One-Wheelers Have More Fun

These days, those riding typical two-wheeled bikes are as fashionable as padded spandex shorts in public.

One-wheelers have all the fun.

We are ready to proclaim unicycling the hot new sport of the North Metro/Boulder County region.

Admittedly, that’s a stretch, especially considering Boulder County is a community filled with serious road cyclists cruising country roads and mountain bikers tearing up the singletrack in the foothills. However, there’s a growing culture of folks who love to ride on just one wheel.
We think that culture is set for a rise.

The sport of unicycling has been growing rapidly recently, with numerous disciplines such as freestyle, touring, racing, team sports, extreme, mountain and street offering a unique opportunity for all cycling personalities. Though it is far from mainstream, it has moved from cult-only status to a sport that everyone from a family of four to extreme junkies are enjoying.

It’s even been prominently featured in popular independent documentaries detailing extreme trips, such as a one-wheeled trek across Bhutan in Into The Thunder Dragon (a film highly recommended by Yellow Scene Magazine).

That trip was hardcore, for cycling, monetary and political reasons. Luckily, the rest of us can enjoy a one-wheeled journey in a much more stable environment. Take the Boulder Unicycle Festival. Each August, the three-day event, now in its fourth year, celebrates the quirky way of biking by hosting urban and trail rides, picnics, and the always popular uni-hockey game (this game is kind of like watching Joe Sakic slice on the ice but with a lot less grace).

The festival, organized by the Boulder Unicycle Club, is geared for all ability types. So if you’re a complete novice there will be more than a few friendly folks willing to teach the basics to get you cruising on paved paths and eventually the cool rocky singletrack trails that all those mountain bikers have hogged for years. It’s a close-knit community, and unicyclists love getting newbies involved.

That’s the philosophy behind the Boulder Unicycle Club and the festival.

If you are still skeptical, take a one-wheeled ride of faith.

You may want to wear protective padding—a maiden voyage on the unicycle may prove more challenging than your first trip down the block on your bike all those years ago.

BOULDER UNICYCLE FESTIVAL
Aug. 22-24, Boulder