Well basically I always knew i would someday learn to unicycle (of course I had no idea about trials, MUni, street, or freestyle) So one day as i was at a friends house he told me that they had an OLD uni in their garage. Ohhh i was so excited that i went to check it out. Any way i spent the rest of the time at his house trying it out. He said i could keep it so now 4 unicycles, 1 year, and 2 grades later i’m still unicycling.
Your story?
As a five year old in Edmonton, Alberta, I saw a unicyclist riding through West Edmonton Mall. Since then I have always been somewhat interested in unicycling. I viewed it as the next step in the progression from tricycle to bicycle. As an eight year old in Alamosa, Colorado, I suddenly decided it was time for me to learn to juggle, although I had no idea how and had never seen anyone do it. From there I gradually progressed with my juggling until I became fairly good at it. After a six years of juggling I wanted a new challenge. Several of my juggling books had at least a cursory discussion of unicycling. Watching a unicyclist/juggler at the local fair also made me want to learn even more. I learned to walk on my hands, but that is pretty limited, so eventually I decided to make the sacrifice and buy a unicycle off Ebay. That was the best-spent seventy-five dollars ever!
Someone stole my bicycle last October, so I decided to make the most of the situation. I borrowed a friend’s MUni and over a long weekend got myself to the point where I could unicycle to class with a backpack. Interest in true MUni and trials came from watching One Tired Guy and Universe 2. I’ve been addicted from day one.
Re: How did you get into unicycling?
Worminton wrote:
> Your story?
Almost a year ago, my brother gave me a unicycle as present for my birthday.
He had seen one in a shop where we always buy our rollerskating stuff. He
tought it could be something for me, a new challenge. And he said that I
could bring it back to the store and change it for something else, if I
didn’t like the present.
When I “opened” the present and saw the unicycle I thought “nice present,
but maybe I waste of money, because I might not going to learn to ride this
unstable thing”.
The first days I was only staring at the unicycle and tried to sit on it.
Even that was really diffecult. A few days later I had practice sessions
with my brother and a friend. Since we were able to ride the unicycle, I
was addicted to it from this point.
Then I started to ride longer distances, but I still couldn’t mount that
thing and I “googled” the internet to find tips. Then I discovered things
as muni and the 28" unicycles. I bought a 28" unicycle for the longer
distances. I went with my brother to a little hill and the downhille riding
was so nice that since this point also my brother was addicted and knew
that he wanted a mountain unicycle.
Now it’s almost a year ago and we are still unicycling a lot.
It was on a party of my cousin that I tried a unicycle for the first time. I didn’t go farther than some meters…
But after 4 years, I got my own unicycle. I learned to ride it…
I’ve been to some conventions, to learn some tricks…
But now I’m climbing some cols in Europe; Mont Ventoux, Alpe d’Huez…
Janklaas Claeys, www.janklaasclaeys.circusplanet.net
As my girlfriend left me a year ago, I learned juggling due to much to much time. I also started walking on my hands, and improved my juggling during winter. In April 2004 a friend gave me the video ‘New World Disorder’. I saw Chris holm there, and after that it was clear: I NEED a unicycle. So I bought a cheap 20" uni, and after 1.5 Months, a QU-AX 24" and I am REALLY addicted to [m]unicycling, although I go to washington DC in 2 days for 8 months, it will go with me, as I need it.
Friends
I got into unicycling 3 years ago. My friend got one after seeing Kris Holm on Ripleys Believe it or Not. I decided to get one after and we’ve been riding since. Now we’re shooting movies. Once you get into this stuff you can’t get out…
-Keaton Miller
Me, I grew up with unicycles, us five kids all know how to ride them. Nothing tricky, only my older brother tacked back-wards. Me, I went for distance more than anything, sometimes 10 miles.
That was over 30 years ago, I’m turning 50 this year. This summer I bought a mountain bicycle and could not ride it enough. Two days ago I bought a 28" sun uni.
