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Stand up unicycles



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 29th 03, 10:05 PM
Mikefule
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Default Stand up unicycles


Searching on ebay.co.uk, I found someone selling 'unique' stand up
unicycles. He has ten of these 'unique' items, so at best, they are
'decique'.

As far as I can tell from the pictures, they are normal 20 inch
(approx.) unicycles, but with handlebars instead of a seat post and
seat.

The handlebars look suspiciously like they were 'borrowed' from one of
those fold up aluminium scooters that were so fashionable a year or so
ago, and went down in price from £200 to about £10 over the course of
the summer.

Riding one of these things would be similar to riding seat out in front,
but I guess you'd have more control. It would be tiring.

I believe (from general readding and hearsay) that the first unicycles
had pedals and handlebars, rather than pedals and seat. If so, then the
idea has come full circle.

Have any of you ridden one of these things?

The present price is about half that of a cheap beginner's unicycle, so
I was tempted, but having bid for 4 other items tonight, I thought I'd
better restrain myself.

Does anyone out there have one of those scooters? If so, can you check
if the handlebar stem is the right diameter to fit a standard unicycle?


--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we
fall."
Confucius
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  #2  
Old July 29th 03, 10:21 PM
johnfoss
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Default Stand up unicycles


Some stuff is "unique" because one is enough, and nobody wants it. In
this case, somebody apparently manufactured a lot of them, to lower the
price, in hopes they would be something.

A link or picture would be nice...


--
johnfoss - Now riding to work

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the Uni-Cyclone
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  #3  
Old July 30th 03, 01:36 AM
Scott Kurland
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Default Stand up unicycles

onewheeldave wrote:
I've just done a search and the link is: -

http://tinyurl.com/ig78

They look interesting, I've often wondered why some of the really
early unis had handlebars instead of seats, it'd be interesting to
have a go on one.


Hey, I know that one.

Ride an Ordinary bicycle (the one with the big wheel, not the modern Safety
or Recumbent bikes) and if you break too hard your rear wheel comes up off
the ground. If you're a mortal, you then fall, and quite hard. If you're a
god of balance, though, you're unicycling, sort of.

Chop an Ordinary bicycle in half (the one with the big wheel) and you have a
unicycle with handlebars instead of a seat, much easier to do one wheel
with.


  #4  
Old July 30th 03, 10:33 PM
Sarah Miller
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Default Stand up unicycles

Mikefule wrote:

Riding one of these things would be similar to riding seat out in front,
but I guess you'd have more control. It would be tiring.


I used to ride a handle bar uni a bit, it was good to
take to conventions and stuff, at one point I used it to
handicap myself in uni races at juggling conventions. My
handle bars came from the skip behind a bike shop. I
still have them in the celler, must dig them out some
time.

yes it is tiring to ride, it also bashes the knees quite
a bit so I used pipe lagging foam to cushion the frame a
bit ( esp round the seat clamp). It is easier than an
ultimate by a long way as you use the frame agaist your
leg to keep the balance. In fact its easier to ride it
with out holding the handle bars,I found my knees kept
the frame from toppling over and that way I had both
hands free to help balance. Holding the bars with both
hands made it a lot harder as it changes your body shape
and balance point.

Fun, but not an essential part of the collection.

Sarah
--
Union of UK Unicyclists
By and for UK riders
www.unicycle.org.uk
  #5  
Old July 31st 03, 02:55 PM
Naomi
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Default Stand up unicycles


"Mikefule" wrote in message
...

Searching on ebay.co.uk, I found someone selling 'unique' stand up
unicycles. He has ten of these 'unique' items, so at best, they are
'decique'.



Might they be related to these? Same seller I guess.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tegory=16 170


Again the question: cheap: but any good?


Naomi


  #6  
Old August 2nd 03, 10:48 AM
TonyMelton
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Default Stand up unicycles


I have a handlebar unicycle. Actually its just a set of swept-back
handlebars (shaped like a flattened W) and a stem of 22.2mm diameter
which I insert into my 20" freestyle frame. The frame has a long seat
tube so the handlebars are at the right height. If you had the
handlebars any lower than regular seat height you'd hit your thighs on
the bars as you pedal. [If I had a digital camera, I'd post a pic of
it!]

Mikefule wrote:
*

My guess is that it's similar to riding seat out in front. It should
be easier with the handlebars in that the handlebars are designed to
be held, whereas the seat isn't.

From a safety point of view, as most high speed UPDs are forwards, I'd
have thought the handlebars would be a risky proposition.*



Actually riding the handlebar unicycle is harder than seat out in front,
as where you hold the bars is not directly above the wheel. Hence the
forces involved are different. For this reason I find it a lot easier to
ride the H-bar uni with one hand holding at the stem/handlebar
connection. This is more like regular seat out in front riding. Also
when both hands are on the bars, you've got no arms to flail with- this
can make changing direction a lot harder. You have to lean like on a
bike.

Despite these handicaps I can hop up and down stairs, ride freehand, do
the leg around mount, ride handlebars in front and behind in both
directions and my trademark 'sit on wheel' trick. I haven't tried seat
drag but I think it would be easier (more handlebar points of contact
with the ground). I'd really like to wheel walk sitting on the
handlebars, but just can't sit on the bars without them slipping out
from under me.

Mike - handlebar unicycles are so exhausting to ride and so impractical
that you're very unlikely to have a high speed UPD. In any case, as long
as you let go of the bars they should hit the ground before you do!

Enjoy!
Tony


--
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  #7  
Old August 4th 03, 08:02 PM
Unimoron
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Default Stand up unicycles


I see that this -would- be a lot of work. As seat in front its simply
exhausting. But now i think of how hard it is to ride an Ulitmate wheel.


I have a BMX handlebar but it doesnt fit into the the fork thing , but
its fun to ride around and make broom broom noises!

I can imagine that this handlebar unit would be a very good workout for
the calves, quads and hamstrings etc. as i dont know what im talking
about. But have fun with those thingies.


--
Unimoron - The only Genius is Norman Einstien

Everyone is Entitled to my Opinion.
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