look out for fast mimes
June 4, 2021 10:20 AM Subscribe
Here's a thing that exists: geared unicycles.
Some form of extreme unicycling has to include clip-in pedals, I'd imagine. Clicking in seems nearly like a literal ride-or-die scenario.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:36 AM on June 4, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:36 AM on June 4, 2021 [4 favorites]
I remember a super skilled unicyclist with a geared setup (and hand brake?) climbing and then bombing down the local single-track mtb trails. Terrifying and amazing to watch. I kept thinking that someone has surely geared a double (or other even number) cycle where pedaling is done in reverse, but I've never seen one. [Like the first style in this page.]
posted by klausman at 10:38 AM on June 4, 2021
posted by klausman at 10:38 AM on June 4, 2021
Riding a unicycle is, like walking, a constant state of near falling.The rider needs to perform tiny adjustments many times per second in order to keep the center of support directly underneath the rider’s center of mass. If you start falling forwards then you need to instantly pedal faster. If you start falling backwards then you need to instantly push back on the pedals. These corrections are happening multiple times per second, usually without the rider even noticing. It’s only when the corrections almost don’t work that the unicycle perceptibly moves from the vertical and the rider’s heart rate goes up a bit.
This is exactly it. I think one of the things that makes it possible is the 1:1 ratio of the crankshaft to the wheel. You move your feet around exactly as much as you want to move the wheel around. Once you throw that off by adding gears it must up the difficulty factor a hell of a lot.
I know the answer to all things like this is "practice" but changing that ratio seems to me like one of those things where you're trying to accomplish a task by looking in a mirror. It would be a lot to adjust your brain/body connection.
posted by bondcliff at 10:38 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
This is exactly it. I think one of the things that makes it possible is the 1:1 ratio of the crankshaft to the wheel. You move your feet around exactly as much as you want to move the wheel around. Once you throw that off by adding gears it must up the difficulty factor a hell of a lot.
I know the answer to all things like this is "practice" but changing that ratio seems to me like one of those things where you're trying to accomplish a task by looking in a mirror. It would be a lot to adjust your brain/body connection.
posted by bondcliff at 10:38 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I remember there being a rumor almost of a 3 speed internal fixed gear hub by Sturmey Archer and I wanted to get my hands on it SO BADLY. It does seem to exist!
This company isn't the same company of say: 60 years ago, so I'm a little wary to try, but seeing how bike parts are a rarity in this world at the moment, this hub may look to be a reasonable option soon.
posted by alex_skazat at 10:41 AM on June 4, 2021
This company isn't the same company of say: 60 years ago, so I'm a little wary to try, but seeing how bike parts are a rarity in this world at the moment, this hub may look to be a reasonable option soon.
posted by alex_skazat at 10:41 AM on June 4, 2021
From the article: Technically it is possible to use a brake as a substitute for pedaling backwards, and anybody who thinks that that is a good idea is welcome to try it.
I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn, but it's clear from the way that it's written that it is indeed a sick fucking burn, and I love that.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:45 AM on June 4, 2021 [11 favorites]
I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn, but it's clear from the way that it's written that it is indeed a sick fucking burn, and I love that.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:45 AM on June 4, 2021 [11 favorites]
I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn, but it's clear from the way that it's written that it is indeed a sick fucking burn, and I love that.
To the best of my understanding: when a wheeled vehicle brakes, its applying torque to the wheel or wheels to stop them from spinning as fast; Newton's laws and all that, this means the wheels applying a similar torque to the body of the vehicle. On a bike or car, that force on the body of the vehicle is basically absorbed by the downward force of gravity on the total mass of the vehicle, transferred to the ground through multiple points of contact (two or four wheels, that is).
So braking hard in a car will tip the nose down a little as the front shocks absorb the torque as the wheels are slowed. Braking hard on a bike will do the same, though without shocks on your front fork the actual shock absorber is your body, which will get pulled forward. Brake real hard on a bike and best case you'll pull a sick stoppie, worst case you're ass over teakettle.
