Unicycle Information

Unicycles are available in many sizes and colors. To order the right unicycle size for you, simply measure your inseam (the distance from the floor to crotch, with shoes on), and use this information as a guide.

If your inseam is 21 inches, consider ordering a 16-inch unicycle;
If your inseam is 23 inches, consider ordering an 18-inch unicycle;
If your inseam is 24 inches, consider ordering a 20-inch unicycle;
If your inseam is 30 inches, consider ordering a 24-inch unicycle;
If your inseam is 33 inches, consider ordering a 26-inch or larger unicycle.

Here is me on my "Big One" Worth Every Penny.

I now can keep up with bicycles 

"friends that are too chicken to Uni!

The most popular size for performers is the 20-inch unicycle. The smaller tire is easy to control, yet large enough to support the torque required for tricks. For round-the-town riding, we recommend the largest size you can comfortably mount. We suggest that you start your fitness riding in small increments. If you're a new rider or haven't ridden in awhile, keep your distance to about a half-mile for your first week. You'll experience some saddle-soreness at first, but that'll ease up. Expand your distance about a half-mile each week. Make it fun!

What size wheel should I get?                   I really like my Giraffe!!

In general the smaller the wheel, the easier it is to learn to ride and learn new skills. Larger wheels are better for transportation and speed. 12" and 16" wheels are good for children. 20" wheels are good unicycles for adults who want to acquire new skills. 24" wheels still work for a lot of tricks and give you decent speed. This is the best general-purpose size. Bigger wheels are better for higher speed riding. Check the rules if you are buying a unicycle for competition. Races generally require a specific size, such as 24" for adults.

Why Should I Ride a Unicycle?

Fun:

The first and most important reason is that it is fun. It's a feeling like no other. You will be admired by friends and neighbors, because no-one else can do it.

Exercise:

You are always pedaling a unicycle ( no coasting) , so riding is a good workout. Riding is a low-impact activity, so it is good for people with legs wrecked by jogging. Your legs and abdomen will start to show nice improvements.

Transportation

Cruising speed is 8-9 miles an hour on a standard 24" unicycle, fast enough to use an alternative to a car for local trips. You can ride the unicycle on the sidewalk, out of the way of traffic, without affecting your speed.

Challenges

You never run out of Unicycling challenges. After you learn to ride forward, you can learn to ride backwards. When you have done that you can learn to ride one-footed. You can enjoy what you know, but you can always learn more.

ANYONE can learn to ride a unicycle.

How on earth did Unicycling begin?

I think right here...      .

The accepted view is that the unicycle came from the penny-farthing bicycle, which had a large front wheel and a small rear wheel. The penny-farthing had cranks directly connected to the front axle. If a rider stopped quickly, the rear wheel would go up in the air as the rider moved forward a bit. Some riders no doubt found that they could ride a bit with the rear wheel up, and then decided to see how far they could go. Pictures of unicycles from the late 1800's show big-wheeled unicycles, which would support the idea that the first unicycles came from penny-farthing bicycles.

How do you learn to ride a Unicycle?

1. Get two friends to stand on either side of you and get up on the unicycle with your arms around their shoulders.
2. Sit up straight; look straight ahead; weight on seat, not on pedals. Rock the pedals to get a sense of balance. Get the pedals level; this is when you are in control.
3. Pedal half turns then stop. Then full turns, two turns, etc. Doing multiples of half turns (from pedals level to pedals level again) is harder than continuously pedaling, but keeps you in control.
4. Switch to holding on to your friends' wrists.
5. Switch to holding on to one friend's wrist.
6. Go off and use a wall instead of your one friend. (If you can't find a wall and a flat surface to ride on then continue with one friend, but let go as much as you can. Ed.)

Steps 1-5 should not take more than an hour (perhaps in 10 minute sessions). The best thing about learning this way is that you never hurt yourself in the process. For some people, the get on, fall off do-it-yourself cycle works best. It's a matter of personality!

 These are the accepted levels of riding a Unicycle.

So as you can see, you are never done learning riding a Unicycle.

