I think the plates make it much easier to ride… But erveryone have to decide by himself. I got a BC two weeks ago. Till now i can´t really ride it,but its fun:)
This is what mine looks like:
A little worse for wear, I think I have had it for about 18 years. The wheel was second hand when I got it.
Nice BC you have there my friend. Does it get dirty if you’re trying on wet ground, like after a storm??? 
The stuff on the rim is rust:) Just a cheap 2nd hand wheel from many years ago. The tyre doesn’t seem to get dirty, the tread is a fairly open design. I find the concrete or paving tends to get covered in green marks, rather than the tyre being covered in black from the ground. The tyre is about 20 years old.
Oh, yeah, no doubt platforms make it much easier. because they hang below the axle, it does half the balancing for you.
My knees have been in sorry shape since RTL, so I’m giving them the winter off. I got a BC wheel to learn, and I’m surprised and delighted to learn how dissimilar it is to unicycling. It’s easy to learn, and it works the upper body fairly well. It’s good stuff.
i cant bc yet
will learning to coast better make it easier?
I kinda want a BC wheel…
But I’ll probably ride it for like an hour total and then get bored.
it will probly be the same here 
i have only tried them at unicon and in my club
What does everyone think of a bc wheel with a frame and seat?
I was thinking of building one in tec next year-
20" wheel
Welded platforms
Frame that attached solidly to the plates- removable?
Symetrical, skinny seat that can be used both ways around for unispins
What do you think?
it sounds fun to try to ride, but
why not a normal seat?
I would build a freewheel uni instead. It’s like a BC wheel but with more possibilities.
HOW 'bout a BC wheel that has staggered foot plates?
One foot in front of the axle and the other one behind.
Like goofy foot or regular stance.?
Like a skateboarder. It would make it easier to carve the bowls.
That is a good idea, but it would be hard to come up with a strong design that’s also light.
like this
I haven’t really done much BCing since I bought mine. I’ve been meaning to, but I’ve been been enjoying pedalling my unicycles way too much.
I’m wondering that if i get a BC someday. If i should add a brake to it, so when i go downhill. It would be used as a slow downforce and so i won’t go tumbling down a hill. 
I think it would be possible to do this. You could infact do it with a set of cranks and pedals attached to an axle. It wouldn’t necessarily be easy to do, but definitely possible. The one way I can think of doing it is:
Get a 20mm bolt thru mtb hub:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Chris_King_ISO_20mm_Thru_Axle_Disc_Front_Hub/5360028214/
Then get a 20mm bmx crank axle such as:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=17725
Which you could then add a pair of onza splined cranks to. These are great because you can vary the size from 127mm - 165mm. This would allow you to have the exact length cranks you prefer and to stagger your foot position. (add which ever pedals you feel most comfortable with.):
http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=761
(pedals just for example)
This would make it look very much like a unicycle wheel but with a moving axle.
It would look very much like this!:
(thanks to Spencer for this image, although he doesn’t know I’ve stolen it:o)
The only problem with doing this is that your feet would be the same height as the axle. I’m sure it would be possible to make an adapter to allow you to lower the possition of the cranks/pedals.
It would be nice to have a seat to hang on to. And the gearing to pedal forward. and a brake. 
Why not just rotate the cranks one or two splines round, your feet would be ever so slightly closer together but they would also be below the axle.
Edd
I think you’ve cracked it Edd! It’s such a simple thing, I just didn’t think about it like that cuz it’s something that should never happen under normal circumstances!
Anyone fancy giving it a go? You don’t even need to have a 20mm bolt thru hub, you could take any ordinary hub that has bearings with a large diameter and replace them with a 20mm inner diameter (or a diameter that fits an axle you have)