Yeah, I mean, what you say about bicycle touring is true. I have done quite a few bike tours, once on a recumbent, and the all round comfort of a bicycle as opposed to a unicycle is no comparison. Bikes are the obvious choice for a traditional tour.
Something about riding unsupported on a unicycle, though, provides a certain feeling of accomplishment I haven’t achieved on a bicycle. Also, the basic tactile reason I love unicycling is the same reason I choose to tour on one. When you hop into the saddle and allow your body to fall back into that familiar position, there is some sensation I can’t properly describe.
It just feels good. That’s about the best I can do. While bicycling long distance is more comfortable and potentially enjoyable overall, somehow I feel as if unicycling long distance is more fun minute to minute. I just love throwing on a podcast or my favorite album and getting in the zone. Before you know it you’ve ridden 25 kms without dismounting.
Of course, to each his own, different strokes, blah blah blah…
That’s not to say I haven’t been wanting a Surly Long Haul Trucker with a Hennessy Hammock strapped on the back for years now…
As long as you’re asking, my (also James ) bike setup is a fast recumbent. I’m getting to the point where I find traditional diamond frame bikes to be . . . undesirable. If I want to go long distances as fast as possible (unmotorized) in comfort, my recumbent is the way to go. On multiple long and multi-day charity rides last year, I established that a good modern lightweight recumbent is definitely faster overall than a d-frame bike, even in the mountains here in western MT. For taking my time and just having fun, unicycles are now my beast of choice. To me a d-frame bike is a compromise in the middle that just doesn’t make sense – fast ones are uncomfortable, and slow ones aren’t nearly as fun as a uni.
-James
A follow-up thought re touring: When I first started with the uni, I couldn’t imagine riding with any kind of a pack. Now I regularly ride with a pack that carries water and gear for myself and my three kids. Uni-touring on something like the Continental Divide Trail sounds very inviting, although I imagine daily distances would be relatively short. My skills aren’t up to it yet anyhow (maybe next year?), but I didn’t want my prior post to be taken as trash-talking uni touring, for which I have great respect. I think any kind of non-motorized touring is a good thing.
I used to do a lot of bicycle touring (back in the day). I loved it. I think short distance uni touring would be fun except I require a big, old people, blow-up bed. I can’t sleep on Thermarests any longer:(. It sucks getting old. I would have to do a supported type tour.
I’ve never ridden a recumbent bike. They look like they would not be as fast and be more difficult to turn. It would be fun to try one out.
You fit 3 kids in your backpack? Kudos Grande!
I’m with you on getting from A to B by pedal power. I don’t care if it’s Eddie Merckx at Mexico City, Granny on her trike to the shops, or a bogan who’s lost his license - Pedal Power is something I love to have happening.
I’m also with you on the uni-touring. I’m looking forward to getting to a skill level where I can head off with my daughter to distant climes (and climbs) on our uni’s. I guess a sign of progress may be when I can uni further than I can walk…
I’m thinking an ungeared 36" is the most likely proposition for me, although I’m guessing they’re not overly Airline-friendly.
They’re very friendly to airlines. However, airlines, city busses, coach busses, trains, and many cars are not 36" unicycle-friendly. I think 29ers have a huge advantage here.
I was over in Ethiopia last year, and I’m hoping that one day I’ll be proficient enough at distance riding to make it worth taking a 29" or 36" over for getting around on. Unfortunately, in the South at least, it’s a long, hot, dusty way between villages. Then again, it helps keep the Summer holiday crowds down…
Many recumbents are heavy and not optimally designed for aerodynamics. The fast ones focus on the aero and lighter weight. The main drawback is that they’re harder to size, and built only in small batches, so can get pretty spendy. I’ve got one of these: http://www.volaerecumbents.com/2010/volae_club.php It’s about 7 pounds heavier than my carbon road bike, but faster due to the far superior aerodynamics. I admit recumbents are harder to steer at low speeds, and this high-racer design is particularly more difficult to balance at low speeds than most bicycles. I address that by just going fast.
No doubt, but just not my ride. And still not as fast as the fastest recumbents.
I don’t know, never having seen a recumbent riding the banked boards. Oh, and the speed is plenty fast enough when you’re crashing .
I have a friend who rides a recumbent, and loves it. They’re pretty popular in Perth, although I usually see them out on bike paths, not on the road (more to do with Perth drivers, than the recumbent’s abilities).
Going kind of on-topic, I’m wondering if 36ers will stay popular once cheap single-speed geared unis at arbitrarily high ratios become available. Words like stable seem to always come up when comparing geared 36s to smaller wheels, so it might be more than just gain. I wonder if a really heavy small wheel might be an asset.
In our imperfect world (here in Minnesota anyway) where freeze/thaw cycles cause big movement of road surfaces, I LOVE the 36’s ability to span the gaps comfortably. As long as I’m in MN, I’ll never be in the market for a geared ‘small wheel’.
I’m getting closer and closer to springing for a guni, but for me the choice is a 26" for the following:
Better tire and rim choices
Less gyrscopic/weight related issues
Lighter, yet stronger wheel build
More nimble for muni, but still tracks well enough for road use
Low gear on a 29er is a tad bit tall for technical trails
Most important reason of all: I have a Ti 26er frame
Note that I already have a 36er and though going faster would be fun, I only ride on gravel and it goes fast enough now for what I like to do, my only caveat with the 36er, and the reason I want a 26er Guni is that the 36er is just too big for muni.
I have more fun riding geared 24/26 muni than geared 36. If I were to have one geared unicycle, it would be the geared 26. Mainly because I like riding offroad more than onroad.
) bike setup is a fast recumbent. I’m getting to the point where I find traditional diamond frame bikes to be . . . undesirable. If I want to go long distances as fast as possible (unmotorized) in comfort, my recumbent is the way to go. On multiple long and multi-day charity rides last year, I established that a good modern lightweight recumbent is definitely faster overall than a d-frame bike, even in the mountains here in western MT. For taking my time and just having fun, unicycles are now my beast of choice. To me a d-frame bike is a compromise in the middle that just doesn’t make sense – fast ones are uncomfortable, and slow ones aren’t nearly as fun as a uni.
Kudos Grande!
