FAQ for the European Unicycle Tour
What is the name?
La Ballade
Européene en Monocycle, European
Unicycle Tour, Europäische Einradtour, or Excursión
por Europa en Monociclo
European Unicycle Tour is a
unicycle ride from Köln (Cologne), Germany to Barcelona, Spain. Besides Germany
and Spain, the riders will be going through France and Luxembourg. The majority
of the riding will be through France.
What is the goal of this trip?
To do a long distance
unicycle ride while seeing some very scenic European countryside. The route
that will be chosen for its scenic value and unicycle friendly roads rather
than the fastest point between Köln and Barcelona. It is not where you are
going but how you get there.
How many days?
23 days are planned for the
trip. 19 days will be riding and 4 non-riding days.
What are the dates for the ride?
The dates for the ride are
Tuesday, July 24, 2001, to Wednesday, August 15, 2001.
What is the distance?
The driving distance from
Köln, Germany to Barcelona, Spain is 1350 km (837 miles). Since will not be
going on the motorway and taking a more scenic route, the route will be longer.
The current estimate of the ride is 1582 km (982 miles). This averages to 83 km
(51 miles) per day (this average assumes only 19 days of riding). Unicycle
Across Minnesota averaged 86 km (53 miles) per day.
Chris Cline (Michigan, USA),
Scot Cooper (California, USA), Andy Cotter (Minnesota, USA), Christian Hoverath
(Bottrop, Germany), Tammy Marsh (South Dakota, USA), Tanya Marsh (South Dakota,
USA), Elijah Parker (Minnesota, USA), Javier Ruiz (Puerto Rico), John Stone
(New York, USA), and Aron Svec (South Dakota, USA).
No, the registration was closed
on January 1, 2001.
Andy Cotter (USA) and
Christian Hoverath (Germany) are putting in the time to make this event happen.
Both are going to be riding as well. Additionally,
another rider, John Stone (USA) will secure most of the bookings for lodgings
in France.
What makes the route so special?
The start of the trip will be
at Köln, an amazing city by itself. The first leg will be along the Rhine
River. Since the bike/unicycle path is right next to the river, the route is
relatively flat. South of Bonn, there are steep bluffs both sides of the river
with castles overlooking the Rhine. This part of the Rhine is wine country with
vineyards on the steep bluffs both sides of the river. At Koblenz we will be staying
in a castle that has been converted to a Hostel. The windy Mosel River is known
for its vineyards and scenery. The first city in France that we will be staying
at is Verdun, historically significant for its role in WWI. In France we will
be traveling down the Rhône Valley, it is an area that is relatively flat
compared to the mountain ranges on both sides. At the Mediterranean we will be
doing our best to ride along the coast both in France and Spain. The ride along
the Mediterranean will be very scenic with plenty of beaches.
Is the route very hilly?
The plan is to avoid as many
hills as possible. For the most part we will be along rivers or next to the
Mediterranean where it is relatively flat. But there will be hills from time to
time that we will have to traverse. We do have to pass the Pyrenees (mountain
range along the border between France and Spain) at some point, but since we
are going along the Mediterranean coast we should avoid the worst of the hills.
The goal is to either be on
bicycle/unicycle paths or roads that are not heavily traveled. Germany and
France are very bicycle friendly countries with many dedicated routes for
bicycles/unicycles. Even though the goal is a unicycle friendly route, there
may be times where the road conditions will not be ideal.
What is the route?
Some of the cities that we
will be spending a night is as follows.
Germany: Köln, Bonn, Koblenz, Bernkastel-Kues
Luxembourg: Luxembourg
France: Verdun, Dijon, Lyon, Valence, Pierrelatte, Nimes, Sete
Spain: L‘Escala, Tossa de Mar, Barcelona
Yes. The riders will get
reasonable detailed map for each day. More detailed bike maps can be expensive
and the rider would need to pay the cost of the extra set. There will be two or
three sets of maps that are paid for by the registration fee (one set with the
support vehicle and two with the riders). The website will have maps available
for parents/friends who want to chart the progress of the ride.
Will there be days with no riding?
Yes. Four days are planned
with no riding. The days of no riding will be at major cities or a place with
lots to see and do. The current choice of days of rest are: Luxembourg -
Luxembourg, Lyon - France, Sete - France, L’Escala - Spain.
