Ed Pratt is no stranger to long distance unicycling. In 2015 he set off on an epic three year, 135 days one-wheeled voyage around the world, cycling approximately 21,000 miles (33,800km).
So cycling 418 miles (673km) across Latvia is a pedal in the park, right? What’s so amazing about that?
What you need to factor in is that for this latest challenge, Pratt does the journey off-road, carrying all his camping equipment with him (tent, stove, food, etc), so that he can wild camp every night of the experience (though he does forget one vital piece of equipment – but we won’t spoil that).
Welcome, then, to unicycle backpacking – a pastime with its own unique challenges. Discover, for example, a whole new use for an inner tube as the solution to one painful problem.
Pratt is using a smaller wheel and a chunkier tire than he did for his round-the-world road trip to tackle to off-road surfaces.
The path he’s taken is the Baltic Forest Trail, with some steep climbs and plummets for Pratt to negotiate. The path And remember, a unicycle is, by its very nature, fixed wheel, so there’s not even a chance to freewheel down some of the gentler inclines.
This video is, sadly, just the first part of the journey. Pratt’s posted this video to YouTube with the other episodes available for the very modest $2 a month fee on his Patreon page. And they’re all a lot of fun to watch (Pratt’s not just about the physical feat; he’s great at interacting with the locals he meets along the way too).
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