As you ride and love it, regardless of how you feel about your audience, they still form a perception of what you are doing, and some of them enjoy it and think it’s a circus act. The fact that they are amused fills half the requirements of a circus all you are missing is the tent! Can’t you agree to disagree with the people? I don’t think you can be speaking the whole truth when you say you don’t ride for the joy of others cos surely the joy of others is part of your whole unicycling experience- it add’s to it I reckon.
Freedom of speech and their right to be wrong or have a different opinion from you.
bang on! ultimatelly up to the rider to decide. some people come to unicycling because they learned about it through the circus, and for them, probably, it will always be associated witht he circus. others were introduced to it by friends, and may neverthink of the circus when they ride, perhaps they were introduced to it before they even heard about the circus for me, I feel I bring some of the misticism of the circus and it’s glory with me every time I go out riding for whatever reason, and when I get coments, positive or negative, it is in recognition of that symbol of the circus spirit (I suppose it could be called).
verry clearly, there are others whose mindset is verry different, ride for very different reasons, and have every right to explain to those they see why they do not want to be associated with the circus.
something naomi pointes out is interesting, respect builds on respect. I know some riders who get in trouble with the police for their behavior… shame.
I was thinking about how much mountain unicycling and trials are most definitelly not part of the circus, even if freestyle might have been at one time, and instantly a full detail image sprang into my mind of what a mountain unicycling circus performance might look like, in, tarzan jungle style, with unicyclists jumping from ledges, etc…
I can’t think of anything that would hinder your (sport unicyclists who want to take unicycling away from the circus) efforts more than that.
do you think a cirque de soleil performance of this kind, (even if it was clearly stated that many of the practitioners of unicyling do it as a sport and in no way want to be associated with the circus), would cause a mass outcry from unicyclists?
ya, bring on the nasty and angry replies… I would be kind of disapointed if this suggestion (quite interesting actually, because it -could- really happen (not that difficult…)), was not a foot in the bees nest
Naomi, I feel for you. You post something intended to amuse and you get taken all seriously.
We all know unicycles have an association with the circus, but that the circus connection is only part of the story. I’m sure most of us get tired of the stereotyping that makes complete strangers feel free to call us clowns when we are mudded up to the eyeballs on a trail ten miles from the nearest road, descending a 20% gradient with our hearts in our mouths, or as we complete a long distance ride, with our… well, let’s not go there.
And most of us acknowledge that many clowns take their clownhood very seriously, and that being a good clown takes skill and determination, with or without a unicycle.
Or possibly “clowndom”, or “clownality”. Who cares?
Yeah, and thanx for posting that video-link. It was a fun 5 minutes.
Reading this thread wasn’t.
I don’t think being associated with- or called a clown neccesarily falls into the category of ‘harassment’, especially not in light of the other examples you posted.
Well said. Memphis Mud’s reply to my opposition to the use of the collective noun ‘wobble’ for a group of unicyclists refers.
A gig we did at the promotional opening of a store on Saturday called for a Unicycling Clown, a stiltwalker, a balloon modeller and a juggler.Fortunately my position is well enough known that they offered me the stiltwalking gig.
And before you get the wrong idea, my refusal to work as a ‘clown’ is based on respect for the profession and an awareness of my own limitations as a performer.
But this thread is getting waaay to serious for something that started with 5 minuted of fun.
A bit like parenthood I guess.
There, now we can talk about sex again and drop all this circus stuff.
I think it depends on the particular situation- the same comment can have different intent depending on the attitude of the commenters: ‘are you a clown’ from a 4-year child, wide-eyed at seeing someone on a unicycle in public, is not harassment.
‘Hey- Clown’, jeered loudly across the road by an adult in a tone which is clearly derogatory, is, IMO offensive.
For a non-unicycle analogy, take the example of a person of restricted height, out for a walk- the public associates dwarfs with circus and pantomines; yet the comment -‘where’s the circus mate, ha, ha’ shouted across the road loudly, would, IMO, be offensive, and not a pleasant experience for the hearer- even though, much like with unicycles, the general publics view is that dwarfs are often seen in an entertainment context, and, in the view of the shouter, his/her comment is meant as just ‘a bit of fun’.
As for the thread in general- I think it’s good, Most of the people here who are defending their right, as unicyclists, to correct erroneous associations with clowns and circuses, are doing so in a reasonable and non-aggressive manner. At the end of the day, IMO, if a substantial portion of the unicycling community does see clown/circus association as negative in some way, then the best way to deal with it is through acknowledgeing it and discussing it.