Unfortunately, cities and
towns are not always the exact distance apart that makes this ride easy to
plan. That means that some days will be longer and others will be a bit
shorter. While we will try to avoid days over 100 km (62 miles), most likely
there will be a few longer days.
What about food and water?
Each rider will be
responsible for his or her own food and water. That means that each rider
should buy food and water along the way at various cities and towns. The
support vehicle will also have some food and water available. As a group, we
will work together to make sure that everybody gets enough food and water.
Will food be easy to buy?
Yes. The route that we will
be taking, cities and towns will be frequent enough that getting food or water
should not be a problem.
What type of accommodations will we be staying at?
The plan is to stay at
Hostels whenever we can. You will need to become a member of Hosteling
International (for one year: $15 for Youth, $25 for Adult) because many Hostels
only let members stay there. We are also planning on staying with Olivier Dupre
(France Country Liaison for Unicon X) in Lyon for a night and take the next day
off to see Lyon.
Where will we stay the first day when we get to
Europe?
For those traveling from
North America, the plan is to stay with the Hoverath’s for one or two days to
get over the jet lag. Make sure you don’t mind dogs. On Tuesday, July 24, we
will go to Köln (about an hour trip) by car or train see the sights, then start
the ride sometime in the early afternoon.
Is there an exact plan on where we will be staying
each night?
All lodging has been booked.
See the web page on lodging for more detailed information.
How are we getting from the end back to the beginning?
Each rider has arranged
for their own transportation back to the beginning or to their home. Some
riders are flying back from Barcelona while others are taking a train back to
Germany or riding in the support vehicle.
Is there a support vehicle?
Yes. The Hoverath’s have
graciously donated their van to be a support vehicle.
Role of the support vehicle.
The support vehicle will be
hauling the rider’s gear, spare unicycle parts, first aid, water, and some
backup food. With twelve people’s luggage and other support items, there won’t
be much extra room. While the support vehicle will have room for a third person
that spot will be saved for emergencies.
Who are the support people?
Constance Cotter and Dana
Schneider have offered to be the support crew for the ride.
Who gets to ride in support vehicle?
The support crew. One spot
will be made available for emergencies.
What if a rider gets too tired and need to take a
day off?
If this happens, it will be
up to the rider to take a train or bus to the next destination.
Mobile
phones will be used for communication. At a minimum there will be two mobile
phones (one with the support vehicle and one with a rider). More realistically,
there will be three or four. That way, if a problem arises, the support vehicle
can be notified. Each rider will get the option to rent a mobile phone for the
trip. All cell phone numbers will be published so family/friends can be in
contact with the riders.
Probably not.
During each day, a rider should be able to cope with food, water, and other
issues by themselves. The vehicle will not be trailing the riders, but will be
available for emergencies and possibly one pre-arranged meeting spot during the
day (most likely for lunch).
Is there a registration fee?
Yes, it is 500 DM ($250 USD),
non-refundable. While most of the cost of the trip will be up to the rider
(food, lodging, and transportation to and from the start and finish), there is
a per rider registration fee to pay for the support vehicle gas, cost of maps,
and other items that are needed for the support vehicle (first aid kit, spare
unicycle parts, some extra food, mobile phones, etc.). The biggest cost of this
will be the gas. As of September 1, 2000, gas prices are around 2 DM per liter
in Germany. In Luxembourg the price is 1.69DM, in France 2.08DM, and in Spain
1.61DM. Those prices may vary because due to the fluctuations of the price of
gas. For 1500 km, assuming the support vehicle gets 10 liters per 100km (24
MPG) and assuming 2 DM per liter, the estimated gas cost for 4000 km (1500 km
(the route) + 1000 km (extra driving) + 1500 km (the drive back to Germany)) is
800 DM ($400 USD (assuming a 2DM to $1 USD exchange rate))
Will the riders pay for the extra gas that is used by the two support people if they take excursions from the route that isn’t related to supporting the riders?
No.
If there is extra
registration money at the end of the trip, the riders will get any remaining
amount. If there is some major unforeseen expense or the exchange rate changes
dramatically, we will ask all the riders to pay the additional amount that is
needed.
What is an estimated cost of the trip for riders
from North America (in USD)?
