Place a unicycle on a 20-inch (50 cm) long, slack, non-motorized treadmill. The friction of treadmill movement in both directions is adjusted by the rider. Spring-suspended guy wires, fore and aft, eliminate falls and acute turns.
-- FarmerJohn, Jan 21 2003

(?) The Segway Human Transporter- http://www.halfbake...idea/www.segway.com
A bargain at $5,000! [bensini, Oct 04 2004]

(?) The Segway Human Transporter- http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/www.segway
A bargain at $5,000! [bensini, Oct 21 2004]

(?) Chris Taylor's idling hints http://www.unicycling.net/learn/idle.htm
[IndyInJapan, Feb 24 2007]

From watching unicyclists, I thought they maintained balance by pedalling forwards or backwards if they started to lean forwards or backwards. I'm not sure how you'd balance on a stationary unicycle, even with wires to hold you up: you would tend to fold in two.
-- kropotkin, Jan 21 2003


I will pay a dollar to see [FarmerJohn] demonstrate this. Anyone else ?
-- 8th of 7, Jan 21 2003


kropotkin: Learners would start with a lot of friction on the treadmill, like rolling back and forth on the ground, and advanced users would have less friction and pedal more in one direction. The safety wires should not hinder some leaning.

8th: You bake it and I'll unike it.
-- FarmerJohn, Jan 21 2003


I agree that riding a unicycle is quite a bit of exercise. It certainly works the core stablization muscles more than a bicycle.

[kropotkin] makes some very valid points about the balancing. As a beginner, I needed WAY more space than any treadmill could have provided. (It's not much better now!)

I think I'll stick to the sidewalks and streets.
-- half, Jan 21 2003


I still don't have the foggiest clue how people manage to balance on those things.
-- RayfordSteele, Jan 22 2003


I'm still waiting for the Segway unicycle.
-- pluterday, Jan 22 2003


//how people manage to balance on those things//
For the first while, they don't. As I recall the pattern was something like:
Pedal,crash,swear.
Pedal,pedal,crash,swear.
Pedal,pedal,pedal,crash,swear.
And so on...
-- half, Jan 22 2003


//I will pay a dollar to see [FarmerJohn] demonstrate this. Anyone else ?//

I'll supply the unicycle and a video camera. Let's bring him to the gym and set the treadmill on fast, 5 degrees incline.
-- FloridaManatee, Jan 23 2003


Come on then who invented the unicycle ?
-- skinflaps, Jan 23 2003


[skinflaps] //Come on then who invented the unicycle ?//

The earliest reference that I could find (in 5 minutes) was a US patent issued to Frederick Myers in 1869. This was for an improved “velocipede”, pat. no. 87,355. But it was obviously not the first one, as it states that it is an improvement.
-- pluterday, Jan 23 2003


Thanx,i wonder why,shortage of wheels perhaps?
-- skinflaps, Jan 23 2003


Wouldn't it be easier to fix the unicycle in place using a pivot through the axle that moves in all 3 directions and apply an adjustable computerized mechanical correction for movement down either side of the wheel? Then you could adjust the difficulty in the forward and backward direction by changing the amount the computer will correct. Or if you want to get more advanced, attach a mechanical gyroscope to the bottom of your seat that will rotate to correct your balance.
-- ChinnoDog, Jan 24 2003


More or less stationary unicyle exercise can be accomplished by idiling. Does not take much space, can be done indoors, burns calories, tones the core, can be done while eating pizza.

Kudos to Chris Taylor for his idling tips (see link above) and all-round great site.

Silk Road or Bust!
-- IndyInJapan, Feb 24 2007



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