Unicycle/Monocycle, same thing right?
I was blown away, it seems that no one lost their balance, they all kept correct distances, turned and all that with lights on.
I want one!
Thoughts
I was just about to post this as I was watching the closing ceremony. Those are monocycles (as in you ride inside the wheel).
edit: this one is pedaled by hand and the ones in the olympics are foot pedaled.
Haha looks like H.G. Well’s Time machine!
Yeah, I noticed them, glad I wasn’t the only one who did, lol.
See this thread:
I’m not aware of any significance to monocycle/unicycle terminology. I think in Spanish, a unicycle is called a monocycle, for example.
Actually, it is foot-pedaled. There is a crank mechanism (similar to stream train’s) if you look carefully, that connect to the driving wheel (brass color) right under the handles.
I tried riding one back in 2003. I’m not sure I was all that successful, though I may have been :p. It’s harder than a unicycle for sure (and the balance seems different). But I may be completely mistaken as it was long ago and I wasn’t half the rider I am today.
Within the unicycling community, a monocycle is a unicycle where you sit inside the wheel, and a unicycle is one where you sit outside (usually above) the wheel.
However, these are technical terms preferred by enthusiasts. In the wider world, the terms are considered to be interchangeable.
Those things looked a real handful to steer.
If you search YouTube for monowheel you will find some startling videos of motorised versions, with some footage of serious crashes.
Re: Monocycles during the Olympics closing.
Monocycles, yep’m, because you are inside the wheel.
I tried one at Unicon 12. It’s much easier to pick up than unicycling,
although it may be more difficult to reach high levels of proficiency
as they are quite unwieldy. José Barreto (of Puerto Rico’s uni
basketball squad) got the hang of it very quickly.
Monocycle is unicycle in french…
It is called a monocecleta (don’t know how to spell it)
Pigs
monocicleta
Wow, that was amazing. I remember when Seth posted a practice shot of the Chinese military guys training for the Closing Ceremony back in May. StephenH posted the link in this thread above. I just watched the closing ceremony over at www.nbcolympics.com and at one point I paused and counted 50 in the picture and it wasn’t showing them all! I would guess there were over 60. They are riding for almost 5 minutes.
Click on NBC Replay The Closing Ceremony (Part I)
The monocycles come out at about 10:00 until almost 15:00
Around 12:30 a few of them ride up ramps onto the center dias - then they ride down - those guys practiced a lot!
I hit pause at 14:37 and counted 50.
Also interesting was a short shot of those spring-loaded stilt things about 13:20.
Now having seen the ceremony, I can see why they picked those large monocycles - they fit in perfectly. And the cost is nothing compared to the estimated US$40 billion that China spent on the Olympics overall.
I love the fact that such high quality video is freely available on the internet, on demand, although the constant commercials remind me why I haven’t watched television since 1992.
—Nathan
It was like watching “Tron 2; Electric Bugaloo”
I want a monocycle like that.
I have seen those pogo-stilt things before and almost bought a pair off E-Bay once.
They look like a ton of fun.
I liked the drummers floating around banging on the giant wheels of Gouda Cheese.
They passed off the flag to London, and then threw Bob Costas’ wig into the flame to put it out.
cool show over-all.
I have a set, they were fun for a bit, I’m bored of them. They have been sat in the hall way for about 3 months now, the only thing they are used for now is to lean my giraffe uni against, lol.
This is them before I was bored of them, now they are a tad dusty, lol.
It was like watching “Tron 2; Electric Bugaloo”
I want a monocycle like that.
I have seen those pogo-stilt things before and almost bought a pair off E-Bay once.
They look like a ton of fun.
I liked the drummers floating around banging on the giant wheels of Gouda Cheese.
They passed off the flag to London, and then threw Bob Costas’ wig into the flame to put it out.
cool show over-all.
We watched a repeat broadcast of the CBC’s coverage of the closing ceremony Sunday afternoon via our local cable system here in the Seattle area. The show started with a long series of reviews and clips. The anchors were being shot against the backdrop of the National Stadium floor as people were preparing the stages, rehearsing, etc. At one point, a little before 5 PM PDT, I noticed a group of 10 - 12 unicyclists riding around the stadium floor in back of the shot of the female anchor. I think they were riding 24" unis. They didn’t seem to be rehearsing a routine. It looked as if they were riding around at random. I didn’t see them later during the actual closing ceremony.
THATS TOTALY BITCHIN’! where can i get myself a pair? Or are they like $4000?
Not that expensive, mine would have cost £130 new, delivered, but I got them for £70 second hand on ebay, and bought a new set of carbon fibre - fibreglass mix springs for £75.
Cheapest they can be found in the UK is here: http://www.projump.co.uk/
I can’t remember where they’d be found in the USA, but I do remember they can be found under the names: Powerskips, Projump, Flyjumpers, Powerisers, PoweriZers, 7 leagues boots, Velocity stilts…to name but a few. I think Velocity stilts might be the ones you’d have better luck finding.
I’ve asked a few French native speakers about this and I believe that the differentiation that exists in English (unicycle=ride on top, monocycle=ride inside) doesn’t exist in the French language. Probably the same for Spanish and I don’t know for other languages. French native speakers, please correct me if I’m wrong on this.
—Nathan