It must be the worst kept secret, but many of you will know that I am having another go at the 24 Hour Unicycle Distance World Record. I set the world record on Feb 5th/6th 2005, riding 378.7km in a 24hr period. It was one of the toughest things I’d ever done, and probably something I never thought I’d do again. Well, fast forward almost 20yrs and I’m itching to have another crack.

My record stood for 2 1/2yrs, before Sam Wakeling (UK) smashed it with an incredible 453.8km ride in 2007. It was an amazing feat considering the technology of the time. Enough to put many off the pain and process of attempting the world record.

So what’s changed? The body is 20yrs older, but I’m going faster than ever. At Unicon, our world championships, I came 2nd in the 54km road race and 2nd in the 10km road race. That was for the overall, not my age group. Although I did not ride standard class in 2006, my times are equivalent or better than the year I was the road racing world champion.

The other major change is the technology. While geared hubs have been on the scene for a while now, I never felt they were suited for a long distance challenge. They are good for going fast for a short distance, but I don’t have the power to keep that pace for 24 hours. I will be using a standard ungeared 36″ unicycle, but the wheel is now 2kg (that’s right!) lighter than the wheel I used for my 2005 world record. Where the Coker Airfoil rim and TA tyre was the standard in 2005, now we’re on carbon rims with tyres that are 800g lighter, inflated with TPU tubes that weigh a fraction of butyl inners.

Add in 20yrs of experience pushing my body to the limit, some better handlebars and a comfortable seat, and I think I’m ready for the challenge!

I will be attempting the world record on the 16th/17th November 2024, 0800hrs-0800hrs, at Newlands Intermediate School, Wellington, New Zealand. Keep an eye on the 24hr Record Page for updates.