A ONE-wheeled mystery that once gripped motorists all over Bury has been solved.

For the quirky commuter who is spotted all over town riding along on his unicycle has come forward after seeing himself in the news.

Step forward Eddie Baxter, a 25-year-old customer service worker from Radcliffe.

Known to his friends as Edd, the former Radcliffe Riverside High School pupil said he was shocked to see his own picture in the press.

Edd, of Brooks Avenue, added: "The article was posted on to my Facebook profile five times and I had just about all my work colleagues come over and ask me about it at the office!

"It's not every day you find yourself in the news for commuting to work."

Edd learned how to ride a unicycle four years ago — as a result of a bet.

His friend said he would buy the unicycle if Edd learned how to ride it and it took him two weeks to learn the basics.

Edd even took part in a unicycle speed contest at the Horwich Festival of Racing last summer.

Whitefield driving instructor Phil Hall, of Pips Driving School, had speculated whether the red light on the back of Edd's unicycle was a brake light.

Edd, who works in Pilsworth at a sports fashion retail outlet, said: "Just to clear it up, the rear light is just that — a normal red rear light as legally required on all road-going cycles.

"My unicycle is road-legal as long as I follow the same rules as a standard bicycle."

Other people who spotted Edd wondered whether he wore clip-in shoes, which could pose a hazard if he fell off.

"I also don't use clip-in shoes. I've tried it and it's definitely as bad an idea as it sounds," Edd said.

He added: "As for braking, unicycles for the most part are fixed — that is, the pedals are bolted directly to the wheel without any freewheel mechanism, meaning I can stop simply by stopping the pedals and if required pedalling backwards slightly.

"My technique for stopping at red lights is mostly dependent on the situation.

"Most pedestrian crossings can be timed by simply riding slow enough that they change to green by the time I get to them, but at junctions I either jump off and wait, re-mounting on the green, or hop on the spot to keep my place.

"At the really dangerous ones, I'll usually get off the road completely and walk around them as a pedestrian."

Dozens of other people who read the article got in touch to see they had spotted Edd too.

James Roebuck said: "He often goes past St Gabriel's High School in Bury and then down the bike path near Bolton Road.

"He usually goes very fast, so it's hard to take a picture.

"I took a picture of him because nobody believes that I saw a long-haired ginger man on a unicycle."