Unicycling as a topic of discussion in your household

In my household of me, my wife and sons, 10yrs and 12 years it’s a running joke that if I even mention the word unicycling, I am immediately shut down.
It is all good humoured but still that’s what live with.

I still get my time working on my unicycles, commuting to work and the odd weekend workout on my KH36.

My sons have started going bicycling together with me on my KH29 and we are enjoying that.

How about others?

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Luckily everyone is being supportive in my home, with occasional complains of too many unicycles and injuries :wink:

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No complaints here, in fact my wife Terez was pro the installation of a large steel scaffolding pole across the wall to the chimney breast as a means to hang some unicycles up. It also serves as a place to store an up-ended cargo bike - so I guess she’s with me in the “I :heart: WHEELS” camp!

As for my son and daughter they’re too young to really complain or find it funny - and if I take a unicycle out to ride or tinker with, my daughter tends to just copy and wants to help fix it or push it around.

As for discussing the topic, as Terez is a lapsed rider herself she’s not uninterested - I think I’ve only managed to make her yawn and look a bit drowsy when I’ve explained the reasoning behind a choice of a certain tyre width or why I’ve opted to use a specific spoke in a wheel build.

But the knowledge test quiz I have her complete always gets her to wake up again :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I rarely tell anyone that I can “ride a unicycle”. Most people that you come across, coworker, new friends,…etc. probably do not ride. So, for me to tell them about my joy of riding would come across like I am bragging about doing something amazing.

From my experience there are two types of “non-unicycle riders”
Type 1: People who believe it is impossible. They could never do it, and people who can are amazing.
(I used to be this)
Type 2: People who are adventurous and would “like to try unicycling”. Just making that statement is brave enough even if they are lying or bragging. This type of person is rare, and I welcome talking to that person about unicycling.

Now, that I think about it here’s two more “types”:
Type 3: People who like to brag about “somebody they know” that can ride a unicycle, fly a plane, ran the ironman,…etc. You know the type. They enjoying putting you “on the spot” and enjoy being “elevated” by association. Like my boss…I should have never told him. I don’t really enjoy bragging about myself. I prefer to convince Type 1, people that it’s not so hard and anyone can do it.

Type 4 People who have an inferiority complex, so if they see anyone doing something that “they cannot do” then they get insulted, because you can do something and they cannot. Have you ever passed by someone and they yell back, "…I can do that!! The last time I heard that. I stopped and “graciously” invited the punk to try my unicycle. Go for it.

Last but not, least(yeah…actually Least). The worst type is this. (infact, I think I chased him away from our unicycle site).
“Asshole salesman Type” Yeah…you know who you are. I won’t even give you a type number.
The guy who “leverages” the fact that he can ride a unicycle, as a “superpower” that makes him “better than everyone else” to sell something. Real Estate, Lifestyle Coach,…whatever. I don’t care how subtle you are. I believe there was somebody posting here who used unicycling as an “inspiration” to elevate himself for some “personal/selfish” reason. Salesman call it the soft sell. Regardless , I hate it when unicycling as a “tool/gimmick/bait” to get people’s attention. In this current age of social media and 5 sec advertisement, “our attention” is a valuable commodity.

Well, I guess this was a “discussion” and you all are my household or world community. Now, go ahead and enjoy your meal…slam!

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Yeah, telling people at work is a tricky one.
If people talk to me about cycling to work, I only say I cycle to work. And talk about best routes etc.
If we get along and chat more then I might let it out that I unicycle but add that I usually don’t tell people because “it’s a bit out there”.
So far so good, usually people forget about it and work life goes on.

BTW
I celebrated 1 year unicycling to work on my KH36 last month.
If I do chat about unicycling to work, I add this now, to make the point that I am being safe in my commute.

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Not too bad for me… my wife doesn’t really like the idea of me buying more unicycles or spending much more money on them (I already have 3, if you count the electric one-- she does, and it was the most expensive!), the Ursli bar, multiple pedals I tried, 2 Cateye velo 7’s, helmet/protective gear, grip tape, saddle stiffener plate, bolt kits, tools, etc).
Also they wonder what the heck is so interesting on here that I read this forum so often!
But mostly they are supportive as they know I enjoy it, even if I probably talk about it more than they would care for LOL.
My 17 yo son doesn’t really have any interest in the pedal unicycles and hasn’t learned it as a result , but he did learn to ride ride the electric one and does from time to time, having maybe logged 150 miles on it or so.

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I was yiking long before I met my wife. I taught her to ride (she never really took to it, but she can ride short distances on a smooth surface), and she was as keen as I was that the kids should learn.

As a family, it’s just something we’ve always done. We talk about it when there’s a reason to.

My daughter lost interest when she went off to university, but my son still rides and has a 29er at university for transport.

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