Put enough torque on anything and it'll flip over.
But when the wheel you're applying braking torque to is the only thing touching the ground, there's nothing to transfer that counter-torque through. Your entire ass is, in fact, the teakettle in that situation, it's just a quick sharp spin toward the ground.
posted by cortex at 11:09 AM on June 4, 2021 [13 favorites]
To the best of my understanding: when a wheeled vehicle brakes, its applying torque to the wheel or wheels to stop them from spinning as fast; Newton's laws and all that, this means the wheels applying a similar torque to the body of the vehicle. On a bike or car, that force on the body of the vehicle is basically absorbed by the downward force of gravity on the total mass of the vehicle, transferred to the ground through multiple points of contact (two or four wheels, that is).
So braking hard in a car will tip the nose down a little as the front shocks absorb the torque as the wheels are slowed. Braking hard on a bike will do the same, though without shocks on your front fork the actual shock absorber is your body, which will get pulled forward. Brake real hard on a bike and best case you'll pull a sick stoppie, worst case you're ass over teakettle.
Put enough torque on anything and it'll flip over.
But when the wheel you're applying braking torque to is the only thing touching the ground, there's nothing to transfer that counter-torque through. Your entire ass is, in fact, the teakettle in that situation, it's just a quick sharp spin toward the ground.
posted by cortex at 11:09 AM on June 4, 2021 [13 favorites]
> I remember there being a rumor almost of a 3 speed internal fixed gear hub by Sturmey Archer...
The S3X? I have one in a parts box somewhere, along with rims and spokes. Been meaning to build a wheel with it and, about a decade along, haven't gotten around to it yet. One of the things that has preemptively disappointed me about the S3X is the location of the 1:1 ratio (at the third gear) -- this makes the most efficient gearing also the least-used one unless you have an extremely idiosyncratic setup in mind. (Also having a drum hub with "SEX" in 1337-speak prominently stamped on it feels really awkward.)
> I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn
Backpedaling and forward pedaling provides you extremely nuanced control over your speed at the cost of being able to stop suddenly. A brake is good for dramatic deceleration but the most subtle brake isn't as precise as what your legs can do. So basically I think the author is saying a handbrake is a very efficient way of throwing your face to the ground.
It's been a long time since I tried to learn how to ride a unicycle -- never got good at it and gave it up when it felt like severe personal injury was becoming inevitable. But I have been riding a fixed gear exclusively for over fifteen years and while on the one hand it's not a lot like a unicycle, the sensation of connection between legs and wheel are very similar. I won't ride a fixed gear bike without a handbrake, but I wouldn't ride a unicycle with one.
posted by ardgedee at 11:12 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
The S3X? I have one in a parts box somewhere, along with rims and spokes. Been meaning to build a wheel with it and, about a decade along, haven't gotten around to it yet. One of the things that has preemptively disappointed me about the S3X is the location of the 1:1 ratio (at the third gear) -- this makes the most efficient gearing also the least-used one unless you have an extremely idiosyncratic setup in mind. (Also having a drum hub with "SEX" in 1337-speak prominently stamped on it feels really awkward.)
> I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn
Backpedaling and forward pedaling provides you extremely nuanced control over your speed at the cost of being able to stop suddenly. A brake is good for dramatic deceleration but the most subtle brake isn't as precise as what your legs can do. So basically I think the author is saying a handbrake is a very efficient way of throwing your face to the ground.
It's been a long time since I tried to learn how to ride a unicycle -- never got good at it and gave it up when it felt like severe personal injury was becoming inevitable. But I have been riding a fixed gear exclusively for over fifteen years and while on the one hand it's not a lot like a unicycle, the sensation of connection between legs and wheel are very similar. I won't ride a fixed gear bike without a handbrake, but I wouldn't ride a unicycle with one.
posted by ardgedee at 11:12 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
"Schlumpf Mountain Drive" is my favor unicycle part name to say. I feel like the rise of drift trikes and led to a lot of new part availability for experimental unicyclists to play with gearing and freewheeling.
posted by 3j0hn at 11:36 AM on June 4, 2021
posted by 3j0hn at 11:36 AM on June 4, 2021
I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn, but it's clear from the way that it's written that it is indeed a sick fucking burn, and I love that.
