Red Bull has teamed up with ROUVY to offer up virtual Swiss cycling locations to the international cycling community. All riders can now take part in a virtual endurance challenge that mirrors the achievement of Patrick Seabase – who rode a fixie bike to conquer 330km and 8,500m in altitude in just one day.
He achieved this feat in a single journey, across Switzerland, with just one gear and no braking.
One gear. 330km and 8,500m in altitude. All in one day.
Patrick Seabase set off at 03:00 CET in early September 2020 on his fixie track bike. Alongside a camera crew, he started a day that saw him cross five iconic Swiss mountain passes and pedal past personally meaningful places.
The tour demanded superhuman powers to deal with temperature differences of 28°C, steep descents and brutal headwinds.
In his case, not only was the ride to the top of every pass a challenge, the race downhill was also a test. Patrick’s bike had no gears or brakes. It possessed just a fixed gear i.e. the cog was directly tied to the motion of the pedals.
This meant his legs were in constant movement – even when he was going downhill. The only way to brake was by counter pressing the pedal, blocking the back wheel and sliding on the road.
Seabase chose the tour as it ran past places that personally meant a lot to him. And with that, it became not only a unique challenge but also a trip down memory lane that was reminiscent of his childhood holidays.
‘Unbrakeable’ starts in Innertkirchen, from where Patrick Seabase crossed the Grimsel and Simplon Passes on his way to Locarno by the Lago Maggiore. The tour follows his crossing the Gotthard Pass, Furka Pass, and once again on the back part of the Grimsel Pass to reach Oberaarsee.
Seabase said “The descent towards Gletsch was really tough and tricky to handle because of the conditions. For the first time in my life, I was actually afraid on my bike.”
Thanks to ROUVY, anyone can now become part of the adventure from the comfort of one’s own home. A 34km Furka Pass – Oberaarsee route, the 27km Grimsel Pass, 24 km Simplon, and the 13km Gotthard Pass, will deliver a virtual package tour of Alpine Switzerland.
Each of the three fastest women and men who complete all four courses from February 15 to March 14 will receive a 30% discount code for alphatauri.com and a tray of 24 cans of Red Bull Energy Drink.
www.rouvy.com
www.redbull.com/unbrakeable
