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Home , Cycling, Mountain bike, Unicycle

PLANET Clowning around? Kicking off a new series looking at the rich diversity in cycles, cycling and cyclists, Mike Penton explains why he loves unicycling

here’s your small obstacles such as kerbs. other ?’ To reach the stage of being has so many able to mount without support ‘Wreplies. and then ride for 50 metres (the ‘Stolen’ is the simplest, but if accepted standard for being I’m asked by a serious-looking able to ride) typically takes 10 to cyclist then the only retort can 15 hours of perseverance over be: ‘I took the training wheel a couple of weeks, with the off!’ Most people are drawn to regular satisfaction of achieving unicycling for the challenge or small incremental targets along to be different. I was drawn to it the way. It’s satisfying to master, as a fun way to get fit and lose and research has demonstrated a little weight but I found it so that unicycling improves compelling that I now publish a concentration, balance, core magazine on the sport. strength and motor skills. Sport? Well, more like sports. As The biggest downside is with two , there are many riding downhill. You have to branches: mountain unicycling (as pedal, applying back-pressure seen at the Mountain Mayhem 24 to avoid going faster than you hour race) is done on a 24", 26", pedal. Some riders even fit a 29" or even 36" wheel depending . However, if you’re on a on the terrain, which could be mass cycle ride you may find Mount Snowdon, Richmond Park unicyclists overtaking you up or the toughest of technical forest hills. Our gears are our wheel . Mike mountain size, as in the early days of Freestyle is akin to figure skating, unicycling on cycling, and our crank length – Swinley Forest with artistic manoeuvres on a 20" singletrack long (up to 150mm) for control on stage or in a gym. and short (down to 90mm) for Trials riders, meanwhile, use fat speed. 19" wheels to hop up over four As for getting started, there feet high, drop down up to 14 What puts people off trying a are cheap options such as feet and ride skinny railings. The eBay and the lone old Raleigh same sort of unicycle is used for unicycle is fear of falling. And yes, lurking in a dusty corner of riding, which uses similar you will fall – but onto your feet your . These urban obstacles as trials while might put you off with their applying freestyle tricks to them. low quality and uncomfortable and basketball are great fun and are the best saddles. On the other hand, they could be just enough to get you way to improve your skills as you’re concentrating on the game and hooked and start your collection growing as your horizons widen! not your riding. are used for and distance There is only one reliable source of quality unicycles in the UK, riding too. Distance? Oh, yes. In September 2009, Roger Davies and and that is Unicycle.com. Even a top off-the-peg unicycle can cost Sam Wakeling rode Land’s End to John O’Groats in 6 1/2 days. under £500, nothing compared to top bikes and still eligible for the What puts most people off trying a unicycle is fear of falling. Cycle to Work scheme. And yes, you will fall. Many times. After all, simply to ride one is If you see a unicyclist ride past, often they will happily stop and to continually avoid falling. The difference between falling on a let you have a go. Or check out www.unicycle.org.uk and arrange to unicycle and a bike is that you will always fall on your feet and there meet someone or a group to try something specific. Unicyclists are is very little to get tangled up in, as the unicycle will fall away from generally very friendly and have rarely escaped from the circus. under you – the very reason it is hard to learn in the first place! While learning you are moving at pace so most people Mike Penton is the editor of Uni – The Unicycle Magazine, find that they don’t get hurt until they start riding off- or over www.unicyclemagazine.com

26 cycle december/january 2009-10