Manuel Scheidegger

This September, Swiss rider Manuel Scheidegger set a new world record in rear-wheel riding, clocking up a 30.95km-long wheelie over the course of one hour

ALPINE SENSE

“Three to four times a week I ride my bike. I live in Thun in central Switzerland, a city known as ‘the gateway to the Alps’. Right in front of my door are the most beautiful singletracks and legendary Alpine passes. This is my territory.”

MOUNTAIN PASS

“I like to ride the Mountain View Trail in nearby Mürren, which comes with the stunning backdrop of the world-famous mountain triumvirate of the Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau. I also like to ride the multiple switchbacks on the Gotthard Pass, also known as Tremola. It’s an old cobblestone pass that’s rarely used by cars. The course of the road is a work of art in itself.”

WHEELIE GOOD

“My road bike is a gravel bike – a Specialized Diverge. For the world record, I mounted a thick slick tyre at the back to give me better control. I also tilted the saddle forwards by 45 degrees, so that I have a straight saddle again when riding a wheelie. When it comes to cyclewear, I’m addicted to glasses. I have about 10 different pairs – you need the right pair of glasses for every outfit. I also love cycling caps. Without a cap under my helmet I feel naked.”

HIGH RIDER

“One of my very best bicycle memories is my trip to Nepal, where I visited our donation project (wheels4nepal.ch). The bike trips on the edge of Annapurna with the street kids will always remain in my memory. In Switzerland, I performed a wheelie to the height of Mount Everest (8848m) – climbing hills on one wheel and descending on two until I reached 9021m after 21 hours.” (See p96 for more on ‘Everesting’.)

MARS ATTACK

“It’ll probably be impossible in my lifetime, but maybe... On Mars, there’s a mountain called Olympus Mons, which has a height of 22km. To be able to drive up this mountain and then enjoy the endless singletrack down would be a great thing. It would also look pretty good to be on a bicycle in a space suit!”

Manuel is raising money for wheels4nepal.ch