slickrock unicycle
That article about unicycling on the Slickrock Bike Trail is crazy. It’s demanding enough on a mountain bike.
Article in Newsweek by John Drummond
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS - Southwest Tigard
Metro Southwest Neighbors: Tigard
C.J. Gifford Dianna Weston Susan Morelli Ginger Moshofsky Kathryn Lattanzio Rowe Rebecca Luedloff
Special to The Oregonian
1531 Words
8 February 2007
The Oregonian
English
© 2007 Oregonian Publishing Company. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.
TIGARD / COOK PARK
Unicyclist looks ahead,
but never back or down
For Cook Park neighbor Bill Ervin, there’s only one way to get around, and that’s on one wheel.
For 25 years, Ervin’s transportation of choice has been a unicycle. As a teen, Ervin was inspired by an apple-eating juggler on the “Merv Griffin Show.” Already familiar with apple eating, Ervin taught himself to juggle. Then, he says, “I thought, why not unicycle?”
He made the next step logical enough for his mother to buy him a 24-inch unicycle. “I just fell flat on my face and flat on my back until I could ride it,” Ervin says.
After two months of bruising, Ervin hasn’t looked back. “You can’t look back --or down,” he says from atop a new 36-inch commuter model. “You just look straight ahead and get back up when you fall off.”
Unicycles don’t chain up well, and winter weather has left Ervin little chance to practice on the newer, taller model. Dismounts can be dangerous. He points to his well-padded elbows and knees and says, “Don’t ride it if you can’t run.”
Ervin’s goal is to ride to and from Metzger Elementary School, where he’s a special education instructor’s assistant. He once rode his old 24-inch model, but “it took me an hour each direction and almost killed me,” he says.
The kids at the school loved it, but it’s taken his children longer to come around. Lauren, 14, rolls her eyes as Dad rolls by, but Gabe, 11, finally has uttered those three little words every apple-eating, juggling, unicycle-riding father wants to hear: “Teach me, Dad.”
Northern Illinois U. unicyclist is one singular sensation
516 Words
5 March 2007
U-Wire
English
(c) 2007 U-Wire. All Rights Reserved.
U-WIRE-03/05/2007-Northern Illinois U.: Northern Illinois U. unicyclist is one singular sensation (C) 2007 Northern Star Via U-WIRE
By Derek Walker, Northern Star (Northern Illinois U.)
DEKALB, Ill. – One is the loneliest number to many people, but not to
Derek “The Unicycle Guy” Weider. Since his arrival on the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale campus last September, Weider has gained publicity and popularity for his unique choice of transportation: The unicycle. But why one wheel, and not two?
“[Unicycles] are a lot more fun to ride,” Weider said. “And, you have a lot more control with a unicycle than a bike.”
Easily identified by his gigantic hair and constant smile, Weider rolled onto campus and into the hearts of those around him. Fellow students have taken notice of Weider’s special talent – many trying it
themselves.
“He’s talented and he’s got guts. I tried the unicycle thing once, and I can’t do it,” said Gilbert Lloyd, a freshman computer science major.
Weider has even taken it upon himself to teach his skills to the students on his floor in Grant Tower B. For anyone interested in picking up the crafty hobby, Weider has some advice.
“Just keep trying; you’re not going to pick it up very fast,” Weider said. “I think riding a unicycle has more of a learning curve than riding a bike.”
Though he has overcome the obstacle of learning how to ride the unicycle, Weider is faced with another: the weather. With winter still in full effect and snow still on the ground, several students have shown concern for his reckless abandon in the frigid temperatures.
“I’ve seen him riding around in the winter, and I get a little scared for the guy because of the ice,” said Patrick Rozum, a junior business administration major.
Weider admits he will continue to ride despite what the calendar reads.
He also admits that, aside from people honking their horns at him every now and then, the feedback has been mostly positive.
Such a distinguishable talent has led to comparisons to another campus celebrity: Bike Man. Known for his eccentric tweaking of an everyday bicycle, including the application of rims and a boom box, Chris “Bike Man” Daniels graduated this past December, leaving the status of “campus celebrity student” up for grabs. Weider, however, has no plans on picking up where Daniels left off.