Something like 90% of the stopping power in bikes comes from the front wheels; bikes, motor or otherwise, will nose right into the ground during panic stops and if you don’t throw your weight way back to keep the rear wheel down it will lift off the ground enough to make the rear brake useless at best. There is no leaning back on a unicycle, so a brake might as well be a button labelled “put face to dirt”.
posted by mhoye at 12:32 PM on June 4, 2021 [6 favorites]
Something like 90% of the stopping power in bikes comes from the front wheels; bikes, motor or otherwise, will nose right into the ground during panic stops and if you don’t throw your weight way back to keep the rear wheel down it will lift off the ground enough to make the rear brake useless at best. There is no leaning back on a unicycle, so a brake might as well be a button labelled “put face to dirt”.
posted by mhoye at 12:32 PM on June 4, 2021 [6 favorites]
Mountain unicycling used to be the punchline to some not actually very funny bike culture jokes, but now it's a thing people actually do. Heck, people do trials riding and stunt riding on unicycles now and they're all fucking crazy.
A few years ago I saw field reports from someone doing, as I recall, a global bikepacking tour on an oversized offroad unicycle. So it had a saddle and some kind of luggage rails and a small handle that protruded out between the riders legs complete with a brake lever, and what looked like about 20-30 liters of gear strapped all over it slung under the front and backs of the seats.
I would guess that the brakes were for handling descents with less leg fatigue from backpedaling or resisting the pedal spin.
The endeavor looked utterly exhausting. Unicycles are a ton of work to ride in the first place, I can't imagine riding one for distance with a bunch of camping gear strapped to it.
The rider claimed it was easy to ride and keep moving but that's the sort of crazy thing that unicyclists tend to say anyway.
I've done a bunch of bike touring and it's hard enough to ride a bike with two wheels with luggage strapped all over it. Riding with no hands even on two wheels is iffy and tiring at best. I can't even imagine doing it on one wheel and being forced to ride upright in the saddle with no hands every foot of every mile, mile after mile.
And I'm saying that as someone who can happily ride around with no hands on the bars even on rough gravel and dirt trails and steer well enough to not crash and/or die, but having luggage and weight on the bike changes all of that in a hurry.
posted by loquacious at 12:38 PM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
A few years ago I saw field reports from someone doing, as I recall, a global bikepacking tour on an oversized offroad unicycle. So it had a saddle and some kind of luggage rails and a small handle that protruded out between the riders legs complete with a brake lever, and what looked like about 20-30 liters of gear strapped all over it slung under the front and backs of the seats.
I would guess that the brakes were for handling descents with less leg fatigue from backpedaling or resisting the pedal spin.
The endeavor looked utterly exhausting. Unicycles are a ton of work to ride in the first place, I can't imagine riding one for distance with a bunch of camping gear strapped to it.
The rider claimed it was easy to ride and keep moving but that's the sort of crazy thing that unicyclists tend to say anyway.
I've done a bunch of bike touring and it's hard enough to ride a bike with two wheels with luggage strapped all over it. Riding with no hands even on two wheels is iffy and tiring at best. I can't even imagine doing it on one wheel and being forced to ride upright in the saddle with no hands every foot of every mile, mile after mile.
And I'm saying that as someone who can happily ride around with no hands on the bars even on rough gravel and dirt trails and steer well enough to not crash and/or die, but having luggage and weight on the bike changes all of that in a hurry.
posted by loquacious at 12:38 PM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
A few years ago I saw field reports from someone doing, as I recall, a global bikepacking tour on an oversized offroad unicycle.
Ed Pratt!
