A couple of very kind people have given a young friend of mine a dicycle:
a pair of side by side 20 inch wheels separated by about 4 inches. Pedal
each side very similar to an ultimate wheel configuration.
Any tips on riding/learning to ride this beast? Apart from don’t even
think about it?
Is this what it looks like? because if it is then it would seem easier to me than a uni because you dont have to worry about falling to the side. http://www.unicycling.com/garage/multi.htm
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That’s an interesting one Catboy, but different. I would think your
picture might lay truer claim to being a dicycle. I suppose ( see
pictures by Richard Loxley) that Zyllan’s machine must therefore be called
an Ultimate Dicycle, as it has no seat or frame to help him, and a much
narrower track.
I always thought a dicycle was like a uni but with 2 wheels underneath you, although now that I think about it they’d have to be pretty close together to be able to get your legs around each wheel and feet on the petals.
It sounds like Naomi got one of those Ski Exerciser-type things. Is it a unicycle, with a seat, or a pair of ultimate wheels? If so, I would call it a Double Ultimate Wheel. There is a picture of a very young John Jenack riding one on the cover of Jack Wiley’s Bicycle Builders Bible. Anybody have that book?
Anyway, to ride a double ultimate wheel, I’d say basically do the same stuff you would do to ride a regular ultimate wheel, only this one will be a lot easier. Even if it has small wheels.
Most of the ski exerciser-type wheel things I’ve seen were very cheaply made, and would not last long being ridden by adults. I hope yours holds up.
However, if it’s a double unicycle, my first question would be where did it come from? Those things don’t grow on trees. The one pictured on my Web site: http://www.unicycling.com/garage/multi.htm - 3rd one down
was made by taking the wheels from two old Japanese unicycles and sticking them onto a single frame, less the inside cranks and pedals. Not the strongest setup, but fun to play with.
Tom Miller made some dicycles, the first of which had disconnectable wheels. You could pull out a cotter pin, and the wheels would rotate independently (like the one above), making it really hard to deal with.
This type of dicycle would probably make a good trainer for unicycle. You can sit on it without rocking, with very little practice. It’s similar to controlling a wheelchair on the rear wheels. Every tried that? It’s pretty easy for a unicyclist. Just keep away from whoever you stole the wheelchair from…
>Tom Miller made some dicycles, the first of which had disconnectable
>wheels. You could pull out a cotter pin, and the wheels would rotate
>independently (like the one above), making it really hard to deal
>with.
I imagine it would be like riding one-footed with both feet
simultaneously. How’s that for a contradictio in terminis?