Unicycle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A unicycle is a one-wheeled human powered vehicle. Unicycles are similar to, but less complex than, bicycles.
Contents |
[edit] Construction
Unicycles are composed of a few key parts: the wheel (which includes the tire, tube, rim, spokes, hub and axle), the cranks, pedals, frame, seatpost and the saddle (the seat of the unicycle). The wheel is usually a bicycle wheel with a special hub designed so the axle can't turn independently of the hub. This means the rotation of the cranks directly controls the rotation of the wheel (called direct drive). The frame sits on top of the axle, while the cranks attach to the ends of the axle. The seatpost links the frame to the saddle.
There are many different types of unicycles, which can include (but are not limited to): freestyle unicycles, trial unicycles, MUnis, giraffes, and long distance unicycles, which all have special components unique to that type of unicycle. See below for more detailed descriptions.
[edit] History
The unicycle's history began with the invention of the bicycle. Comte De Sivrac was said to have first developed bicycles during the late eighteenth century. His device, called a célérifère, was a wooden horse that had two wheels joined by a wooden beam. However, this 'invention' was actually a hoax created by a French historian just after the French defeat in 1870 (the truth remained hidden until the second half of the twentieth century). Germany’s Baron von Drais really created the design: a wooden horse that had two wheels joined by a wooden beam and a steering mechanism, and introduced his Draisienne or Hobby Horse in 1818. Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, added cranks and pedals to the front wheel in 1839, and called it the Velocipede. The first mass-produced riding machine, the Michaux Velocipede, was designed in 1863. In 1866, James Stanley invented a unique bicycle called the Penny Farthing with a very large front wheel and a small rear wheel. It is this vehicle that is thought to be the inspiration for the unicycle.
One theory of the advent of the unicycle is based on the popularity of the Penny Farthing during the late nineteenth century. Since its pedal cranks were connected directly to the front axle, the rear wheel would go up in the air and the rider would be moved slightly forward. This likely prompted riders to see how long they could ride with the back wheel in the air and the unicycle was born. Evidence for this theory of development can be found in pictures from the late nineteenth century that show unicycles with large wheels.
Since the unicycle requires a greater degree of skill to ride than a bicycle, many people who could ride them became entertainers. Over the years, unicycle enthusiasts have inspired manufacturers to create new designs such as seatless (the ultimate wheel) and tall (giraffe unicycle) unicycles. During the late 1980s some extreme sportsmen took an interest in the unicycle and off-road unicycling (MUni) was born.
[edit] Riding
Learning to ride a unicycle takes, above all, patience. It can take from 5 to 15 hours to learn to ride. When you first begin learning to ride, make sure to wear a helmet. The helmet can be eleminated once you get more comfortable on the unicycle, but is still reccomended for trials, MUni, and other more dangerous types of riding. First, find a flat hard surface to ride on and find someone or something ot hold onto. Practice rocking back and forth to get a feel for how the pedals affect your balance. Often a doorway in a gymnasium or a porch are good areas to practice. When you feel you are not completely dependent on the railing or wall you are using for balance, try riding foward, trying to keep your weight slightly ahead of the wheel. It can be frustrating trying to get the hang of it, but keep practicing and eventually it will "click" for you.
[edit] Extreme Unicycling
Recently, unicycling has gained popularity as a sport, and as a general means of transport. In the last 10 years, unicyclists have taken unicycles out of the traditional parade, gym, or circus setting and have created new areas of unicycling. These areas can be described as:
- Unicycle trials: Trials involves riding over obstacles of any sort, either in natural terrain or in an urban environment. The challenge relates to technical difficulty over short distances, and the objective is to use any riding techniques necessary to ride up, over, or down an obstacle without falling.
- Mountain unicycling (Muni): Combines cross-country and trials challenges, where the objective is to ride technically difficult terrain over some distance. Extreme sport videos and films typically show Muni as primarily descents of difficult terrain, but the term also includes difficult uphill riding. The other purpose of this venture is to practice leaps using the wheel pressure to propel yourself up to a rock, or up a slope.
