ok so i was talking to you girlfiend and she was asking why i unicycle she said " im glad you have a hobbie " this triggerd a 5 min rant about how its my life not just a hobbie i dont ride unicycles i am a unicyclist and proud of it i have 2 and those to cover everthing, the 29er i ride to college and back everday (20 mile round trip ) and every weekend i do at least 20 miles again either muni on my 24 or on my 29er. its what i do and its apparently one of the reasons she likes me so much and she has the cheek to call it a hobbie i that she probably only wants me to make more time for her and i am but now the rants over down to the question.
to you is unicycling a hobbie or a lifestyle do you ride unicycles or are you a unicyclist ?
Funny, I was just thinking about a related issue. I bought a bottle of wine for the first time in ages tonight and (in the interests of safety - I’ve had the odd alcohol/uni conflict before) forwent my evening ride.
I really missed it.
Nothing compares to the experience of riding a uni. I just absolutely love it.
I am now finishing my wine with a sense of resentment.
To persist in learning to ride a uni you have to be a certain sort of obsessive, I think. It also, perhaps, represents a certain philosophical outlook - to find riding a uni not only enjoyable but practical. To many people it would seem totally impractical.
But we can see the beauty, the simplicity, the achievement, the serenity, the endless vista of conquerable (providing you put the time in) challenges.
The rewards are as boundless as the possibilities.
did you get to the bottom i came across this girl once and she asked me what i was doing i replied riding to college and she just down right refised to believe me even after watching me mount it then she started to get quite angry that i would do somthing so “stupid” but to me the stupid thing is walking or god forbid getting the bus!!! to me the unicycle is the most practical thing ive ever had the good sence to learn and yes i know exactly what you mean if i cant ride it one day im find myself in a strange mood all day until i get my “FIX” theres a certian bliss to riding unicycles that non unicyclist just do not seem to understand but also i have no way of explaining the feeling to them .
Haha dude, you got a bit over worked up didn’t you???
BUT YES! You have to make it very very clear, early on in relationships, that unicycles are your babies and no woman will ever replace your true love, unicycling. I made the mistake with my past partner, she was under the impression that she was more important to me then unicycling. DONT LET THIS HAPPEN! You’ll never get to ride again. Don’t let anyone control what you do! :P. I’m having a rant at the moment cause I’m happy to be free :p. But yes, early on you have to make it clear how important it is to you. I am a unicyclist.
The unicycle actually is a very practical device - assuming you can ride it. You’re a 29er Ben, I think. Average speed of an average bicyclist (maybe slightly less) but also the portability of an umbrella (well, almost). Hop on and off, roll when you walk, bus train, and then mount and ride as the opportunity presents.
Its totally useless for transporting a week’s worth of shopping or a large dog (or, in fact pianos) - but this is not a problem.
Only an idiot would attempt piano removals with a unicycle.
I had a couple of cans before the wine. I’d best stop posting
Back to the original post though - don’t over-react, I guess she didn’t know what her ‘hobby’ comment would result in. She probably thought she was saying something nice and that you’d like to hear it.
yeah been a long day. ohh she knows !! she knows i have a special kind of love for my unicycles and that she wiil be gone before the unicycles go
and yes im a muni guy and a 29er’er and on my route to college in teh morning i pass the busses and most of teh slower guys on bikes my top speed is around 15/16 mph and my crusing is around 11/12 mph
hobby – “a specialized pursuit (as stamp collecting, painting, woodworking, gardening) that is outside one’s regular occupation and that one finds particularly interesting and enjoys doing usually in a nonprofessional way as a source of leisure-time relaxation; broadly : any favorite pursuit or interest”
I think the key here is “leisure-time relaxation”. If you see unicycling as a sport as serious as running, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, hang gliding, white-water paddling, etc., then yes, I can see how the hobby comment could be taken as belittling. Knitting is a hobby. Unicycling is a sport.
There is an association with clowns and circuses. Could we perhaps be a little over-sensitive about the image of unicycling? We want it to be taken seriously (I’ve found that the best way to accomplish that, even with my meager skills, is to ride down a flight of stairs or do MUni – it takes the “circus” right out of the unicycle in a jaw-dropping way).
What if instead she said she was happy you found…
… a good exercise activity? I don’t do it just for the exercise! Are you calling me out-of-shape?
… a fun activity? It’s not just an activity, it’s a way of life!
What other words can be used to describe unicycling besides “sport”? You have to hit upon that one exact word – sport – otherwise you risk offending. Because unicycling is serious business. No clowning around.
Lemme check. Are the unicycles (unicycling) paying the bills? If no, nice hobby you’ve got there. Hobby can still fit, though the definition uni57 described sounds pretty good. It is, for most of us, a non-occupational activity we do, and we generally take it pretty seriously. Don’t be offended if someone says it’s a hobby. Hobbies can be great.
i came across this girl once and she asked me what i was doing i replied riding to college and she just down right refised to believe me even after watching me mount it then she started to get quite angry that i would do somthing so “stupid” but to me the stupid thing is walking or god forbid getting the bus!!! to me the unicycle is the most practical thing ive ever had the good sence to learn and yes i know exactly what you mean if i cant ride it one day im find myself in a strange mood all day until i get my “FIX” theres a certian bliss to riding unicycles that non unicyclist just do not seem to understand but also i have no way of explaining the feeling to them .
