Roger Davies, from Norton in Teesside, set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest 100m on a unicycle while blindfolded at the inaugural City of London Nocturne. The 62-year-old recovered in style after his first attempt ended in a brutal crash into a barrier after just 10 metres.
Davies dusted himself down and successfully completed the required distance on his second attempt. "It was so scary, honestly, incredibly scary," he said. "I thought I was going in a straight line, but I went straight into the barrier. I got a bit of blood, but not too bad in the grand scheme of things."
World Record Attempt
The idea for the record came from someone else, according to Davies. "He reckoned I could do it. It's not something I'd done before. With all the noise and the cameras on the road, and it being quite a narrow track, it was difficult."
Davies is an accomplished unicyclist, having taken up the one-wheeled vehicle as a child and later becoming world champion. He has been competing since 1996, participating in World Championships, off-road unicycling, and road racing. "The World Championships are this summer in Austria. It gets more difficult as you get older. I'll probably win something for my age group," he added.
Nocturne Festival
The world record was part of the return of the Nocturne cycling festival to London for the first time since 2018. The two-day event featured elite criterium races, a charity Pro-Am for Great Ormond Street Hospital, and novelty races including a penny farthing race and a Brompton bike race. Davies finished third in the penny farthing race after his world record attempt.
Davies praised the new venue: "It's fantastic. The venue is amazing. I remember the old venue at Smithfield Market, it was more tricky and awkward. This is a much better venue. Credit to the organisers - it's fantastic."