Level 1

·         Mount Unicycle unassisted

·         Ride 50 meters

·         Dismount gracefully with unicycle in front

Level 2

·         Mount with left foot

·         Mount with right foot

·         Ride 10 m between two parallel lines 30 cm apart

·         Ride a figure 8 with circle diameters smaller then 3 m

·         Ride down a 15 cm vertical drop

·         Make a sharp 90 degree turn to the left

·         Make a sharp 90 degree turn to the right

Level 3

·         Demonstrate 3 types of mounts

·         Ride a figure 8 with circle diameters smaller than 1.5 m

·         Come to stop, pedal half a revolution backward and continue forward

·         Ride with the stomach on the seat for 10 m

·         Make a sharp 180 degree turn to the left

·         Make a sharp 180 degree turn to the right

·         Hop 5 times

·         Ride over a 10 X 10 cm obstacle

Level 4

·         Demonstrate 4 types of mounts

·         Ride backward for 10 m

·         Ride one footed for 10 m

·         Idle with left foot down 25 times

·         Idle with right foot down 25 times

·         Ride with the seat out in front for 10 m

·         Ride with the seat out in back for 10 m

·         Make a sharp 360 degree turn the left

·         Make a sharp 360 degree turn the right

Level 5

·         Demonstrate 5 types of mounts

·         Ride backward in a circle

·         Ride one footed in a figure eight

·         Idle one footed with left foot down 25 times

·         Idle one footed with right foot down 25 times

·         Ride with the seat out in front in a circle

·         Ride with the seat out in back in a circle

·         Ride with the seat on the side in a circle

·         Hop-twist 90 degrees to the left

·         Hop-twist 90 degrees to the right

·         Walk the wheel for 10 m (No feet on the pedals, instead you propel the unicycle by walking on the surface of the tire while sitting)

Level 6

·         Demonstrate 6 types of mounts

·         Ride backward in a figure 8

·         Ride with the seat out in front in a figure eight

·         Ride with the seat out in back in a figure eight

·         Ride backward with the seat out in front for 10 m

·         Ride with seat on the side in a circle to the left

·         Ride with seat on the side in a circle to the right

·         Ride one footed with the left foot for 10 m

·         Ride one footed with the right foot for 10 m

·         Backspin

·         Frontspin

·         Spin

·         Hop standing on wheel 5 times

Level 7

·         Demonstrate 7 types of mounts

·         Ride backward with seat out in front in a circle

·         Ride one footed with left foot in a circle

·         Ride one footed with right foot in a circle

·         Walk the wheel in a circle

·         Walk the wheel one footed for 10 m

·         Hop-twist 180 degrees to the left

·         Hop-twist 180 degrees to the right

·         Ride backward with the seat out in back for 10 m

·         Spin the left

·         Spin to the right

Level 8

·         Demonstrate 8 types of mounts

·         Ride one footed with the left foot in a figure 8

·         Ride one footed with the right foot in a figure 8

·         Walk the wheel in a figure eight

·         Walk the wheel one footed in a circle

·         Ride backward one footed for 10 m

·         Glide for 10 m (no feet on the pedals, you can use a foot on the surface of the tire as a brake.)

·         Hand wheel walk for 10 m

·         Pirouette

·         Backward spin

Level 9

·         Demonstrate 9 types of mounts

·         Walk the wheel one footed in a figure 8

·         Ride backward one footed in a circle

·         Ride backward with the seat out in front in figure 8

·         Ride backward with the seat out in back in a circle

·         Walk the wheel one footed with left foot for 10 m

·         Walk the wheel one footed with right foot for 10 m

·         Walk the wheel backward for 10 m

·         Drag seat in front 10 m

·         Drag seat in back for 10 m

·         Ride backward one footed with the left foot 10 m

·         Ride backward one footed with the right foot 10 m

·         Ride one footed with the seat out in front for 10 m

·         Backward pirouette

Level 10

·         Demonstrate 10 types of mounts

·         Ride backward with seat out in back in a figure 8

·         Ride backward one footed in a figure 8

·         Walk the wheel one footed with left foot in circle

·         Walk the wheel one footed with right foot in circle

·         Walk the wheel backward in a circle

·         180 uni spin

·         Sideways wheel walk for 10 m

·         Coast for 10 m

·         Side ride for 10 m

·         Walk the wheel one footed backward for 10 m