Here is an estimated cost of
the trip. Please remember that this only an estimate and the actual expenses
may vary. This estimate does not take into extras such as souvenirs. Assuming
23 days for lodging and food. Assuming each night will average $20 (the actual
amount should be lower than that) lodging will cost $460. An average cost for
food per day would be around $30 (for most people this number is a bit high),
which would be a total of $690. So, for food and lodging, the total is $1150. For those who are coming from
North America, the airfare should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $800
(depending on the airline, day of departure, and airport). Each person should
also have $200 to $300 in reserve just in case. The just in case situations may
be: something breaks on the unicycle, want to take a day off from riding and
need to take a train/bus to the next destination, or can’t pass up any really
expensive unicycle souvenirs. Finally, there is the registration fee (gas for
support vehicle, maps, etc.) at $250. The estimated grand total for people
coming from North America would be about $2400.
What is an estimated cost of the trip for riders
from Europe (in Deutschmarks)?
Here is an estimated cost for
Europeans. It’s only estimated so the expenses may vary. Assuming 23 days,
while a night will cost around 40DM, which makes a total of 920DM for lodging.
Assuming an average of 40 to 50 DM for food per day, that would make a total of
about 950DM (while that may be too high).
You should also have about 500DM in reserve, e.g. a part of your unicycle
breaks or you need to take a day off or just for cool souvenirs. Then there is
the registration fee of 500DM. You should estimate expenses around 3000DM.
How many people will go on the ride?
There are ten unicyclists.
No the registration closed on
Jan 1, 2001.
Why is there a limit on the number of riders who
can participate?
When a group gets too large,
it becomes a lot harder to organize and manage. The larger the group, the more
planning that is required, the harder it is to find lodging, the more support
that is needed, and the less fun it is for the organizers. A smaller group of
people can be much more flexible with problems and also be more cohesive.
The idea of this ride is for
the group of riders to start together and end together. While riding just part
of the route may sound attractive to some riders, it actually makes it harder
for the organizers. Also, more than likely, riders who plan to go the whole
distance will be in better shape and will ride faster than someone who wants to
ride for just part of the trip. If the route gets to be too tiring for a rider,
there is always the option of taking a day off and taking a bus/train to the
next destination. There are some exceptions to riding only part of the route,
as some experienced long distance unicyclists in Germany and UK want to ride
with us for a few days.
From knowledge learned on
Unicycle Across Minnesota, a Coker (36”) has been determined to be one of the
better types of unicycle for ride long distance. While a Coker is recommended
for this ride, a 28” unicycle will work as well. If a person wants to use a
28”, they should make sure that they are fast enough. A brand new Coker will
cost about $300 (depending on shipping). Also, there is a group in Minnesota
who is building a long distance Coker expressly for this ride. It will have all
the features that we determined would be nice for a long distance ride. The
cost is not yet determined but will be more than $300.
As
this ride is longer than Unicycle Across Minnesota, the training will be
longer. Training will ‘officially’ start in April and the total training
distance will be 2000 km (1250 miles). Also, the type of training will be
different. One of the big problems with Unicycle Across Minnesota training was
that there were very few days with back to back training rides.
Training
is not mandatory. Each rider needs to determine the amount of training that
will be sufficient. But, from experience with Unicycle Across Minnesota, the
more training that is done the more enjoyable the ride and the less chance of
injury. While Unicycle Across Minnesota had a lot of training, it was not
always done in the most effective way.
Safety equipment is up to the
rider. But, it is highly recommended that a rider use at least some safety
equipment.
Everybody should make sure
their medical insurance covers them for this trip. Most medical insurance
policies will cover an international trip with no extra work on the travels
part. Checking to make sure is always a good idea. For any rider who is under
18, they will need to choose a guardian for the trip. The minor should have a
paper that states that the guardian has authority to make emergency medical
decisions and that the minor can travel with the guardian outside the country.
While getting a sponsor for
the ride would be great, it would be a lot of extra work for the organizers.
Individuals are more than welcome to get sponsor(s) to offset the cost.
Will there be a web site?
Yes. It is at http://www.OutTech.com/unicycle/EUT/
Yes, starting on July 24 the
web page will be updated daily (or at least that is the plan).
Is this ride going to be an annual event?
No. This is a one-time event.
If you have any other
questions or need clarification, contact either Andy Cotter (Andy.Cotter@OutTech.com 612.968.3565)
or Christian Hoverath (Hovi.@t-online.de 02041 96357)