I’ve no real evidence for this; and maybe it could be time for some kind of on-line poll to establish it- but, IMO, I think by now, most uncyclists who ride in public, would much prefer not to be associated with clowns/circus, and would enjoy their riding more if the public did not attempt ‘humour’ with shouted comments.
And, of that majority of unicyclists who do see erroneous clown/circus association as a negative thing, there is a substantial portion who do feel that it isn’t an inevitable and unchangable public perception.
Of course, one way to bring this about is through friendly communication on forums such as this.
Ofcourse it is, and more socially acceptable than shouting “Hey idiot on one wheel” but it’s what they mean, only they can excuse it as ‘a bit of fun’. So what we are responding to is not the comment itself, I’d prefer to be a clown than an idiot, but the intention behind it. Which generally is to make said unicyclist look small in the service of making themselves look witty, big, etc. Not because they generally think less of unicyclists than anyone else but because we’re an easy target due to being obviously unusual.
Of course not all comments have the same intent behind them, some are meant in a genuine and friendly way- others are more hostile. As unicyclists it’s down to us to judge, where it’s possible, which end of the scale a particular comment is, and act accordingly.
My opinion is that the main thing is not to just fall into the common mentality of ‘there’s nothing you can do about it, so just accept it and ignore it’. The fact is that there are things that can be done; I know this because, when I started riding unicycles as transport initially, comments and rudeness was common; whereas now, it’s rare. to me that shows that change is possible.
Acceptance is fine, and usefull, up to a point- when it comes down to offensive remarks and abuse, then the line has been crossed, and no-one should have to accept abuse, unicyclist or not.
It seems to me that, to an extent, some of the abuse is down to the attitude of (some) unicyclists themselves- as a group, we seem a little too willing to go along with the view of unicyclists as clowns and wierdos, and actually promote it.
I say this because of the way that those who do post their negative view of the erroneous clown/circus associations, are often put down, sometimes quite rudely, by other members of the community.
And it’s obvious from this thread alone, that some unicyclists are happy to consider their mode of transport as ‘ridiculous’. Fair enough, if that’s how they want to see their choice of hobby. (I’m not saying that those who see their unicycles as ridiculous are wrong to do so- i’d just like them to be aware that not all unicyclists think the same).
But, for me, and I suspect, many others; my choice of hobby is not ‘ridiculous’- it’s something that takes dedication and skill; which improves fitness and balance; and which is a very enjoyable way of getting around.
I rate it highly, and happily recommend it to others- ‘ridiculous’ is not the word I’d use to describe it, nor do i think that it helps with public perception.
Certainly, when it comes to a comparison between a skilled individual who chooses to ride a unicycle in public; and the loud-mouthed and rude member of the public who deems it acceptable behaviour to shout derogetory and unprovoked commnets across the road; if I had to assign the term ‘ridiculous’ to one of them, it most definitly wouldn’t be the unicyclist
Guess I’m a circus rider. Please don’t hate me, it was 25 or so years ago if that counts for anything.
I never would have imagined this was a hot issue with people. Maybe because when someone has asked me about being in the circus, I can say… “Well, not anymore, but my parents sent me off to the Circus when I was a kid.” and say it with a straight face. It’s one of those unique life experience deals that just sorta throws people for a little loop.
What are people supposed to say when they see you riding a unicycle? Especially when the vast majority of people are totally ignorant to the ‘sport’ of unicycling. They just see something they don’t see everyday and want to say something but literally don’t know what to say… so they say something silly like… “Hey, are you a clown in the circus?”
So in return, you respond like a jerk because this offends you? What sense does that make? What kind of image does that leave with this person of the ‘sport’ of unicycling?
Life is way to short to take it that seriously, especially while wobbling around waving your arms in the air on one wheel.
Thanks for one of the better posts on this thread. Kudo #1 for the link…I wish MY parents had sent ME off to circus camp when I was a kid. I got to go to gymnastics camp, but ycircus looks way cooler.
And Kudo #2 for the point on how we respond when these tired comments come up. Not that some of the more frustrated posters on this thread would actually say some of what they’d LIKE to say, but it’s still a matter well worth bearing in mind. This September, I was lucky enough to partipate in the Washington edition of the MS-150, a distance cycling event to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis. At the various rest stops, I had a few encounters that started with the circus theme or “Hey, where’s your other wheel?” etc., but once I took the initiative to engage, turned into great discussions. The bikers actually got it pretty quickly…wow, must be great for your quads and abs, etc. What’s your average pace? How’s that thing handle uphills? Downhills? I even had a few ask me about how hard it was to learn…for kids and grown ups, which gave me the chance to talk about learning at 40 and having a son who learned at 8 and loves to ride.
