Hi,
I was wondering if unicycles exist, where the frame doesn‘t hold a seatpost but handlebars instead (Like an ultimate with handlebars). Could Imagine this would be fun to ride.
Maybe one of you has built one and ridden it. I‘d be interested in your experiences.
If you know a thread where this type of contraption was discussed already, please left me know - I didn‘t find it.
Hendrik
I’m pretty sure I’ve ridden one somewhere, and it wasn’t very exciting. Not much different from riding SIF.
If you wanted to build one, it wouldn’t be too hard. Find yourself a friendly bike store, ideally one of these DIY- bike repair shops, they usually have a large amount of used spares lying around. A handlebar, stem (the clamp on type), unicycle seatpost and maybe some shims should be all you need. As far as my quick google research showed you should even be able to find everything is the correct sizes of the shelf, no machining needed.
Yes, they do, or at least did. Some of the earliest unicycles were Penny farthings with the rear wheel and spine (frame) removed. As the seat was attached to the spine, this left only the wheel, cranks, pedals, forks and handlebars.
It is perfectly possible to ride a unicycle like this. It is very similar to riding “seat in front” although perhaps a little less tiring on the arms when you’re learning. However, it combines the worst of both worlds, lacking the day to day practicality of the conventional unicycle whilst sacrificing the easy portability of the ultimate wheel.
Here’s Marco Vitale’s Mad4One version,
On a previous unicycle I had, I put scooter bars on it and gave it a shot. Myslef, I could not ride it. However, at this point I can barely ride my unicycle without a rail to grab close by.
I also experimented with skate bikes and was going to rig up those training wheel systems, and consider getting one of those unicycle trikes as learning aids. I have since decided just to find areas with a rail to grab as needed for practicing, and just to stick with a conventional unicycle.
Better to have free hands to expand into juggling etc. in the future.
Friend of mine has built one. Geared KH 24’’ wheel, T-bar attached to a seatpost I made for him so he could ride it without a seat. I’ll ask for pictures!
You mean like this? I built it but haven’t been successful at riding it. I put it away for a while saving it until my freestyle skills improved and so far they haven’t. 
So wheel-walking would be a pre-requisite to riding LargeEddie’s cool uni-thing? Or is this more like an ultimate-wheel with handlebars?
Does anyone do SIF wheel-walking or without a saddle somehow? I can’t picture it but who knows. The idea for this was that it’s a BC wheel (aka impossible wheel) with a handlebar as an extra aid. I’ve seen flatland BMX tricks where the rider stands on the front pegs holding the handlebars, with the actual frame and rear wheel swinging freely. This is basically that without those extra swingy parts.
That’s almost the only thing Matt Sindelar does! Not to denigrate him, he’s a very impressive freestyler and does tons of other stuff too, but wheel walking while not using the seat seems to sort of be his trademark. Others do it too, of course, but, well, watch this 2-minute video and you’ll see why I immediately thought of him when I read your question.
I hadn’t seen that! He could just as well have a unicycle with a handlebar instead of a seat. He spends more time holding his saddle than sitting on it. Amazing!
I asked only because I wasn’t sure if putting your feet on the ground to push it was “against the rules” or how to propel it? I have never tried anything like an ultimate wheel, so I really can’t wrap my head on how to ride with cranks and a handlebar or without cranks! Another stupid question here, but ultimate wheels are essentially for short distances or long grades, then, yeah? I’ve seen plenty videos, and even saw the handlebars before, too, but it’s all coming together, gah, more things this forum has made me want to try!
Somewhere I have seen a Chinese guy in Asia riding with no seat and holding on to a long and tall bike handle bar. It looks pretty funky and utterly useless.
From way back in my first year of unicycling:
Ultimate wheel vs. BC wheel
Post #8 still has maybe the best BC wheel and ultimate wheel videos I’ve seen, Nicolas Potier and Anthony Soumiatin.
Thank you! I’m sure I made the distinction in my head before, but I guess it’s taking more repetition to stick these days. Those videos are amazing! The talent and innovation of people on here is really impressive. To my knowledge, I have never seen either in person, which is sort of surprising, but maybe I wasn’t paying attention! I’ve seen flatland BMX and still can’t comprehend…
This is known as an “unbike” to BMX flatland riders (videos can be found doing a search). I tried one briefly but preferred the peg unicycle.
Interesting subject
Next time you are at the gym. Get on the stationary bike. Lower the seat position. Set resistance to highest level. Stand up and pedal. I can only do for 3 minutes.
Thanks for adding that. Easier to find videos with that term, as you point out.
I had started looking at options for putting a saddle on in place of the handlebar and stem, inspired by your recommendation. That project kind of fell off the table somewhere along the way. 
Road unicycling, muni, and practicing basic skills gave me enough to do, I suppose.
Higher and wider handlebars, more like BMX shape, might also improve the rideability by giving more leverage. What’s there now is just a sawn-off 22.2 seatpost, a placeholder while I decided what handlebars I really wanted, which I guess I still haven’t done.
Now that looks like a fun interesting challenge!
I suppose you just push it along like a scooter on the flats and uphills, then cruise where you can?
Nice clean looking setup.
Indeed, it is a challenge.
I think that’s the idea. The unbike videos I saw were guys doing tricks, just circling around in a small flat space. The original gag seemed to be, “I broke my frame but the fork was still OK, so look what I did with with just that.”
Thanks! To be clear, it’s all standard bmx parts assembled normally, nothing fabricated for it. I wanted the larger 14mm axle size and didn’t expect to find that on a scrap-pile bike, so I mostly used closeout parts from eBay. It was all easy to get.