Even if you have no interest at all in unicycling, his around-the-world series is one of the most wonderful, joyful things I've ever watched on YouTube. His optimism is infectious and because he's on a unicycle he meets a lot of really interesting people, many of whom put him up in their homes. You literally see him grow up over the course of his journey and his filming end editing gets to professional level by the time he's halfway around the world.
And yes, it looks absolutely exhausting. One of the things about a unicycle is you cannot coast. So he pedaled or walked every single inch of his route.
posted by bondcliff at 12:44 PM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
Ed Pratt!
Even if you have no interest at all in unicycling, his around-the-world series is one of the most wonderful, joyful things I've ever watched on YouTube. His optimism is infectious and because he's on a unicycle he meets a lot of really interesting people, many of whom put him up in their homes. You literally see him grow up over the course of his journey and his filming end editing gets to professional level by the time he's halfway around the world.
And yes, it looks absolutely exhausting. One of the things about a unicycle is you cannot coast. So he pedaled or walked every single inch of his route.
posted by bondcliff at 12:44 PM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
I don't have enough cycling knowledge to understand why this is a sick burn, but it's clear from the way that it's written that it is indeed a sick fucking burn, and I love that.
Others have addressed why this is a sick burn because: instant faceplant.
But I have seen rim brakes on unicycles, including the touring 36" unicycle I'm mentioning above.
I am not a unicyclist, but I think they're mainly used for controlling speed in descents, and I would imagine the use and operation of them involves very low speeds on steep descents and leaning back into the braking force a whole lot and with not a small amount of superhuman precision balancing.
Granted most of the mountain unicycling videos I've seen seem to involve a lot of really sketchy riding, crashes or dabbing/dismounting a lot.
Having been an urban rider who knew a lot of urban/street fixed gear riders (often without brakes) I also think these people are crazy. It's a great way to completely wreck your knees or get yeeted right over your handlebars when applying back pedal pressure at high speeds and the torque of the rotating pedals is more than your body weight.
On the other hand fixed gear bikes are basically required for hardcourt bike polo, and you can sure throw down some sick skidmarks in an alleycat race or skid competition.
posted by loquacious at 12:45 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Others have addressed why this is a sick burn because: instant faceplant.
But I have seen rim brakes on unicycles, including the touring 36" unicycle I'm mentioning above.
I am not a unicyclist, but I think they're mainly used for controlling speed in descents, and I would imagine the use and operation of them involves very low speeds on steep descents and leaning back into the braking force a whole lot and with not a small amount of superhuman precision balancing.
Granted most of the mountain unicycling videos I've seen seem to involve a lot of really sketchy riding, crashes or dabbing/dismounting a lot.
Having been an urban rider who knew a lot of urban/street fixed gear riders (often without brakes) I also think these people are crazy. It's a great way to completely wreck your knees or get yeeted right over your handlebars when applying back pedal pressure at high speeds and the torque of the rotating pedals is more than your body weight.
On the other hand fixed gear bikes are basically required for hardcourt bike polo, and you can sure throw down some sick skidmarks in an alleycat race or skid competition.
posted by loquacious at 12:45 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Ed Pratt!
That is, indeed, the maniac in question. Ugh, now I need a nap and like two skipped leg days.
posted by loquacious at 12:46 PM on June 4, 2021
That is, indeed, the maniac in question. Ugh, now I need a nap and like two skipped leg days.
posted by loquacious at 12:46 PM on June 4, 2021
> cortex:
Put enough torque on anything and it'll flip over.
But when the wheel you're applying braking torque to is the only thing touching the ground, there's nothing to transfer that counter-torque through. Your entire ass is, in fact, the teakettle in that situation, it's just a quick sharp spin toward the ground."
This is why Monowheels are not practical vehicles. There is no way to brake at speed that doesn't involve anchors or a reaction wheel out front. Without one of those, the relative motion between the tire and inside stop, but momentum makes the whole thing keep rolling.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 12:56 PM on June 4, 2021
Put enough torque on anything and it'll flip over.