I could ride the uni the first night, but am very shaky. Even with the bike riding my muscles need to improve. Also I need to learn to put more weight on the seat, and work on my unassisted mount. So far the biggest surprise is that I’m exhausted after 5 minuets of riding.
It was a long time coming!
Back in 1984 I saw a guy on the Paris Metro wait for the train to stop, then jump on his uni and cycle down the carriage, then through the doors and down the platform! I was so impressed with how cool that was!
Then around 2000 I saw some of the contestants on Big Brother being given the challenge to learn to ride a uni. Some of them did it, so I thought “If they can do it…”
Then came the internet and ebay. After selling a few bits and bobs on it I thought “I know, I wonder if anyone’s selling a unicyle - you never know” ANyway there were loads on there, and 30 quid later I owned a brand new uni!
I got it this July and can free mount and tonight just rode round the playing field outside my house. How proud am I?
Now all I have to do is learn to turn right instead of left all the time!
I LOVE unicycling!
Oh, and my legs are killing me!
It was the winter of 1995. No, that’s not when I started. I wish. I got a SNES for Christmas. That winter I rented a lot of games because I didn’t own many yet. One of these was entitled “Uni Racer”. It was a game where each player had a unicycle (with no rider) under thier control, and had to race it at high speeds, making appropriate jumps and maneuvers. This was when I first had an interest in them.
Eight years pass. I’d since seen more of unicycling, and thought it interesting, but I had truly never considered it something I would do. When I came home with a straight-A report card and with my birthday about a week away, my mother asked me what I wanted. I don’t think I’ll ever know what was going through my head when I mentioned a unicycle would be cool, but I’m thankful that’s what I said. She bought me a cheapo freestyle that afternoon.
Now I have a KH20 Trials and I’ve gotten at least three friends to start.
Some people get new set of wheels for their sweet 16th birthday. I got a new set of… wheel.
But I think I enjoyed that unicycle more than I would have a car.
It all started a year ago. We were on holiday, camping, and one of our neighbours had brought a unicycle along, although she didn’t know how to ride it. I have always had an eye for a challenge, so asked to borrow it one night whilst babysitting the kids. There were no walls or posts to hold on to, so I just had to learn to free mount from the beginning.
With no-one there to instruct I had no idea where to start, and slightly wet grass wasn’t helping all that much. After attempting numerous starting positions, I found that standing in front of the unicycle, one foot on the pedal, then stepping back onto the other pedal and pedalling a quarter turn backwards, seemed to be the easiest way on the thing.
Anyhow, when my wife returned an hour and a half later, I could mount 1 in 2 attempts, and go forwards 5m off a really good mount.
That was it, our holiday ended, we came home, I didn’t think about unicycling again as I got back into the routine of everyday life. I am blessed to have a fantastic wife who knows me very well and decided to suprise me with a unicycle of my own for Christmas. What a great present! What a great wife!
Since then it has been uni all the way. It was an adult learners uni she bought me, I took it in to work over the quiet post-Christmas period and discovered a friend who had previously unicycled a bit. He didn’t take much convincing to buy one, so now we go out on them most lunchtimes.
Wel, It started cause I loved Hula Hooping, and I was browsing the internet looking for a fire hoop and came across a store selling uni-cycles, and I became obsessed with getting one. My parents finally bought me one for highschool graduation, and a year later I’m in love with it.
i moved to North Bend WA when i was 8. soon after moving i saw the Panther Pride Demo team in a parade and decided i wanted to learn. my dad bought me a 16 in unicycle and by the end of the summer i could ride and joined the demo team soon after school started and was on it for two years when i moved to Ct as a level 4. 3 years later and a few new unicycles i can almost pass level 5 and cant wait to see or ride with another unicyclist again.
Well, as many of you know, I’m a speed Rubiks Cube solver. Several years ago, I read on the internet someone had solved a cube while idling on a unicycle. I decided to try. It was fun.
