So I’m sitting here at 6am watching unicycle videos, fascinated by the damn things, like I’ve been for a few years, and wondering if I should start riding.
Before I hand over $199, I’d like to be sure my fascination with unicycles is just an appreciation for watching them, or some weird need to learn to ride. Why not, right? They’re fun, practical, unique and a chance to make a wave of new friends. I just don’t wanna throw the poor thing in the closet after two days.
What made you guys interested in riding and take the eventual leap? How do you know if you’re destined to be a unicycle rider?
I bought a 20" from a 2nd hand shop over 12 years ago, tried to ride it a few times and gave up. Its been hanging from the shed rafters ever since or at least till just before chrissy. I decided it was time to either learn how to ride it or give it away so it would take up space in some other poor saps shed. It took about a week of 20-30min per day before I could stay up for 5 or 6 meters. Its 8 weeks now and I’m totaly hooked. I only ride about 30- 40min a day but I notice little improvement each time I ride. I got approval from the financial controller to buy a KH20 last week and it has improved my ability heaps. Yesterday I made my first drop off (50cm) and rode down a reasonably steep skate park ramp, yeeeha, that was fun. I think the beauty of this activity is the constant sense of achievement and improvment. Also the fact that the uni fits on the back seat of the car is a bonus too!! Hope you take the plunge and enjoy it.
price shouldn’t be an issue here, a ps3 is going for what? 400 now? . . . you’ll get a LOT more enjoyment out of a good uni than a ps3. (depending on the person of course) anyway point being, consider it an entertainment bill if nothing else. : )
I learned, with my young daughter and occassionally rode it on holidays over at Rottnest Island, a popular week-holiday place.
I now ride it as a primary form of transport, covering several thousand kilometres a year. What I like, and maybe youwill too, is that people are NEVER aggro to me, I get lots of friendlyhi’s and people are always getting a little giggle or smile. Where is the downside?
The downside is of course, never actually managing to ride and blowing all that money. However, riding a uni is NOT a talent, it is a skill. Talent is something you either have or you don’t. Skill however is simply something that pretty much everyone can learn. Like walking. And as long as you don’t give up, you will be able to ride.
You never gave up trying to learn to walk did you? Go for it.
I joined the St. Helens Unicycle Drill team back in 1975. I was in the 4th grade at the time. Once I mastered the small 3’ unicycle,…I worked my way up through the 5footer,…7 & 10 foot cycles. I rode in President Jimmy Carter’s Innaugural Parade. Not to mention the Rose bowl,…Cottonbowl,…Orange bowl,…and several others. Unicycling is an art form. Not just simple recreation ,…although that’s how a lot of people look at it. It’s, in my opinion,…a statement of one’s identity. And a bold one at that !..If you have a love for something different,…embrace it. It won’t gather dust in the closet unless you want it to !
Some cheap uni seats have really put a lot of folks off of riding. More people would learn to ride on a cheap Sun uni, if it had a KH seat. Way, way more than would learn to ride on a top of the line KH uni, fitted with a Sun seat.
Not that you ever see KH unis fitted with Savage or Sun seats, some things don’t make any sense. Always use a comfortable seat. Save money on something else, not the seat.
