With so many different top ten lists on Yahoo all the time, I figured it’s about time we compiled our own top ten list.
So which cities do you think are the best for unicycling?
Be sure to include important relevant factors when making your pick. Perhaps we should make a list of some of these factors, such as:
Number of unicyclists in the area
Availability of clubs
Conducive riding terrain
Conducive climate for riding
Ability to get equipment easily
Feel free to add other factors you think are important… or voice your opinion that one or more of the ones I posted aren’t that important (if you feel that way).
I think Seattle, New York, and Santa Barbara should definitely be on the list as far as cities in the US. As far as other countries, I would think London, UK; Vancouver, Canada; and Sydney, Australia are a safe bet.
I’m not sure what the order should be, though, so given where I reside, I’ll have to start things off by making NY #1 for now. Voice your opinions and let me know which cities you think belong where (on the list) and hopefully we can come up with a list that’s reasonably accurate when all opinions have been heard.
New York (USA)
Vancouver (Canada)
Tokyo (Japan)
Santa Barbara (USA)
Paris (France)
Seattle (USA)
Sydney (Australia)
Berlin (Germany)
London (Canada)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Re-arrange, add, or subtract from this list as you see fit…
The SF Bay Area is way ahead of Santa Barbara, sorry guys. The Bay Area produced four RTL teams, including two of the top 6 and three of the top 11. It hosted the first-ever California MUni Weekend, and another one last year. Climate is excellent, there’s some of the best big wheel unicycling anywhere, and great varied MUni terrain. During RTL training we had 10+ big wheel riders on our training rides, and did some of the first time trials and criterium races ever attempted. We have multiple MUni rides most weekends, and when we get the South and East Bay guys together we’ve had 15-20 people on MUni rides.
What does Santa Barbara have? Downhill MUni and the beach.
For that matter, the crew here is a lot bigger and more active than the crew in Seattle.
Some of those ciities are miles away from any decent Muni trails. Others are about as flat as they get.
My top ten list (based on where I’ve been)
-Swiss Alps (not any city in particular, but a heaven on earth for road unicycling)
-Vancouver (good access to MUni, lot’s of unicyclists)
-Kathmandu (The most fun place I have EVER ridden my unicycle)
-Reykjavik (just a really cool place for unicycling and anything in general. Not many unicyclists there though)
-Wellington (very hilly, easy access to Munitrails, compact)
-Tokyo (if you’re into freestyle, lot’s of unicyclists)
-Copenhagen (lot’s of unicyclists there, not much good for Muni though)
Ok, not quite ten, but all I can think of right now.
This list is intended as a list for the best cities for unicycling overall… not for one particular kind of riding (ie: touring, muni, street, etc). I’d be happy to see sublists for all those things, but right now I’m most initerested in top 10 Cities in general, with all factors (that you feel are impotant) taken into consideration. Thus a city that scores high on several areas may beat a city that is stronger in one particular thing.
Also, a city should include surrounding suburbs within a reasonable driving distance (let’s say an hour or less).
Based on the number of top world-class riders and overall contribution to the growth and organization of the sport, any list of top unicycling cities has to include Minneapolis - Saint Paul (USA) at or very near the top. Its accomplishments include: Home to the Twin Cities Unicycle Club (TCUC); birthplace of Andy and Connie Cotter; venue for UNICON VII (1994); venue for the North American championships three times; and, home to this forum. Another top US city not previously mentioned is Detroit (home of the Redford Township Unicycle Club and hosts for four North American championships). Cities and towns in Ohio also produce many excellent riders.
I live in Sydney and i’m not too sure that is should have a place on the list. There aren’t heaps of riders or groups that i know of and i’ve heard that Melbourne’s unicycling scene is far better.
If you like trials and big stair sets.Wellington,New Zealand is soooooo good.(the place unicon is being held).Literally Everywhere you look there is trials to ride on and stair sets and stuff to do street.
The first three MUni Weekends were held in the Sacramento or Gold Country area (centered around Auburn), which I would count separately from the Bay area. That said, the SF Bay area is currently much more a unicycling hotbed with organized rides nearly every weekend. MUni Weekends were in Santa Cruz (Bay area) in 1999, 2002 and 2007. Tomorrow you can join the locals for Rob’s Ride, and on Sunday there’s the annual San Francisco Tour, a 41-mile ride past loads of SF’s best tourist spots.
The first USA convention held in the Twin Cities area was 1978. I think that one was a little bit before the TCUC club got started. Then it was held there again in 1982, 1987, 1992, Unicon VII in 1994, 1997, 2003 and tentatively 2009. Two of those were hosted by clubs other than TCUC.
That said, great unicycling cities don’t necessarily have to have big or active unicycle groups nearby. Some of my best/favorite unicycle rides or experiences happened with people who may all have been visitors there, such as the epic MUni ride at Kleine Sheidig (sp?) in Switzerland. Or Moab, which has no unicyclists we know of.
I think some european and japanese citys are the unicycle capitals. For example my ex hometown bottrop has 2 big clubs each of them has like 300 members then it is in a big city area with at least 5 other clubs which more than 200 members not more than half an our away from each other. One of the biggest german unicycle store is also in this area. The minus points are that nearly everybody only does freestyle, hockey and racing and there are no hills.
But all other citys I visited are not comparable to Bottrop if you think mostly of numbers of people who unicycle (except of tokyo).
your mum’s based in melbourne…
or so i’m lead to believe cos you live in melbourne. although that doesn’t necessarily mean your mum lives there but that’s beside the point.
if we’re to have as accurate a list as possible.