Unicycles

jzed

Anybody ride a unicycle? Currently thinking of buying one (n+1) for a laugh after somebody mentioning them last night in a pub.

What are the brands to consider? What size wheel is best to go for? What sort of speeds can you get up to (trying to work out whether could manage a 7 mile commute on one, assuming I could actually ride one).

SimonAH

Ooo, I know, I know

I've often had this bad thought too - my only problem is a sense of balance akin to a drunken stork. I suspect that it would involve putting on my full motorcycle gear and practicing on grass a lot!!

UndercoverElephant

We have a couple in the office that we bought from Lidl. We had high hopes of jousting along the corridor.

Turns out that Unicycling is really, bloody difficult. I'm about as good as anyone here, and can only manage about 5 yards without wiping out.

t4tomo

JZed wrote:

Anybody ride a unicycle? trying to work out whether could manage a 7 mile commute on one, assuming I could actually ride one.

to borrow a phrase

That is the worst idea in the history of entertainment/commuting since Abraham Lincoln said, "I'm sick of kicking around the house all day, let's go take in a show."

veronese68

I've got one. I could bring it to the Roebuck on the 30th. Only problem is I would have to walk it there as I can't ride the f'ing thing. My son can get a few feet on it, more like a slow fall. I just fall off instantly.
I think a friend of mine has it at the moment in an attempt to cripple his colleagues.
If you want to see something really scary google Muni. Mountain unicycling! They even have a brake fitted. Surely a brake on a unicycle is a surefire instant face plant?

ince

My wife came home last week around 10pm with the comment, 'I've just seen a guy riding up the road on a Unicycle with a hi-viz on'.

Made sense to me, it's getting dark ish before 10pm now. She them went on to ebay to find out how much you can pick one up for. May soon have 5 1/2 bikes. :shock:

jzed

Veronese68 wrote:

I could bring it to the Roebuck on the 30th. Only problem is I would have to walk it there as I can't ride the f'ing thing

Cheers but beer and unicycling doesn't sound like a good idea. Just found this:

EKE_38BPM

JZed wrote:

Cheers but beer and unicycling doesn't sound like a good idea. Just found this:

Saddle?

Bassjunkieuk

I have one as it was my new years resolution to learn to ride it :-)

To cover off your questions:

Wheel size - You'll probably most likely find 20" and 24". From my limited understanding larger wheel = easier to learn to ride and better for longer distances (obviously it's fixed so one turn on a 24" wheel = more distance covered). The smaller wheels are more maneuverable however, hence performers on small stages will tend to use a 20". You can get larger wheels if you want to go touring for example, as with traditional bikes the larger wheels (and therefore gearing) requires stronger legs. Mine is a 20" which feels OK and once I master it I may consider upgrading.....

Brands - No idea personally, mine was a special from a LBS in a new year sale. It's neon pink as I was buggered if I was paying an extra £20 to get it in chrome! My reasoning being that a unicycle is going to draw attention anyway so the colour is a moot point :-D I did also get a smaller one for the kids.....mine was £40 and the kids was about £25 however I believe some can get rather expensive. From my initial looking around on the net you could get "starter packs" that included instructional DVDs, manuals and a unicycle stand etc but his did bump the price up quite a bit!

As for learning to ride the damn thing I did try googling and ended up on Youtube where this is a useful amount of instructional clips. These cover off mounting and various "drills" to perform to try and get your balance. I started on these and eventually got bored and have now resorted to the "balance myself on fence then push off and hope for the best" technique. My best is about 5 yards before falling off, when it "clicks" it feels great but I still have plenty of work to do on my balance and finding just the right cadence :-)

bails87

I've seen people (yes, plural!) riding round Follow The Dog (red MTB route) at Cannock Chase on unicycles.

MonkeyMonster

what do these guys do with their arms and hands just out of interest? always intrigued me that after getting good enough you won't need em for balance so much so then what...

UndercoverElephant

MonkeyMonster wrote:

what do these guys do with their arms and hands just out of interest? always intrigued me that after getting good enough you won't need em for balance so much so then what...

They build houses of cards whilst riding along.

jimmcdonnell

I've been inspired by this thread and the fine weather to dust off my uni, pump up the tyre and take it out into the garden.

Still can't f!*ing ride it...

