Picking a Unicycle

Series Summary

The unicycle was developed shortly after the development of the bicycle in the mid-nineteenth century. Some think that the unicycle was developed as a result of the velocipede. Since the velocipede naturally went up on one wheel for a little bit, people began developing unicycles. Another theory is that unicycles have always been with us, living and breathing along with our souls since our collective memory's inception. Regardless, unicycles are now used at circuses and carnivals for entertainment. Whether you are performer looking to improve his act, or just someone interested in the challenge, these videos are just the thing for you.

In this free video series, watch as a professional unicyclist shoes you how to ride a unicycle. Learn how to mount a unicycle, how to idle, how to ride forwards and backwards, and how to hop on a unicycle. Find out how to ride seat out on a unicycle, how to do kick up and wheel walk tricks and even how to ride a six foot unicycle. If you ever wanted to learn how to ride a unicycle, our expert will give you all the tips you need to run out and join the circus today.

Video Transcript

"OK, in this clip we're going to talk about how to choose a unicycle, what the difference is between a twenty inch unicycle, a twenty-four inch unicycle, a giraffe unicycle. This one that I have right here is a pretty cruddy version of the twenty inch unicycle. And that refers to the size of the wheel. And twenty inch unicycles are used more for doing tricks and maneuvers, because they're just, they're smaller, they're more maneuverable. One thing I would suggest is getting a unicycle with a handle, they have unicycles that have handles on the seat right here, and those are great for doing like hops and doing different tricks. Another thing is I bought this one and it has the rounded fork right here. I think a big plus is having a unicycle with a squared fork, so it's going to be like two right angles and squared so you can really put your feet up there and it's easier to do like one footed riding and different tricks we're going to talk about later. A twenty-four inch unicycle is a little bit bigger wheel and it's better for riding like longer distances so there's less pedaling and a longer distance. Or for the amount of pedaling that you do, you go a longer distance compared to the twenty inch unicycle. Alright, now what we have right here, is our six foot giraffe unicycle. These you can find online or you can find them; I found this at a local bike shop. I would just go to the local bike shop and see; they probably have a catalog they can order one, that's probably the easiest way. This is probably going to be a hassle to ship, so I would say go to the local bike store and see what you can come up with. This is a twenty inch wheel right here and the only difference is this chain that connects the wheel to the pedals and it makes it for kind of a bit slower reaction to when you're pedaling. But it's pretty much the same. Once you learn how to ride the small one, you should be able to adapt to a giraffe unicycle or a six foot pretty easily."