“I don’t want to be intruding on Bike Man’s ride,” Weider said. “I don’t want to encroach on his territory.”
Even though there are no red-laser rims or stereo speakers in his future, Weider admits that the comparisons are inevitable. Still, he takes it all in stride, even if his motives aren’t based on celebrity.
“Part of the reason I’m doing it is to see everybody’s looks and stuff,” Weider said. “The main reason I’m doing it is because it’s so much fun.”
Hey, I went to Southern Illinois University, Wish I had kept up with unicycling those days, that has to be great place to unicycle.
Group’s high fundraising hope
245 Words
14 March 2007
Bath Chronicle
English
(c) 2007 Bath Newspapers Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
The wheels have been put in motion for the latest fundraising event by the Bath Stilt and Unicycle Maniacs.
The Weston group, which is due to celebrate its first anniversary next month, is hoping to raise £200 to cover rental costs at the Centre 69 Youth Centre where it holds its meetings.
Members are holding a table-top sale at the centre on Sunday, March 25, from 11.30am. Everything from musical instruments to clothes and jewellery will be for sale.
Organiser and founding member Pauline Paradise said she originally financed the group herself, but to continue for another year funds needed to be raised.
Members range in age from eight to 71 - the age of Mrs Paradise’s partner Clive Gray, who is believed to be the oldest stilt walker in the UK.
The Bath Stilt and Unicycle Maniacs charge £25 for seven sessions of tuition in both unicycling and stilt walking.
They regularly appear at public events and over the past year have performed at Bristol Streets Alive and the Keynsham Walk About.
Mrs Paradise said some of the group’s younger members used unicycles for transport.
She said: “Some of the youngsters pick it up quite quickly but it is a case of balance.”
The Centre 69 Youth Centre is based on Penn Hill Road.
The cost of hiring a table for the sale is £5 and light refreshments will be available.
For more information ring 335745.
Here is that article for when that link goes dead:
Paperboy Stuart masters his balancing act
By Matt Jackson
Comment
Stuart Heath is off on his rounds on his unicycle
Buy this photo
PEOPLE living in Eldene are now getting used to the sight of paperboy Stuart Heath bobbing at their letterboxes.
After several months’ practice the 15-year-old has mastered the art of delivering a paper while still perched on his unicycle.
Stuart, a Dorcan College student from Liden, picked up the hobby from his friend and has adapted it to make his job easier.
“I only started using the unicycle in September, but it’s not that complicated a skill,” he said.
"My friend was into it and I picked it up from him.
“I have got two cycles that I use for the round, which I do every day of the week.”
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Stuart started his paper round 18 months ago and relied on a mountain bike to get him around.
But the size of it meant he had to dismount every time he wanted to deliver a newspaper.
“I thought it would be a lot easier if I could use my unicycle because you don’t need to get off to put the paper through into the box,” he said.
“After a few goes I got the hang of it and I can now do every house on the round bar a few.”
The unusual sight has prompted several comments from residents and passers-by.
“A common one is where’s your other wheel gone?',” he said.
"Most people seem to think it’s funny but there are a few who think I’m being stupid.
“But if I can finish the round quicker then what is the harm?”
Whether by luck or design Stuart’s cycling delivery system has kept him away from dogs on his round, and the only problem is the weight of weekend supplements.
He said: "I have to go back to my mountain bike on Saturday and Sunday because the weight tips me off balance.
“You can lean to compensate with the smaller papers but the weekend is too heavy.”
When he is not doing his paper round Stuart puts his unicycle to good use, taking it on trials’ around Swindon.
He said: "I use it in the town and in the country as you would do a mountain bike.
“We jump from things and go down hills, but you fall off quite often.”
And despite his unicycle capers Stuart has no urge to join the circus.
“We don’t think of unicycles as being circus items, and I don’t juggle or do the trapeze,” he said.