But when the wheel you're applying braking torque to is the only thing touching the ground, there's nothing to transfer that counter-torque through. Your entire ass is, in fact, the teakettle in that situation, it's just a quick sharp spin toward the ground."
This is why Monowheels are not practical vehicles. There is no way to brake at speed that doesn't involve anchors or a reaction wheel out front. Without one of those, the relative motion between the tire and inside stop, but momentum makes the whole thing keep rolling.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 12:56 PM on June 4, 2021
being a former Bike Culture Quarterly reader with a pack-rat memory for useless technical stuff, I knew the name Florian Schlumpf would show up somewhere here. Perhaps also because my friend Ben is the (only?) factory-authorized Brompton customizer, and he delights in putting Schlumpf drives (and Rohloffs, Kindernays, Maguras and belt-drives) on the folding things.
Real Sturmey-Archer heads know that the proper fixie hub gear is the ASC close-ratio from the 1950s. I knew someone who rode one: he'd leave his (incredibly lovely hand-made frame road) bike outside his workshop, unlocked. Given that he was working about two arms' lengths away and that it was a fixie of brutally high gearing, the couple of folk who did attempt to ride off on it crumpled and fell, and hardly needed the gentle reminder from my friend's pipe wrench about the head that theft was bad.
I was also pleased to see the jack-shaft drive unicycle. Round about the time of Moser's weird bike hour record, there was a track rider who had a double chain jackshaft record attempt bike. Memory for names is nowhere, but I remember the setup.
posted by scruss at 1:13 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Real Sturmey-Archer heads know that the proper fixie hub gear is the ASC close-ratio from the 1950s. I knew someone who rode one: he'd leave his (incredibly lovely hand-made frame road) bike outside his workshop, unlocked. Given that he was working about two arms' lengths away and that it was a fixie of brutally high gearing, the couple of folk who did attempt to ride off on it crumpled and fell, and hardly needed the gentle reminder from my friend's pipe wrench about the head that theft was bad.
I was also pleased to see the jack-shaft drive unicycle. Round about the time of Moser's weird bike hour record, there was a track rider who had a double chain jackshaft record attempt bike. Memory for names is nowhere, but I remember the setup.
posted by scruss at 1:13 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I used to play unicycle basketball with some mountain unicyclists, every year they'd take a trip to moab and the pictures are insane. There was quite a bit of overlap with trials unicycling groups as well.
posted by aspo at 1:49 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by aspo at 1:49 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I've definitely heard of people riding unicycles geared to allow freewheeling, who necessarily have brakes as described. I've never seen it, though, it's always been friend-of-friends stories, so now I have some doubt.
I was at the European Unicycling Convention in 2019*, and saw some truly amazing mountainbike-trial-like stuff in their competitions. The official videos are weirdly hard to find, but there are a few compilations on YouTube showing some jaw-dropping unicycle stunts from the various competitions.
A lot of it is tricks to impress other unicyclists; there was a bunch of stuff that was obviously wowing the crowd, which was just too fast for me to follow or understand how impressive it is.
*Not because I'm any good at unicycling. The unicyclists' convention was merged with the European Juggling Convention that year. I rode a unicycle for the first time in over a decade; turns out it's just like riding a bike.
posted by metaBugs at 1:52 PM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
I was at the European Unicycling Convention in 2019*, and saw some truly amazing mountainbike-trial-like stuff in their competitions. The official videos are weirdly hard to find, but there are a few compilations on YouTube showing some jaw-dropping unicycle stunts from the various competitions.
A lot of it is tricks to impress other unicyclists; there was a bunch of stuff that was obviously wowing the crowd, which was just too fast for me to follow or understand how impressive it is.