Lots of circus skills organisations have sprung up in recent years, but oddly none of them seem to offer uni training. If you want to juggle, be a clown, tightrope walk or have a bash on a trapeze you're fine though.

Shall we form a BR splinter group? Everyone welcome but you have to leave the club as and when you actually learn to ride the bloody thing!

veronese68

UndercoverElephant wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

what do these guys do with their arms and hands just out of interest? always intrigued me that after getting good enough you won't need em for balance so much so then what...

They build houses of cards whilst riding along.

That's why you need to learn to juggle as well. I can juggle (badly), but unicycling is impossible.

veronese68

jimmcdonnell wrote:

Lots of circus skills organisations have sprung up in recent years, but oddly none of them seem to offer uni training. If you want to juggle, be a clown, tightrope walk or have a bash on a trapeze you're fine though.

Shall we form a BR splinter group? Everyone welcome but you have to leave the club as and when you actually learn to ride the bloody thing!

They don't offer unicycle instruction as it's impossible and they'd have to keep giving refunds. They must be suspended from a wire.

The splinter group could meet and tend to each others bruised shins.

Bassjunkieuk

MonkeyMonster wrote:

what do these guys do with their arms and hands just out of interest? always intrigued me that after getting good enough you won't need em for balance so much so then what...

Some touring unicycles have hand grip below the saddle. At the moment my arms are used for either trying to balance or grabbing the unicycle when I do fall off to try and avoid damaging the saddle :-)

snailracer

Can't you just pull wheelies on a normal bike?

Kieran_Burns

How in God's name can you TOUR on a bloody unicycle?

Where the hell do you put the panniers?. Do you have one of them wooden bars you see blonde pig-tailed German Milk Maids wandering the Alps with? :shock:

If you got the balance at all wrong, you'd spend the day frantically riding in circles in a permanent lean.

Or do you strap the panniers to the wheel and smack yourself in the head twice a pedal?

Or does touring on a Unicycle mean you got to the end of the drive without chewing tarmac?

jzed

Muni cycling looks fun

veronese68

Roebuck, beer, unicycle, over the edge straight to Kingston Hospital.

jzed

EKE_38BPM wrote:

JZed wrote:

Cheers but beer and unicycling doesn't sound like a good idea. Just found this:

Saddle?

Weight saving innit.

Aidy

I've got a couple, used to be able to potter about on one reasonably well.

Never quite got the hang of juggling whilst riding, though...

jzed

WTF

tailwindhome

http://onewheeloneisland.wordpress.com/

cloggsy

One question...

Why?

Unless you're wearing make-up & a big red nose (& perhaps juggling,) why would you want to ride a unicycle? :roll:

prawny

Saw a guy riding round birmingham city centre the other week on the back half of a bmx. Just the seat tube and rear triangle, still had cranks and a chain, very weird.

I had a freind when I was canoeing that rode a unicycle round the lake a nottingham to get about. Easier to throw in the car than a bke I spoke, smaller than a brompton and less maintenance, I think I might get for for getting on the train 8)

jzed

cloggsy wrote:

One question...

Why?

Pretty much the same reason I ride a bike. A challenge and good fun. A natural inclination to try new stuff. Looking at ebay they can be had for around £20 so no real loss if I'm rubbish or get bored of it easily.

Bassjunkieuk

prawny wrote:

Saw a guy riding round birmingham city centre the other week on the back half of a bmx. Just the seat tube and rear triangle, still had cranks and a chain, very weird.

That may have been half of a trick, the front is usually attached to a standard fork and wheel etc. but on a quick release system. The rider will then suddenly pop a wheelie and the bike appears to fall apart :-)

My reason for wanting to learn was I figured it was a nice challenge and so far whilst I have seen a few other parents at school on bicycles NONE have been on unicycles, hence I could win the coolest dad award (either that or my kids will be in for years of pi$$-taking....)

Applespider

There's a chap who commutes down Coldharbour Lane on a unicycle. I've seen him a few times at the junction of Railton Road - he's in high vis with a rucksack.

Since I still can't ride no-hands, I don't think I'll ever try a unicycle

Peasoup

SJS cycles do a couple that are reasonably priced

www.sjscycles.co.uk

jzed

Peasoup wrote:

SJS cycles do a couple that are reasonably priced

www.sjscycles.co.uk

I saw those but fail on two of the criteria

>6'1"
heavier than 80kg