6:48pm Tuesday 20th March 2007
Fairmont Unicyclists Back On Track
Posted Thursday, March 22, 2007 ; 05:31 PM
Updated Thursday, March 22, 2007 ; 06:49 PM
Watch Story Video:Click link above
Family legacy prompts the beginning of a unicycle club once again.
Story by Sarah Kapis Email
FAIRMONT- – In the Crandall family, riding a unicycle is what they do.
“My grandfather used to have a club back in the mid 1970s,” said Daniel Crandall, unicycle enthusiast.
Since then, one-wheeling has been a well-traveled tradition. “I’ve done reports on my family and unicycling for the past 3 or 4 years and I keep digging up more and more each year,” he said.
His cousin Floyd, holds the world record for the fastest 100 meter ride. The family even has a unicycle named after them.
They own everything from off-road, to 6-foot, to 10-foot. and perhaps the scariest of them all, a 13-footer.
“In my experience, the hardest part about riding one of these is getting started after you get moving, you’re good to go,” said Crandall.
Getting started is what Crandall wants to do with his own version of the Fairmont unicyclists -an organization based on pedaling, patience and practice.
“At the end of the day, you get to do something that not everyone does, you get to do something unique,” he said.
Crandall is looking for members to join his club. No experience is necessary. You can contact him at 304-838-0892.
Copyright 2007 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Scores of daredevils and novices hang in the balance at the eighth annual MUni Fest in slickrock country
Brett Prettyman
By Brett Prettyman The Salt Lake Tribune
1099 Words
28 March 2007
The Salt Lake Tribune
English
© 2007 The Salt Lake Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
MOAB - It was more than the demanding terrain that took mountain bikers’ breath away last weekend on the Slickrock Trail.
Rider after rider had to stop to watch the “crazy” people pedaling around the slickrock of the Sand Flats Recreation Area on one wheel.
“Check it out,” one mountain-bike rider said to his buddies after coming across participants in the eighth annual MUni (Mountain Unicycle) Fest. “I need to get me one. Look at the stuff those guys are doing.”
That “stuff” included climbing steep slickrock stretches that most mountain-bike riders would dismount and walk up, and hopping - much like penguins - up or down sections of the trail that look more like crooked steps of the Great Wall of China than bike routes.
More extreme MUni Fest participants were constantly on the lookout for attractive ledges or rocks of 12 feet or so from which to launch their one-wheeled rollers.
“Mountain bikers at first kind of pooh-poohed us like it was kind of a joke, but when they stop and watch, they start to respect what it takes to ride a unicycle on challenging terrain like this,” said Rolf Thompson, an engineer from Sandy who started the event in 2000.
Then, as now, unicyclists found their fellow riders compelled to stop and watch the one-wheeled contraptions go by, but not without friendly banter.
“[Mountain bikers] like to ask what happened to our other wheel, and we like to ask them when they are going to take off their training wheel,” Thompson said.
Highlights of this year’s fest included a wedding proposal for a couple from Minnesota on the trail, two broken seats and a new record for participants. The event drew more than 175 unicyclists - age 6 to 60 - from 21 states, four Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Austria.
Thompson first took his unicycle off road along the Wasatch Front with his son, Karl, in the summer of 1999. They enjoyed it so much Thompson started thinking about other places to ride. On Thanksgiving weekend of 1999, he took “a junky old unicycle” for a spin on the Practice Loop of the Slickrock Trail.
" It was really challenging and interesting," Thompson said. “I started looking around on the Internet and found other people doing this kind of riding in California. I invited them to Moab. We’ve grown from five or six people that first year to 180.”
The 2007 event consisted of a Challenge Ride competition Saturday and a scenic group ride Saturday afternoon and Sunday. The Challenge Ride is a unique competition because the riders split into groups (pro, sport and novice) and then come up with their own challenges based on the surrounding slickrock terrain.
The challenges ranged from gap jumping in the pro division to seeing who could pedal for the longest distance with one foot in the novice division. A special category called the joker included a challenge to see who could ride an Ultimate Unicycle - a single wheel with pedals and no seat, yes, no seat - the longest distance.
