Bristol unicyclist Luke Evison can often be spotted cycling his way around the city getting comments and smiles from everyone he passes, which just light up his day. Luke, who cycled 400km across the rugged Scottish Highlands last year, is set for an even more formidable challenge this year - 40 rides of 40km each to cover a total of 1600 kilometres (almost 1,000 miles) across different regions in the UK.
It's all for charity and Luke said, as he turned 40 this year, he decided to do a ‘40 on One Wheel’ challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK - in support of his brother - and Food Cycle. He has already completed his first ride at the beginning of March from Winchester to Petersfield and other routes planned include in the North Yorkshire National Park, Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales.
He started riding a unicycle about five years ago when his life was going through a rough patch. He has a friend who has a unicycle, who suggested he try it out.
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“I got one on eBay and I got myself riding really quickly,” he said, adding that getting the correct balance was “like riding a bicycle when you took the stabilisers off”. He found a suitable wall near Victoria Park so he could hold on while learning to get going.
He said holding on to a wall, tree or lamp post helps to get going as free-mounting (not holding on to anything) was more difficult than actually riding the unicycle. He also watched many clips on YouTube for handy tips and upgraded to another unicycle with additional features.
“It’s tiring and it’s hard going up or down a hill, but it’s very therapeutic as you really have to keep focused and there’s a real mindfulness which helps with mental health. You have to be so focused and in the moment, if you let your mind wander, you do step off the unicycle and stop,” he said.
He added: “There’s also a sense of achievement and I get lovely comments from people which really brightens up my day even if it’s just in passing." Due to the interest of walkers and cyclists he meets on his rides, which see him stopping to chat, he keeps his schedule “loose”. Even with the challenging rides ahead, he said: “You don’t do it as a race, it’s more about endurance.”
For his ‘40 on One Wheel’ challenge, each ride will take approximately six hours and he said he hopes to have all the rides completed by the time winter sets in by the end of the year - but he's given himself until February 2024 just in case. He said: “I am looking forward to exploring new places and hope I can bring a smile to people’s faces as they see me riding by on a big unicycle.
“It means a lot to me to be showing support for my brother Neil, who is a bit of a legend. He’s admirably adapting to living with Parkinson's and the challenges it brings,” he said. For his final ride, he is aiming to make it around Bristol and is welcoming anyone who wants to join him later in the year.
He said for his charity rides, he chooses two charities and for this challenge, has chosen FoodCycle due to the cost of food living being experienced by more vulnerable families this year, along with Parkinson’s UK. He said: “I can’t believe how many cases of Parkinson's there are and since my brother’s diagnosis have looked into it so much and as for FoodCycle, I’ve seen them in action.”
Parkinson’s affects around 145,000 people in the UK and every hour, two more people are diagnosed. Melissa Rankin, regional fundraiser at Parkinson’s UK, said: “With more than 40 potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives.
“We’ve made huge breakthroughs in the last 50 years, but there is still no cure and current treatments are not good enough. We hope that this fundraising challenge inspires you to get involved with Parkinson’s UK."
Victoria Meier, FoodCycle’s head of fundraising, said they were thrilled that Luke chose to support them. She added: “With the cost of living crisis making life tough for so many, FoodCycle’s community meals have never been so needed.”
To support Luke’s fundraising, visit: www.collectionpot.com/pot/fourtyononewheel/
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