My name is Dominic (I also listen to Nicki or Kami). I’m a 28 years old computer scientist and student in Karlsruhe/Germany.
I used to be active in a 6 people freestyle team about 10 years ago. After our last participation in a local competition in 2002 (as a group of 4) we disbanded, because our studies took us all to different places.
We’d been learning unicycling in the local sports association since I was 15. Unicycling was a local tradition that had all but died and by simple chance we had the critical mass to start a team. Our trainer/teacher gripped his chance to rekindle an old flame.
We’d been going to competitions 4 years in a row when we disbanded. And that was really bad - our training discipline had greatly improved during that last year. We’d only become aware of the potential of the sport and our own potentials as well.
By then we were a special group, 5 male and 1 female member and all of us young adults. All other participants at the competitions were little children, none of the other teams had more than one male member.
I still have contact to three other members of our old team. Not a single one of us still rides. I occasionally use a 26" touring cycle to terrorize the pedestrian precinct or the university in Karlsruhe, that’s it.
I’d like to get back into it. But I’m lost in the woods. I’ve been living here for years and there appears to be no local community (apart from some people that follow the absurd notion that there is a connection between juggling and unicycling). I don’t even have access to training facilities.
This is my situation and I’m here because I think this might be the place to find advice.
I was never any good at freestyle type riding but have been having a blast taking one wheel off-road. You don’t necessarily need anyone to ride with and it is great fun. The only chance I have to ride with others is when I go to meets/conventions. No clubs within 1000km as far as I know.
Actually I’d been hoping for general advice. Like people telling what they did in a similar situation. But your advice is very appreciated, too and I’ll probably act on this in a day or two.
I’ve been playing with the thought of buying a Muni, just to mess around for fun, occasionally. But I feel that’s the kind of thing that would only work for me in a group.
But my heart burns for freestyle. I could lock myself in a gym hall alone for hours and I’d just keep on working.
The connection between juggling and unicycling is unavoidable. It doesn’t have any handlebars.
I’m not sure how you create a unicycle club in Germany, but I have been to some established ones (many years ago). Sometimes the easiest approach is to do it yourself; teach people to ride, advertise at your school, give it time and find a place to ride. Good luck!
