, and besides I leave my fine collection of top quality prints to tell the story. However today I thought I'd go a bit deeper and explain the ethos behind 10 people who decided to compete in a 24hr mountain bike race on unicycles. I've though long and hard about it and well, I can't, there's no sane reason why we should be doing this. Its official, we're just plain loopy. It dawned on my as I drove up the motoway and pulled in for a break, mountain bikers began to gather, I though to myself I know where they're off to, and realised that I too was off to the same event, except I would be riding a unicycle. Oh, oh, yes just plain silly, there's no real answer to the question: why? Riding in the factory team rather than the workshop team (whom the commentator reckoned where much the same but drank tea a lot).

I came I saw and I concquered, except as usual I didn't. The general plan was to get as far as possible, (i.e. max no of laps) which materialised into about 3 laps per person (for the five person team which I was in), but after two, I felt satisfied I'd done my bit, and my back was aching from the twisting, so whereas the other 8 riders all did at least 3 laps, I only did two - simply because I'm fat, round and bounce on the ground. Oh well at least I had a bash, I've decided I'm not entirely cut out for this racing lark, maybe next year I'll compete for haberdashery international's sowing trophy - on a unicycle. Anyway I can't give you the final results yet because at present (on location!) its 11.57 am, less than 22 hours into the race its not quite all over. Anyway I'll let you look at the pics in peace for a while now. Over & Out.

And its off for the tea drinking unicycle.com workshop team too...Paul showing us just how tall you can get on one wheel.

Top - Like the leading men on moutain bikes - like I've got a clue who they are...

Right - More common to us all, the leading unicyclist, Rog.

Mind it had a good reason to, running repoairs against the clock:

On the night shift, sitting around, watching the time go by, I sat from 2:01 till about 3:32am whilst Sarah battled through her night lap in the pitch black. I went for the lights on the helmet option, which I can duely recommend for an offroad sitaution, where ever you head points you can see, so even if your uni does a runner down the hill with out you you're not going to be left in the dark. I shall photograph the arrangement for you sometime.

Aside the event, major happenings where in the hair department - claire being the bravest having not had it cut, for I believe 14 years, it was down to her waist. Worth a video on any day.

Paul too having the chop, but claire's probably done that more than once, no big deal.

So how did we do? After my wimp out at two laps, the facotry team captain did 4 to cover me. Miarl then went on to do a 4^th too, not content with that the mad man went off to do a 5^th. The workshop team all did a respectable quota of 3 laps each, being a member down due to Claire splitting her head open on the practive lap before the race. Well the results are out there, and if you look towards the bottom of the table you'll see something like this:

A Grubby Mr Wiggins

So come back & do it next year? Well it doesn’t seem like a good idea right now, but in 12 months time it just might…. crazy but true... it's time to go back