“They get to throw out the challenge to each other and the match is on,” Thompson said. “It was necessary to create a way to do a competition quickly with low overhead. This also provides people a chance to learn from other riders.”
For 19-year-old Mikaleen Loveless, of Price, it was a chance to test some basic unicycling skills she developed four years ago.
“I just heard about munis about three months ago. I knew how to ride a regular unicycle, but I had no idea that this kind of riding ever existed,” Loveless said. “I did a lot better than I thought I would. I learned a lot from watching other riders. Pavement is flat and boring. The slickrock has a lot of obstacles that really test you.”
Thompson said the event averages about half new participants and half returnees each year. A large number of riders are younger than 18.
Evan Schertz traveled with his family from Durango, Colo., to check out mountain unicycling. The 9-year-old started riding 1 1/2 years ago and was ready to try a surface other than the playground.
“It’s a lot different than the cement,” Evan said. “It’s a lot bumpier.”
His parents wondered if they were making a good decision taking a 9-year-old to MUni Fest, but their fears were quickly dismissed.
“We weren’t sure it would be a good family event, but it has been great,” said Evan’s mother, Andrea Avantaggio. “There are a lot of kids here and everybody is really supportive and helpful with each other.”
Peter Schertz, Evan’s father and also a unicyclist, said he thought he was pretty good at the sport until attending the first morning of events last weekend.
“I got knocked down a few rungs,” he said. “This is really tough, but everybody has been really helpful and there aren’t a lot of big attitudes involved.”
Lloyd Johnson has made the 12-hour drive from his home in Truckee, Calif., to Moab four times for MUni Fest. He is drawn by the challenge of the unique environment that made the area a world- famous mountain-biking destination.
“This place is different from anywhere else in the world,” said Johnson, who has brought his sons, 14 and 12, along the past three years. “Mountain unicycling happens at a slower pace than mountain biking and it makes it similar to climbing in that you have the luxury of a little time, and that allows for some mental deliberation before the physical execution.”
- BRETT PRETTYMAN can be contacted at brettp@sltrib.com or 801- 257-8902. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.
ONLINE
FOR MORE INFORMATION visit the following Web sites: http://www.moabmunifest.com , http://www.unicycle.com ,
Caption: Brent Garrett, 16, of Pueblo, Colo., jumps off a rock along the Slickrock Trail in Moab during the eighth annual MUni Fest. About 170 unicyclists came to Moab for three days of good-natured competition and fun.; With the weather intent on making the Slickrock Trail live up to its name, daring muni riders rock on.; A panoramic view captures a group of unicyclists negotiating wet and foggy conditions on the Slickrock Trail. The annual gathering draws enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.
Keeping it simple: Short history of the muni movement
Brett Prettyman The Salt Lake Tribune
226 Words
28 March 2007
The Salt Lake Tribune
English
© 2007 The Salt Lake Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Although it had probably been done before, Canadian Kris Holm is usually given credit for launching the mountain-unicycle movement in the late 1990s. Holm was a pioneer and is probably the best-known mountain rider. He has appeared in films and magazines featuring the sport. Holm has also designed top-of-the-line municycles.
Mountain unicycles range in price from $199 for an entry-level machine to $1,500 for the top-of-the-line models.
They come with no shocks, and some with no seats. The forks of mountain unicycles are wider to allow for large mountain-bike-style tires (typically 3 inches wide and 24 or 26 inches around).
The hubs and cranks of mountain unicycles have been strengthened to withstand the forces riders place on them hopping and dropping. Small handles are added to the front of the seat to help a rider hold onto the unicycle for jumping and hopping.
Some mountain unicycles have brakes, but the vast majority don’t. Unicycles remain a fixed-gear design, but some people are working on creating two gears.
A helmet is a must when mountain unicycling; some riders use skateboard helmets. Optional, but recommended, equipment includes leg guards, elbow pads, wrist guards and gloves.
Sherbrooke Record & Rocketboom!
