Hardcore..or mad?

It's only 20 miles a day, hardly an epic! Looks like a fun race.

I know Kris, he is pretty fit, and a very efficient rider. I imagine he will beat a few bikes, and probably sell quite a few mountain unicycles in between the racing!

The trans Wales refused unicycle entries because they didn't believe it was possible, humph.

Joe

Hardcore!

Not a fan of offroad Unicyclists, find them very annoying, especially at Mayhem. Don't mind them on the flats and the ups but after you've just worked hard to make a climb only to find the next part of downhill singletrack obstructed by some pony tailed attention whore on a fixed unicycle doing 9mph and holding you up on one of the few fun bits where you are unable to overtake, 'tis most irritating.

Having said that, i'd still like to have a go on one and i have seen that Holm bloke do some amazing stuff so it's unlikely he'd hold anybody up apart from on super fast decents (where you'd probably be able to overtake him easily anyway).

MrTall – Member
…but after you've just worked hard to make a climb only to find the next part of downhill singletrack obstructed by some pony tailed attention whore on a fixed unicycle doing 9mph and holding you up on one of the few fun bits where you are unable to overtake, 'tis most irritating.

I thought one of the essential skills of a fast mtb rider was the ability to overtake off the line. 🙂

doing 9mph

well, it's probably faster than I'd go on 2 wheels…

after you've just proven yourself so slow that you can't even overtake a unicyclist on the uphill only to find the next part of downhill singletrack obstructed by some pony tailed attention whore on a fixed unicycle doing 9mph and meaning you might have to actually learn to overtake, 'tis most irritating.

If you're arguing against unicyclists, you should also argue against the 25%-33% of the field who are slower than us, and who hold us up – even on the downhills some bikers are slower, and on the uphills there are tons of really slow bikes who you have to overtake.

I can see though that a unicycle would be out of place in the NPS races, where at least at the good levels, everyone is relatively fast, but at a mass participation event like mayhem, unicyclists are not the slowest riders. I've entered tons of (mass participation rather than seriously competitive) events on my unicycle, and there have always been people on bikes behind me at the finish.

Joe

The problem I have with unicyclists is that they're often very unpredictable. I had a big crash at Mayhem a few years ago in the singletrack. I called, went off the line to over take, unicyclist wobbles and topples into me, he's already on his feet, I end up crashing. Chances are that a cyclist would've been able to ride in a straight line more successfully!

I know there are quick and slow unicyclists, like cyclists, but they are irritating IMO!

Yep, I was unable to ride some of the tight singletrack at Mayhem this year as the bikes I was following were too slow and I could not keep up the necessary momentum on my Unicycle.

I think that's a brilliant thing to do. Its always good to push the boundaries of all disciplines of the sport.

As for uni cyclists in mayhem, I love em. If you ever feel like you've got it tough, then you see someone on a unicycle!

If you ever feel like you've got it tough, then you see someone on a unicycle!

But it's a time based event, they spend the same amount of time out there as anyone else, plus they do a lot more walking!

But it's a time based event, they spend the same amount of time out there as anyone else

you've not ridden a unicycle have you?
Although I suppose that with half with the number of wheels they only have to work half as hard..

I'm aware how tough it is to ride one, but a team of unicyclists have it easier than a solo MTBer!

If I walked around the course would that be more hardcore?

its got nothing to do with the time factor. the fact is they're riding an effin unicycle! ITS NOT AS EASY AS RIDING A BIKE

It's a different skill set yes, more balance and what not, but a lower level of exertion. I guess it depends how you, as a cyclist, ride the event.

I'm aware how tough it is to ride one

If I walked around the course would that be more hardcore?

hmm.. I can't really respond rationally to that

exact physical exertion is hard to quantify i guess but they're effectively riding fixed without any gears which can't be easy.

i found this year it wasn't my legs that were tiring but more my head, having to concentrate more in the dark so mental exertion is most likely to be higher than that of a standard mountain bike rider.

Unless you are No 1 or a complete dead beat, there will always be faster or slower riders than yourself at the Mayhem, part of the race is to get past the slower riders – think of them as moving obstacles & not to hold up the faster riders – oh & to enjoy yourselves.
Njee20 – try unicyling down hill & you'll realise the excertion required

Well i said one of the bits 'where you are unable to overtake' – i didn't ride aggressively at mayhem and would only pass somebody when it was safe to do so – some tight singletrack makes it impossible – the off camber section for instance.

With regards the comment on not being able to overtake a Unicyclist on the uphills – if i'm 200 yards behind a unicyclist who is himself 200 yards from the next bit of singletrack i've got to do twice his speed in order to get past him before he holds me up through the twisties. That is exactly what i did this year though – if i saw one ahead i made sure i got past in time so i was pretty unaffected this year.

Last year however, i did get held up on some fun bits and it was annoying. Passing is harder as, like has been mentioned, unicyclists wobble around a lot and can be unpredictable.

I'm aware how tough it is to ride one, but a team of unicyclists have it easier than a solo MTBer!

I think this is right. Even doing mayhem as a solo, I think I probably put in less effort than the top solo guys. It is hard to ride a unicycle in terms of skill, but in terms of effort, you have similar limits to a biker, except that you spin out on the flat, and you don't have a freewheel. So, you put in a bit more effort on the downhills (although with a brake, it is less than you'd think), uphills are roughly the same, but on the flats, you can put in more effort on a bike.

I know I've done tens of thousands of miles of unicycling, and I never got quite as fit as I have from road biking 100 miles a week.

Also, because there's a smaller pool of unicyclists to choose from, the fittest bikers are probably way fitter than the fittest unicyclists, and probably able to put in a lot more effort.

Joe

I like seeing unicyclists in a race.

Now if I could just find a way to stop them passing me…

if any of them are as good as this guy they are most welcome to tackle the same course as me!

how about 4 wheeled mtb's?

if any of them are as good as this guy they are most welcome to tackle the same course as me!

That guy is the same guy as in the first link. Except he's probably a lot better now, that video being 9 years old. I know he seemed somewhat fitter last time I saw him, and that was when he was recovering from an injury.

Joe

my 2c – fairplay to the guy. Doesnt sound or look like a lot fun to me but Im looking forward to meeting him & having a chat with him during the week. I agree that on NPS courses they dont have a place but on something like this its no big deal (I hope!)

ps bit surprised at some of the negative vibes this is getting from some others…

Are there unicycle only events?

I certainly have no negative 'vibes' about unicyclists doing events per se, just prefer they don't do events that I'm at 😀

Are there unicycle only events?

There are some Trials based events but very few Mountain Unicycle events, and none in this country. Those that there are are often side events to MTB races.

Generally we tag along on MTB events because we like the same things as MTB's, and it's good fun!