I won’t know for sure until next year’s ride, but I may have converted one or two, or at least convinced them to try a uni for an upcoming kid birthday or Christmas present. If so, it was all worth it. One more of Us, one less of Them.
Even on rides where comment frequency is high, the fact remains that the majority of the public can get past a unicyclist without needing to say anything- that would suggest that it’s possible for everyone to do similarly.
A minority of the public can’t seem to walk past an obese person without commenting on their weight- that in no way justifies their comments.
My advice to the public on encountering a unicyclist- if in doubt, say nothing: on no account, attempt to come up with a original funny comment, you will surely fail
Absolutely not. In this thread I’ve been speaking on behalf of unicyclists who, in a reasonable, calm and rational way, see circus/clown associations and rude shouted comments, as negative, and who wish to do something about it.
By definition, such people would not behave like jerks.
Let’s re-iterate; as already established, not all comments are the same, they range from- harmless fun and sincere interest, to outright rudeness that is intended to insult. For this reason, a rational unicyclist will respond differently according to the circumstances, ranging from joining-in-the-fun, to educating, to standing up for oneself. He/she wil not behave like a jerk.
It would be interesting to get some stats together on unicyclists opinions on this matter.
I suspect that the extent towards which they ‘take it seriously’ will have some correlation to the amount of time they actually spend riding in public
As for wobbling around and waving arms, the vast majority of experienced riders who’ve spent many hundreds of hours riding in public, do not wobble, and most certainly, they do not wave their arms around.
They ride straight and true, in every way as balanced, and in control, as the bicyclists that, in truth, they have far more in common with than clowns/entertainers.
As for taking the issue seriously; IMO, I do not take it ‘too seriously’; I take it as seriously as the issue warrents. ie I don’t let it fester and ruin my life, but, neither do I kid myself that it is not a real issue.
Again I will point out that it seems to be that minority of unicyclists that, for whatever reason, wish to put down those of us who endevour to acknowledge and address this issue; that are the ones who seem to be getting a bit wound up and taking things seriously.
The fact is that many of us do acknowledge that public shouted comments, erroneous clown/circus associations et al, are, to some extent, negative- that’s perfectly OK; if others wish not to agree, then fair enough; but, why are you getting so wound up by it?
firstly that the ‘extreme’ unicycling thing and all the postings of videos of people doing sick stunts and making silly faces at the camera is well and truly within the comedy + daredevil stunts performative style of the circus. Just because the performance is being done on camera rather than in person doesn’t make it much different, it’s still riding as a performance as opposed to just for the riding. That’s not really relevant to just riding about, when you’re doing riding in a style that isn’t done primarily for videoing. But when you’re doing those kind of style moves and performance type stuff, you’re doing something pretty circussy.
The second thing is I think when someone comments, it’s almost always just a way of showing that they’ve noticed something out of the ordinary. Unicycles are undeniably out of the ordinary, that’s part of the fun, there are many more efficient forms of transport which require similar skills to ride, but the basic incongruity of balancing on one wheel is a real attraction to the unicycle. The flip side of this is that it’s obvious to everyone else too, so people make comments about how odd it is.
I can’t understand people who get annoyed by these comments, if I’d got stressed out by every comment I’ve had, I’d be in an asylum by now. Ignoring non-commuting riding, I ride in public approximately an hour and a half every workday and have done so for about 5 years.
It’s true that such stuff is done for entertainment (of a video audience). I wouldn’t want to class it as circus, as-
it doesn’t take place in a circus
by the same reasoning, skateboarding and BMX-ing would be circus (as they’re often doen on video or in front of an audience), as would all televised sport.
Perhaps some here are using ‘circus’ to mean ‘entertainment’. If so, i think it would lead to less misunderstanding to not do so; as we have two perfectly understandable words for two different things (‘circus’ and ‘entertainment’) it would add to clarity to use them in the way they are meant.
So yes, I’m happy to acknowledge that some stunt unicycling is meant to entertain, but I’d maintain that this is not a ‘circus’ thing, and I’d point out that the entertainment is meant for a specific audience which does not include any of the random members of the public who shout comments at the unicyclists as they ride to where they are about to commence filming.
Also, as you yourself observe, this is not relevant to unicyclists who just like to ride (and it seems to be this group that are most adversly affected by comments and erroneous clown/circus associations).
Just out of interest, in all your years of riding, have you never received a comment that annoyed you?
