I taught myself how to unicycle almost 2 years ago, and ever since I started riding, people have asked me many questions other than where my other wheel is, a main question has been If I either ride or have any connection to electric unicycles. Electric unicycling has been on the uprise in recent times, and as glad as I am to see more representation for the sport of unicycling, I just can’t bring myself to acknowledge electric unicycling as the same as unicycling. I tend to view it as a different sport entirely, But I want to see what other unicyclists think in response to the question:
I would make an even bigger difference than motorcycle and bicycling. It’s to unicycling what segways are to bicycles.
Same amount of wheels, but fundamentally very different in the way you ride it.
I don’t really agree, you steer basically the same way, you have the same amount of contact points, the physics are basically the same, and you can do really similar things.
Freestyle is doable on both (I personally can do 1 foot riding on both, and several tricks on both)
Commuting is doable on both (main use on electric ones, not so uncommon on muscular ones)
Offroad riding is doable on both (and it is really fun in either case)
Electric unis can go way faster (up to 110 kph I think for the fastest you can buy)
Jumps are way bigger on electric (a jump over a bus has been performed)
Electric is way heavier
Electric costs a lot more
Cyclists don’t really like motorbikers and many unicyclists don’t really like electric unis
That’s basically exactly the same difference but for a different amount of wheels
In my mind it’s not unicycling in a bit of an elitist sense, like if someone with an EUC says they are a Unicyclist in the same sentence as me…no we’re different.
But like in real life if they want to use our word, sure no harm done and I like the motorcycle to bike analogy.
Because with an ebike, I consider it a bike. If the battery dies you can still pedal it and use it like a bike, it’s just got some extra parts.
An EUC dies it’s not like a unicycle. There was a few videos of people who made ebike motor unicycles and I think those I’d count. But a self balancing wheel called an electric unicycle is not a “true” unicycle in my mind.
Again though, this is personal opinion and if it makes someone happy to ride one go for it. There’s enough bad in the world without me shitting on someone else’s fun.
I mean we ride unicycles, it’s not like we’re the cool kids lol.
I would definitely disagree. It is (or can be) a sport if you try to go harder, better, faster, stronger.
As I said, if you go offroad, you have to at least change the direction of the wheel, pull and push on it with your legs, stay strong, absorb bumps with your legs, fight your fear, and have fun. On a unicycle, you “just” add the pedaling. I really think it is the same as motor bike, you can have a Harley Davidson which is basically a moving, noisy, vibrating sofa or doing motocross with giant jumps and a lot of core muscles needed.
Depends a lot on what you are doing.
If you do flat road, it is nearly no muscles needed (at normal pace), on long rides, muscles will get tired anyway.
If you do freestyle, it is basically the same, but you might need core strength for some tricks.
On muni, especially cross country or steep road, you will need a lot of power to go over hills.
However I don’t think that Harper was saying it couldn’t be a sport; in my interpretation at least, he was using the analogy to make the contrast between the skill-level, active participation and effort needed to ride a regular unicycle versus the (typically) more passive, and lower-barrier-to-entry activity of standing on an electric unicycle which is balanced by a computer/control-system…
I do quite like Canoeheadted’s term of ‘electric BC wheel’ – I think that sums it up pretty well. Now if you could ride one of those without a computer balancing the thing for you that would be pretty cool.
My personal observation of the difference between Unicycling and EUCs is the reaction of people when passing them by.
I believe Unicyclists engender “wonder”, from people. Just watching my kids unicycling now, I realise how “magical” it looks. Seeing the fine body movements transfering to the wheel to keep it all “afloat”.
People feel comfortable to interact and say something to unicyclists.(encouraging, bafflement, jealous callouts.) Kids and babies shout out “unicycle!”
EUC looks like a person standing motionless facing forwards on a moving machine.
To me it brings up negitive feelings of a person “cheating” in movement.
Although I was impressed by a YouTube of a guy using a EUC on a golf course. Zipping around with his golf bag slinged over his shoulder.
All in context, I guess.
The other golfers that walk behind motorized golf bags look totally ridiculous, to me.