Trash
My first uni we found at the local landfill. My dad jokingly said I should learn to ride it, so I ran out into the rain, and brought it home… That was when I was 20 years old. I learned to ride it, barely, it was too small, and too rusted to do anything about it. I kept saying that I was gonna get a real one, but never got around to it. Then last summer, at age 24, I got my second “trash” uni. This time a friend of mine who is a police dispatcher got it for me, it was abandoned and had been sittin in the police bike storage room for a couple years. Much better condition, I got it, learned how to ride it better, rode it all through the winter, killed the hub in the spring muni-ing and distance riding up and down steep hills, bought a Nimbus, and still haven’t fixed my mtn bike What can I say, I’m obsessed!
i first got interested in year five. we did this thing called a creative arts expo that had all different schools. we did the true story of the three little pigs. anyway, one of the narrators, a guy in year six had a unicyle. i thought it was great. i guess ive wanted one since then. he was also a friend of a friend of mine so ive seen him ride it one other time since then, but years ago. i havent seen him since. oh well maybe if i keep riding around he’ll say hello if he sees me. well yeah i bought a uni about two or three months ago, im not sure exactly, time flies when your haveing extreme fun.
First rode uni in 1964
I was a diver on the swim team at the University of Florida in 1964 but my first love was gymnastics. While in the gym one day I discovered a unicycle. I recall that it had a lot of adhesive tape protecting the seat. I made a few attempts and learned to ride about 50 feet in the gym but never really pursued it beyond that.
Fast forward to 1998. I got the urge to try it again and bought a CyclePro 20" from a friend who owns a bike shop. Gradually I got to the point where I could ride about a 1/3 of a mile but I had to hang onto something to get going. For the most part, the uni was relegated to the ceiling of the garage as I spent my time on the “two-wheeler”.
It’s now 2004 and I’m about to turn 58. I decided to get serious and bought a 28" Sun and installed an odometer. I finally learned to do a free mount (tricky when the saddle is higher than the crotch) and I’ve been increasing my ride lengths. Two weeks ago I did 12.6 miles after work averaging 6.6 mph with a top speed of 11.8 mph. Weather permitting I plan to do at least ten miles tonight.
Reading this forum makes me realize there is a LOT to learn and my skills are very basic but I’m having fun and I’m glad that after 40 years I’m getting the hang of it!
Pat Moore
Driving to work, I passed a yard sale, and I saw a shiny crome Savage 24" calling out to me. Before I saw it, uni ing was the farthest thing from my mind. I pulled over, asked how much.
“Seven dollars.” the lady said.
“I’ll take it.”
“Can you ride it?”
“I can learn.”
And I did.
Now, I have a few, including my latest and greatest, a Yuni 29er.
Peace.
Re: How did you get into unicycling?
I started riding when I was 12. My brother brought home a unicycle. He didn’t find learning it very easy, so I tried. I learned by riding around my dad’s van he parked in the driveway. In a few days I was getting to the end of the driveway unassisted (20 feet) and in a few more days I was getting 30-40 feet at a time. After a few weeks I was riding everywhere (looking back I realize it was maybe 5-10 miles a day). Eventually my brother and I ended up with 3 unis (2 24" and a 20", all Schwinn). That was 30 years ago. I still ride, not as many miles, and very little in the past few years. Still have two of the unis (several tires and many inner tubes later).
I think Im like a level 2, there are a few things I would need to work on to get to level 3 (like hopping and riding on stomach). In all of the years I have been riding I NEVER met anyone (personally) who admitted to knowing how to ride. Until I found this group I didn’t know there were so many people in the world who could ride and that there are so many manufacturers of unis (how did people survive before the Internet?). I guess I live in a unicycle-ly depressed area (Baltimore).
Im making more time for the fun things. Im planning on getting a Coker one of these days. I have a number of rails-to-trails near by and Im thinking they would be great for riding a Coker on.
(Ive been lurking for a few weeks, getting a sense of the personality of the group. Nice crowd here. Too many of the other newsgroups/forums I read have too many jerks trying to prove themselves)
Dan