I would ask you to reflect on the fact that we are all different- I’m sure you realise that just because you don’t mind erroneous comments, doesn’t mean that all unicyclists don’t, or that there view on this is wrong.
I’m also pretty sure that you don’t get that many comments, particularly the more annoying or offensive ones, for much the same reason that I don’t, ie
you’re established in your riding areas and thus people are used to you
you’re an experienced rider, and so you look, in terms of balance and control, more like a cyclist than a clown
you tend to ride a bigger wheel, and you ride faster than a relative newbie, you’re getting from A to B in a efficient manner, so, there’s less time to make a comment, and, given that you actually look quite skilled and impressive, it makes you less of a soft target for humour.
Fair enough- it’s good that you don’t get stressed by comments. And, if you can’t understand why some do get annoyed, then that’s OK; the important thing is that some do see these things as negative, and that they’re perfectly entitled to have that view- they probably can’t see why you don’t get annoyed, any more than you can understand them.
Lastly I’d like to stress that personally, on the whole, I don’t get annoyed by comments either. That doesn’t stop me pointing out that what I do is not a cicus/clown thing or that it’s not understandable that other unicyclists do get annoyed by comments.
Damn,
1.I live in a holiday area and one of the nicest rides is along the prom. People are never going to get used to me cos new ones come every week.
2.I feel that I ride with a look of terror and on the verge of falling off, arms flailing. However this could very well be an erronous perception because I can now smile a people while I ride and do stuff like turn my mp3 player on and off. Also I ride for miles, so I couldn’t be that wobbly really.
3.At least I ride a big wheel, although not very fast. Perhaps there is some hope for me yet.
I must say that I hated the comments when I started (being a relatively shy person) but after many many hours of riding in public I am now getting used to it. There was one time when I rode 6 miles along the prom and had 7 comments of “where’s your other wheel”. I’m afraid that my usual blank smile had worn right through to a scowl by the 7th comment.
As a mode of transport, a unicycle pretty much is. Be honest with yourselves. If transport is the goal, there are much better, more efficient ways (human powered and otherwise) to do it.
Plus, unicycles are ridiculous-looking. Surely the rider must use up their entire brain and physical energy to merely stay balanced, what use could it be beyond simply being able to stay on it? – That is probably a common thought among non-riders. People have to think past that first layer to start to realize maybe there is more to it. The ones who just want to poke fun aren’t interested in that though. Often you can watch peoples’ faces as they cross layers and start to see the larger world of unicycling. But very few make this effort.
As a hobby, it’s not ridiculous. Look at some of the other hobbies people have Stamp collecting? Golf? We’re no more ridiculous than that. If you’re just playing around, your “mode of transport” doesn’t have to be the most efficient possible. Especially if your purpose isn’t simply to get from A to B.
On to images of “what circus is.” If you look at the history of the modern circus, you’ll see it can contain just about anything. How about a guy on a bike who rides a ramp all the way down the grandstand and into a loop followed by a massive jump? It was done a hundred years ago, and similar stuff has been done recently in Ringling Bros.
Circuses use motorcycles, trucks, every kind of animal imaginable, bicycles, leaf blowers, and just about anything you can think of. How about trampoline? Is that a sport? Guess where it comes from?
But, just because something can and has been done in the circus does not mean when you’re riding down the street you should be considered to be in one. But so what? People are going to make those comments anyway. Either take the time to explain (to the ones who want a conversation), or just continue on your way.
WOW, have enjoyed reading the many posts. BLUF, we look funny riding a uni. Does not matter what kind of cloths you wear or how good you are. Riding on one wheel looks funny and could be said even goofy. That’s OK by me; my wife still thinks I am a 39 year old child.
I had a interesting comment the other day. It was the first time on my Coker and I was finally getting it up to speed and making some turns. A soldier walked by and said “now that takes some talent”, I said thanks. I notice that I get different reactions to the Coker vs. the 24" Torker. The Coker looks to be a much more serious Uni and not so “Circus” in Joe publics eyes.
When I do ride my 24" around doing minor tricks and riding down the bunkers here, soldiers stop and watch. Its like NASCAR, they watch and wait for the wreck. Luckily, I am good enough not to UPD that much and so they get bored and move on. I had a soldier that was up on an Apache doing some maintenance about fall of when he saw me. He then tried to sing out the Circus song and had it all wrong. I told him he had it all wrong and gave him a demo of the correct tune. He felt stupid and that was my intent.
for me, I feel I bring some of the misticism of the circus and it’s glory with me every time I go out riding for whatever reason, and when I get coments, positive or negative, it is in recognition of that symbol of the circus spirit (I suppose it could be called).
