Hello fellow unicyclists,
I’m John, I live in Ripley in Derbyshire, UK, and I’ve been a long time reader of this forum, so I thought I would say hi.
I have no good answer for people who ask why I got into unicycling. I don’t know if I had ever seen one before when I bought a used one as we headed off on summer holiday in 2018 (the dog didn’t like me flying a big kite on holiday, so I hoped she would bark less at a unicycle - it worked!).
I do have a good answer as to why I now continue ride unicycles. I’m able to put aside all the other things on my mind and from my work and enjoy an activity that requires focus and fitness, and is fun, both for me and mostly for the people I pass. So it’s been great for the body and the mind, and I’m really glad to have discovered a hobby I love at over 50 years old. And I enjoy that it’s a bit quirky.
I’ve been a slow learner as I don’t get much riding time (and I’m not actually that young person I still think I am), but I would say I’m probably an intermediate rider now. I’m happy riding on (quiet) roads, and paths, and I’ve done a bit of rougher stuff, but not ‘proper’ muni. I now ride more on smaller wheels as we have a new dog who I ride with locally - we both enjoy that. I have a mental block with anything that takes the uni backwards (so no idling or roll-back mounts yet) and haven’t cracked hopping (mostly lack of practicing) - but I’m hoping the frequent dog-stops will remind me it will be worth learning all of those.
I’ve gone on buying used unicycles and now have 6, including being very fortunate to get hold of one with a Schlumpf hub unexpectedly (it may feature in another thread). My most recent purchase has been waiting for me in the garage for a few months now - I haven’t either ridden it, nor admitted it’s existence to my family - but a 5ft giraffe being sold locally for £25 seemed to good to pass up!
I’m the local vicar (church minister) so I often hear ‘Hey, that’s Reverend John!’ as I ride past. When my Crazy Bob tyre wears out on my about-town 24" I’ll get a Maxxis Holy Roller, but for now that at least gets to be my username.
This forum is fantastic - thank you @Canapin for all your work - and in my experience unicyclists are so helpful and supportive of each other - it’s a brilliant community. I’ve now met 6 other unicyclists in real life, and they didn’t change that opinion :-).
Keep riding, and I’ll keep reading, and hopefully now also occasionally posting.
Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your story.
The shot in my avatar was taken in the Peak District somewhere (I can’t remember exactly where!) and I am slightly jealous of the great riding you have on your doorstep!
Welcome, @holyroller!
Hope you’ll have a great time reading and talking with us 
A surprising amount of people here started to learn unicycling in their 40s or 50s…
Looks like a typical Peak District path and wall in your avatar - we’re very lucky here to have it nearby. Were you just visiting? I rode around Carsington Water yesterday - lots of ups and downs on a gravel cycle trail. I still have to get off plenty, but it’s a great sense of achievement
Always good to see people I know on here, and hopefully we’ll see each other on a ride again in the future!
When there’s less risk of rain or ice it would be nice to do the Monsal Trail again.
Nice that you sharing your story with us! It’s great that your read a lot in this Forum, i didn’t read much in this Froum. Yes I read your Full Story.
Great to see your intro post on these hallowed digital unicycling walls, John.
I’ve yet to meet you (IRL), but from our chats over possible purchases and things magical in the gear shifting space - I really do look forward to hearing you (when time allows) expand on this marvel of customisation of the schlumpf shifting system.
Along side this - I hope to one day ride up in your neck of the woods should my train tickets one day lead that way.
-Felix
Thanks Felix, that write up of the Schlumpf gear change should become a new thread soon - I’ve eventually got back to it. Hopefully in the next couple of days - and a bit simpler in presentation than my initial plans. None of the component parts have been chewed by the dog yet, despite having spent the last month on top of her den!
Yes, just visiting 
. Carsington Water is another nice spot. I remember it being pretty hilly too, well done!
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