- Flatland : The purpose of flatland (also known as freestyle) is to ride a unicycle in different ways, collectively referred to as “freestyle tricks”. There are thousands of different ways to ride a unicycle, but the most popular tricks have been grouped into categories called the “10 skill levels of unicycling”. Flatland is typically done indoors in a gymnasium or outside on pavement where the terrain is smooth and predictable.
- Street unicycling: Combines Trials and Freestyle techniques, and is typically done in urban areas. The objective is to perform freestyle tricks on obstacles. The overall difficulty relates not only to the difficulty of the obstacles but also to the difficulty of the tricks. This is different from pure trials because just riding over obstacles is not the ultimate objective; rather, the obstacles are used as props to set up the tricks.
More information can be found at extremeunicycling.com
[edit] Main Types of Unicycles
- Freestyle unicycle
- Generally used for flatland skills and routines. Usually has a relatively high seatpost, a narrow saddle, a squared fork (used like pegs), and cotterless cranks, as they do not need to withstand too much pressure. These unicycles are used similarly to flatland bicycles. Some examples of a freestyle unicycle include: Miyata, Nimbus, Schwinn, and Semcycle brands. Prices can range from less than $100 USD to over $300 USD.
- Trials unicycle
- Designed for unicycle trials, trials unicycles are stronger than standard unicycles in order to withstand the stresses caused by jumping, dropping, and supporting the weight of the unicycle and rider on components such as the pedals and cranks. A recent development in trials unicycles is splined cranks, a feature that is very useful and somewhat expensive. Many trials unicycles also have wide, knobby tires to absorb some of the impact on drops. For more info, see the trials unicyle page.
- MUnis
- MUni is the shortened phrase for mountain unicycling. Munis have many of the same components as trials unicycles, but have a few key differences. Usually, the tire diameters on mountain unicycles are either 24 or 26 in., allowing the rider to more easily roll over obstacles such as roots and rocks. The seat is also thicker and more comfortable on MUnis to compensate for the rough terrain. Brakes are sometimes used for steep descents. KH unicycles and Schlumpf Innovations are currently working together to make the worlds first geared MUni.
- Touring unicycles
- used mainly for long distances, these unicycles have a large wheel diameter, between 26 and 36 in., so more distance is covered in less pedal rotation. Some variations on the traditional touring unicycle include: the 'Coker' (a brand name that makes 36" unicycles; the word has evolved to describe any 36" unicycle) and the 'Schlumpf GUni' (geared unicycle), which uses a unique two-speed hub. These unicycles also tend to have shorter cranks to allow for more speed. Usually people will use cranks under 125mm, but some have use cranks as short as 40mm.
[edit] Variations
- Giraffe unicycle: tall, usually chain-driven unicycle.
- Multi-wheeled unicycle: Still a unicycle since the wheels are stacked on top of each other so only one touches the ground. The wheels are linked together by chains or friction.
- Kangaroo unicycle: unicycle that has both the cranks facing in the same direction & the hub off-centre. They are so-named due to the rising and falling motion of the rider supposedly resembling the jumping of a kangaroo.
- Ultimate wheel: a unicycle with no frame or seat, just a wheel, cranks, and pedals.
- BC wheel (aka the impossible wheel): a wheel with pegs or metal plates connected to the axle for the rider to stand on
- Monocycle (or monowheel): a large wheel in which the rider sits inside (like a hamster wheel) and either pedals an internal drive or is motorized. It is not plagued by the normal unicycle balance problems because of the greater gyroscopic properties and lower center of mass.
- Eunicycle: a computer-controlled self-balancing unicycle.
- Freewheeling unicycle: a unicycle where the hub freewheels, allowing the rider to move forward without pedalling, as a bike would.
- A quick list of other variations: Tandem, Recumbent, Hydraulic Giraffe, Unibike, Suicycle, Motorized unicycle [1]
[edit] Theory
 |
This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
A unicycle is a form of inverted pendulum. It is also a nonholonomic system because its outcome is path-dependent. Balancing a robotic unicycle or a eunicycle forms an interesting problem in control theory.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Unicyclopedia - The Encyclopedia of Unicycling
- Unicyclist.com - An excellent forum for information about unicycles
- Unicyclist.org - Huge archive of clips on unicycle skills
- International Unicycling Federation
