You Want To Unicycle... HOW FAR?

"You want to unicycle how far?" Was the question on my mind when we started planning the trip. My brother had suggested it and, all loving a challenge, we had foolishly accepted. It would be two days, three nights, four unicyclists and sixty-seven miles. Those sixty-seven miles being the perimeter of the Isle of Wight.

Of course, it seemed like a good idea when we started planning. Sixty-seven miles over two days would mean we would only need to unicycle 33.5 miles per day. That seemed simple enough- according to google maps, cycling 33 miles would only take 3 hours on a bike so it would only be a little longer for a unicycle- if it were twice as long then we would only be cycling for 6 hours per day. However, there were still a few minor details that we had forgotten to consider... one being that we will need to carry giant bags with tents, cookers, food and clothes. The other being that we don't really know how to unicycle.

When I say we don't know how, I mean that we aren't capable of covering different terrains yet. My brother has had plenty of practice and will be perfectly able to complete the route. Two of us (including myself) are able to control the unicycle to a certain extent but cannot cover tougher terrain such as grass or hills. We are also a little unsteady still so cycling on roads or pavements is currently out of the question. And as for the fourth member? He started learning today. And by that, I mean sat on the unicycle while clinging to a climbing frame at a children's play park. We have a long way to go and not much time so I am going into what I call immersion- full on, intensive unicycling practice until I feel I am capable of tackling the Isle of Wight expedition.

Unfortunately, staying on the  unicycle is only one part of the challenge. Of course, we shall have to set up tents, navigate and cook for ourselves, packing away everything into huge bags the next morning which will press down onto our shoulders and make our journey even more challenging. And dare I even mention the pain? Put simply, unicycling hurts. Even with a comfortable seat, cyclists may still be prone to chafing which will be a huge hindrance when travelling a distance as long as ours. Being female, it will be significantly easier for me to ride than the rest of my group, all males. But even so, I will be sure to come armed with padded bike shorts and anti-chafing gel. Are you feeling uncomfortable about this topic? I have 'unicycle chafing' as part of my internet search history. Let's just hope no-one sees that...

So we now have a month to master the art of unicycling before we embark on our expedition, with which we shall hopefully raise some money for charity. And I am beginning to question... is this actually possible?