No link, but the Sherbrooke Record (Quebec, Canada) had a pic of some guy on a muni in the snow last month… no article though… Also, Rocketboom had a guy on an ultimate wheel on March 22nd… http://www.rocketboom.com/stories/rb_07_mar_22
Only one wheel (but twice the fun on unicycles)
224 words
26 April 2007
Evening Gazette
English
(c) 2007 Gazette Media Company Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Unicyclists from across the world wheeled into Billingham for an international gathering.
The British Unicycle Convention, hosted by The Stockton Unicycle and Juggling Club, is the largest of its kind in the country.
For the second year running, it was held at St Michael’s School and attracted around 150 riders from across the UK, and as far away far as Canada, Denmark and France.
Events included the UK championships for unicycle hockey, unicycle freestyle, unicycle trials and street competition.
Paul Tosker, the oldest person to unicycle across the Transporter Bridge, was one of the organisers.
He said: "It’s been great, with both local and international riders taking part in the events.
“The facilities at the school are great - without their help we would not have been able to hold the event.”
Sean Thomas, 37, travelled from Swansea.
“It’s my first unicycling convention,” he said. “I have been stuck in my village where I’m the only unicyclist so coming here has been a big help and I’ve picked up lots of advice.”
The weekend also included a unicycle ceilidh and off-road unicycling up Roseberry Topping and over the North Yorkshire moors.
- For more information about events held by The Stockton Unicycle and Juggling Club, call 0800 980 0711.
HEY!
THAT’S ME!!
Fame at last.
“I have been stuck in my village where I’m the only uniclyclist…”
Sounds like an awful hardship. 
Believe me I understand. 
One-wheel riders get the balance right
4 May 2007
Swansea Evening Post
WHERE’S your other wheel? It’s a familiar question to a band of cyclists who think one wheel is better than two.
And to prove there are no boundaries, six one-wheeled enthusiasts decided to tackle Wales’s biggest mountain on unicycles.
Sean Thomas, aged 37, of Llanelli, was one of the intrepid group seen on the slopes of Snowdon.
He said: “Some friends of mine do it annually, and it’s the third year they have done it.
“I met up with these guys at the British Unicycling Convention, and we got chatting and they invited me along.”
With no gears, or brakes . . . or handlebars, the steep inclines and rocky track were a little too much for the group on the way up.
However, after reaching the summit it was a different matter.
Sean, who is also taking part in this year’s British Heart Foundation Gower Bike Ride, said: “We walked up because it was ridiculously steep and rocky. It was unrideable on the way up.
“We got to the top and took a bit of a rest and then cycled down the mountain.
“It took us about three hours to get up and three hours down.”
While the popular perception of unicycles is as a prop for men with red noses and big feet, Sean and the others proved extreme unicycling is not a sport for clowns.
“There were dozens of accidents on the way down,” he said.
It wasn’t just scrapes from falls that took their toll.
Sean said: “I couldn’t walk for two days afterwards. It was very, very painful, and we also picked the hottest day of the year so far to do it.
“We got some very funny looks from the people walking up the mountain when we were coming down.
“We get comments all the time — where’s your other wheel; you’ve lost half your bike; and are you with the circus?”
Sean took up unicycling last year after being given one as a present.
“It was completely out of the blue, but I thought I’d give it a go.
“It took me about a month to learn to ride it. You can’t just pick one up and ride. You have to be particularly stubborn. You have to stick at it.”
The new breed of unicycle aficionados are looking to create a buzz about the unconventional means of transport.
Sean said: “There’s a massive internet community that is taking the sport to a more extreme level.
“It’s definitely moving away from the clown and circus image.
“It’s the closest thing to flying. It’s hard to explain the feeling you get, it’s completely different to anything else.
“There is nothing in front of you, no handlebars, no wheel, nothing and if you want to you can even read a book.”
Well done! Sean, at this rate you’ll soon be getting more publicity than Kris Holm. Better polish that helmet!
Aye, I’m a little disappointed. The first draft of the page contained more photos and named all the riders, but the editor decided to insert a piece about a local charity bike ride, so the extra pictures were ditched. Sorry fellas.
Still, a bit of publicity for the sport, eh?
Looking good there Sean.