JESSE BARKER
Sports Writer

Unicycling is a wonderful pastime. Upon seeing someone riding, most people think, “Man that guy is a bored weirdo.” But you know what? The unicyclist always has a blast and having an unpleasurable experience on a unicycle is nearly impossible.

It’s easy to learn to ride a unicycle.  If you can tough it out through the chafing legs, it’s just a matter of time until you are riding like a professional. Did you know that the blonde guy in S-Club 7 can ride a unicycle? True story. Anybody can do it. 

Nevertheless, there are some downfalls to riding a one-wheeled monstrosity. Unicycles are inefficient modes of transportation because they do not have gears and they do not coast. Also, the seats are usually hard and irregularly shaped, kind of like a bike seat. This is uncomfortable and a huge deterrent for many people but the shape is necessary for steering purposes. 

The worst part about unicycling is when grumpy people sneer at you. When riding a unicycle, you will see some great smiles but sometimes you will get a vibe that someone is purposely ignoring you. They have every right to ignore you; everybody has days when they don’t want to smile at anything. 

The worst part about unicycling is when grumpy people sneer at you.

However, it is still a huge downer to notice someone who is purposely ignoring you. When this happens, the unicyclist might feel like a humungous show-off. Is there anything terribly wrong with being a show-off? No, not really (the ladies love it).

Most people are surprised to find out how difficult it is to get injured while unicycling. Unless you are doing something reckless like riding on sheer ice or jumping off high objects, it is relatively difficult to get hurt. 

The unicycle has a direct drive mechanism that is similar to a children’s tricycle, so there is a great amount of control. The simple mechanics of unicycles also make it possible to stop or turn on a dime and move forwards or backwards at any time. Furthermore, there are no handle bars or complicated frames to get tangled up in when you fall, which is also important for injury prevention. 

When you lose control on a unicycle, you simply step off.  Once you have developed basic unicycling proficiency, it feels nearly as safe as walking and it is definitely more controlled than riding a bike or a skateboard.

The learning curve for unicycling is steep but most people’s skills quickly progress after figuring out how to peddle two or three metres. This might take a couple of weeks but persistence always prevails. 

Entry level unicycles can be found in bike stores all over Saskatoon. Go get yourself one. 

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photo Dorian Geiger