*Not because I'm any good at unicycling. The unicyclists' convention was merged with the European Juggling Convention that year. I rode a unicycle for the first time in over a decade; turns out it's just like riding a bike.
posted by metaBugs at 1:52 PM on June 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
Regarding brakes: The nice thing about unicycles is that they have no handlebars to flip over to faceplant. If you need to suddenly stop, you don't fly over the front, you tilt forward, take your feet off the pedals and place them on the ground.
Falling off a unicycle happens more frequently than off a bicycle, but most of the time you wind up standing.
Mountain unicycles often have brakes. I only unicycle on pavement, so I leave it to someone more experienced to talk about their use, but it seems like they are helpful for keeping the wheel fixed when jumping up rocks, for example.
Gears are interesting, and I learned about planetary gears from the article, but it seems like if one wants to go fast, at that point one should consider switching to a bicycle.
posted by subocoyne at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Falling off a unicycle happens more frequently than off a bicycle, but most of the time you wind up standing.
Mountain unicycles often have brakes. I only unicycle on pavement, so I leave it to someone more experienced to talk about their use, but it seems like they are helpful for keeping the wheel fixed when jumping up rocks, for example.
Gears are interesting, and I learned about planetary gears from the article, but it seems like if one wants to go fast, at that point one should consider switching to a bicycle.
posted by subocoyne at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I wonder whether anyone has tried stabilizing a unicycle with a gyroscope using a computer controlled clutch not to alter the spin rate of the gyro, but to control the coupling between the gyro and the rest of the unicycle, perhaps including the direction of the coupling with respect to the spin axis. Maybe that would make it easier to use a brake.
You'd want a battery to spin it up, I'd think.
posted by jamjam at 2:47 PM on June 4, 2021
You'd want a battery to spin it up, I'd think.
posted by jamjam at 2:47 PM on June 4, 2021
Gyro stabilized unicycles exist, they are basically segways. (Or those ewheel things with a seat.)
posted by aspo at 2:56 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by aspo at 2:56 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I like my gyros stabilized with extra feta and tzatziki.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:58 PM on June 4, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:58 PM on June 4, 2021 [9 favorites]
(Also having a drum hub with "SEX" in 1337-speak prominently stamped on it feels really awkward.)
Everyone remembers the first time they had to lube their hub.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:14 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Everyone remembers the first time they had to lube their hub.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:14 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I like my gyros stabilized with extra feta and tzatziki.
Sounds like it could be messy but I might have to give them a whirl.
posted by jamjam at 5:37 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Here's some extremely important analysis comparing the mathematical flatness of pancakes and Kansas. TLDR: Kansas wins bigtime, so I expect Iowas does as well.
(Though I have also ridden RAGBRAI, and agree that the flatness is less than one expects, idiomatically speaking.)
posted by kaibutsu at 6:16 PM on June 4, 2021
(Though I have also ridden RAGBRAI, and agree that the flatness is less than one expects, idiomatically speaking.)
posted by kaibutsu at 6:16 PM on June 4, 2021
Once, before the pandemic, I saw a guy hauling ass on a unicycle up Beacon Street through Brookline, headed up a hill, while carrying a 12-pack of toilet paper (or possibly a 6-pack of paper towels) in his arms. It was after 10 pm.
I think of that guy whenever I think of unicycles now.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:26 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I think of that guy whenever I think of unicycles now.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:26 PM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I wonder if anybody's tried building a unicycle around one of Fallbrook's NuVinci N360 continuously variable hub drives like the one I've got in the back of my Big Dummy. These can alter their drive ratio smoothly and steplessly even while under full drive load, so they should still work just fine if the (removable) freewheel clutch is locked up.
posted by flabdablet at 7:57 PM on June 4, 2021
posted by flabdablet at 7:57 PM on June 4, 2021
#cortex #ukulele #unicycle #unilele #ukucycle #donut #mathGasket #incrementalGame
posted by glonous keming at 8:49 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by glonous keming at 8:49 PM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
There are also electric (and geared at 1.7:1) unicycles
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 9:12 PM on June 4, 2021
posted by ASCII Costanza head at 9:12 PM on June 4, 2021
There are also electric (and geared at 1.7:1) unicycles
That market's getting quite sophisticated. You can get one with a 45mph top speed, or
with suspension!
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 4:48 AM on June 5, 2021
That market's getting quite sophisticated. You can get one with a 45mph top speed, or
with suspension!
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 4:48 AM on June 5, 2021
My son's elementary school P.E. classes had unicycling as one section. The reasoning I heard was it was an activity that no one started at being good at it, to even out the skill levels, as opposed to many other sports where there was a large range of existing abilities.
posted by ShooBoo at 9:57 AM on June 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by ShooBoo at 9:57 AM on June 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
Once, before the pandemic, I saw a guy hauling ass on a unicycle up Beacon Street through Brookline, headed up a hill, while carrying a 12-pack of toilet paper (or possibly a 6-pack of paper towels) in his arms. It was after 10 pm.
I can think of two different people this might be, and I think this means I've lived in Boston too long.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:30 AM on June 5, 2021 [4 favorites]
I can think of two different people this might be, and I think this means I've lived in Boston too long.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:30 AM on June 5, 2021 [4 favorites]
There's an older gentleman that I regularly see unicycling around Prospect Park, in Brooklyn. He has two sticks that he uses (imagine extra long hiking sticks). My kids love noticing him. At first I thought, well, he's old, he's allowed extra ballance hello. But no.
His unicycle has no seat.
He's making 3.5 mile laps standing on a pretty tall unicycle, with the aid of two sticks. That man is exercising more than I am, that's for sure.
posted by Phredward at 1:40 PM on June 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
His unicycle has no seat.
He's making 3.5 mile laps standing on a pretty tall unicycle, with the aid of two sticks. That man is exercising more than I am, that's for sure.
posted by Phredward at 1:40 PM on June 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
Scruss—
You are probably thinking of John Howard’s motorpaced record of 152 mph (since broken—I think it’s up to 186 now).
posted by adamrice at 2:27 PM on June 5, 2021
You are probably thinking of John Howard’s motorpaced record of 152 mph (since broken—I think it’s up to 186 now).
posted by adamrice at 2:27 PM on June 5, 2021
After watching some unicycle trials videos (for example), I'm curious why riders wear gaiters sometimes. Not all the time, just sometimes.
posted by ardgedee at 3:18 PM on June 5, 2021
posted by ardgedee at 3:18 PM on June 5, 2021
→
Thanks, but not that. Around that time, though. I think the cyclist was Spanish, and the back wheel of the track bike was almost under the saddle. If there was an archive of UK Bicycle magazine (which there isn't) I could probably find the issue about it in a flash.
posted by scruss at 3:28 PM on June 5, 2021
John Howard’s motorpaced record
Thanks, but not that. Around that time, though. I think the cyclist was Spanish, and the back wheel of the track bike was almost under the saddle. If there was an archive of UK Bicycle magazine (which there isn't) I could probably find the issue about it in a flash.
posted by scruss at 3:28 PM on June 5, 2021
At the bottom of Denise Korenek's website about her own record attempt is a chronology of previous record holders, none of whom are Spanish. Weirdly there doesn't seem to be a canonical online reference for attempts on the motor paced speed record.
Koronek's own bike had a two-section drive, which is more or less necessary since for >100mph speeds the rider must otherwise depend on ludicrously immense chainrings.
posted by ardgedee at 6:16 PM on June 5, 2021
Koronek's own bike had a two-section drive, which is more or less necessary since for >100mph speeds the rider must otherwise depend on ludicrously immense chainrings.
posted by ardgedee at 6:16 PM on June 5, 2021
I'm curious why riders wear gaiters sometimes
Probably to protect from the pedals smashing into their shins.
posted by bondcliff at 8:08 PM on June 5, 2021
Probably to protect from the pedals smashing into their shins.
posted by bondcliff at 8:08 PM on June 5, 2021
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