Unicycle articles (but wait there's more...)

LIFE'S A BREEZE ON ONE WHEEL

EVA SAN MARTÍN
887 words
12 May 2005
El Pais - English Edition
Herald Tribune
8
English
(c) 2005 EL PAIS, SL/IHT.

Unicycling and its dazzling array of tricks are a fast-growing fashion
for urban youth

Vertigo is an alien concept to them. And so are handlebars. Everyday new
unicyclists, with their spread-out arms and furrowed brows trickle into
the vast cement expanse at the base of Madrid's skyscraping business hub
of Azca. The normally sparsely populated area once used by gangs of
break-dancers to flaunt their moves is now peppered with an eclectic
troupe of one-wheeled acrobats.

Aresillo arrives lugging a bizarre object he calls 'Imposible,' that
certainly looks quite impossible to ride, let alone control. It is a
kind of one-wheeled scooter with a 20-centimeter-wide platform that
glides down stairs at unbelievable speeds. Pepe, Arantxa and Pedro, all
of them Azca regulars, arrive after him... and then come Danielo, who
has just arrived from Germany, Juanpe, who at 30 is the group's veteran,
Domingo, Víctor, J., Álex and Toño. They are armed with wheels,
connecting rods, screws, monkey wrenches, gloves, helmets, shinpads and
spare tires.

For these fervent fans of one-wheel cycling, urban barriers are not
obstacles. They use them instead as ramps, trampolines and hurdles to
jump. Lack of legislation on the matter has become an ally for them.
Unlike traditional two-wheelers, they travel on the subway with their
cycles. And the uses of this unusual mode of transport are so varied
that some have even unicycled the entire pilgrimage trail to Santiago de
Compostela.

A new generation of unicyclists is rushing onto the city's streets,
leaving behind circus tents and stages to conquer public urban spaces.
Many young people have already swapped their mountain bikes,
rollerblades and skateboards for the unicycle. Their ergonomic air
seats, adjustable crank arm lengths and of course, their lone, single
wheels, allow them to do all sorts of crazy tricks, such as climbing up
to the top of the Grazalema castle in Cádiz without touching the ground
with their feet, or gliding down the 40 steps leading to the entrance of
Madrid's Picasso Tower.

"You can do all kinds of crazy things on a unicycle. Really incredible
stuff," Pedro, 20, says before pedaling away. This Madrid native has
been riding since he was in school. It took him a week to gain his
balance and he hasn't lost it since. Antonio, 31, required a little more
time - one year - to master his unicycling techniques.

There are almost weekly meetings of unicycle enthusiasts across Spain.
Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Alicante, Cartagena and Majorca have all
hosted unicycling events. Every year dozens gather in the Basque region
of Guipúzcoa for the Behodia-San Sebastián race. Some train in groups,
other prefer to do so alone.

Raw's training methods are simple, he pedals out of his house in Seville
and lets himself and his vehicle drop down any hill and staircase he
finds. In Alicante Fede, 22, meets every Friday at 6pm with other
enthusiasts to train in a small street in the town's old quarter. Once a
month they organize a get-together called the Masa Crítica, a gathering
"of some 50 people riding unicycles and other wheels," who take over the
city's streets. For Fede, one of the great advantages of the unicycle is
that "it leaves your hands free, which is great when moving about town.
It might be slower, but because nobody dares to call it a bicycle you
can bring it with you on the train, the subway and the tram."

J. lives in Madrid. Every morning he cycles down to university. It takes
him 40 minutes, including "four strategic drink stops," he says. "I hang
it next to my coat and there it waits for me," he adds before turning to
a group of fellow unicyclists who gather under the shade of the remains
of the Windsor Tower, which was destroyed by a fire earlier in the year.


The group has strutted its stuff for hours now, and sweat patches are
visible on their shirts. They have shown off their "slowlys" (glide with
two feet resting on the wheel), "gliding" (glide with one foot on the
wheel and another on the frame) and "coasting" (glide with two feet
resting on the frame). "Riding a unicycle is a way of life," J. says.
"It frees my mind to think, I enjoy the search for balance and the
excitement resulting from this defiance of gravity."

Álex is 21, and every Sunday he leaves his home in the Madrid suburb of
Boadilla del Monte to train with his colleagues in Azca. He starts
mentioning techniques such as "crank grabs" and "pedal grabs" that are
virtually impossible to understand for the uninitiated. Despite this, he
accepts he is only a newcomer. "The ones who really know about it are
Juanpe and Pepe."

Pepe is the webmaster of monocilos.com, a website that in 2002 got 27
hits a month but that today gets some 2,500. He uses his website himself
to fish for spare parts to adapt his vehicle to his needs. The parts are
changing quickly, pieces that were square last year are circular today.
All of it reveals the quick progress of a sport that is gaining
supporters by the day.


--
JJuggle - Enhanced Digit

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

'7th Annual LBI Unithon' (http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon) -
Saturday, June 11, 2005.
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that's got to be one of my favourite uni articles in a while

i'm not sure if english isn't the writer's first language or if we're
reading a translation, but it has a fascinating 'feel' to it


--
GILD - Waffle-Tosser, Time-bider and JCTK

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
'alice' (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/custom.html?) 'roosevelt'
(http://tinyurl.com/963jr) 'longworth' (http://tinyurl.com/78ybd)

I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.-- William H.
Mauldin
...using nietzsche's metaphysics to escape from
christianity...-'metro_tramp on the value of metaphysics'
(http://tinyurl.com/4sjw6)-
it's hard to be sure, and good to be paranoid...john childs on life on
the internet
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://www.lyricsdir.com/d/deep-purp...ld-in-time.php)
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so this is what the Spaniards are up to:
http://tinyurl.com/a7hhl

from www.monociclos.com (NOT monocilos.com as spelled in the article)


--
unisk8r - One Wheel Wander
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On Fri, 13 May 2005 07:45:29 -0500, "JJuggle" wrote:

LIFE'S A BREEZE ON ONE WHEEL

Fascinating article indeed. It seemed to be several years in the
future. I liked the quote that no one dares to call a unicycle a
bicycle.

Oh and has anyone heard the word "slowlys" for two-footed gliding
before? All the other terms were correct English (correct in the sense
that us unicyclists use them that way), leading me to think I've
missed something.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
wouldnt you be grumpy if somone just said you had PMS? - jagur

CYCLISTS TO RACE ON ONE WHEEL

Jane MARSHALL
470 words
14 May 2005
The Press (Christchurch)
2
English
© 2005 Fairfax New Zealand Limited. All Rights Reserved.

The threat of punctures may have halved but two multisport rookies have
doubled their demands to complete their maiden Coast to Coast race.

Wellingtonian Ken Looi and Aucklander Tony Melton will tackle the cycle
legs of the annual 240km multisport gutbuster from Kumara beach on the
West Coast to Sumner in Christchurch on one wheel.

The duo will compete in the February 10 and 11 teams race and ride the
55km and 70km cycling stages on a unicycle.

Melton said "the challenge" to try something different had lured the two
into entering the mountain running, cycle and kayak event.

"It's an extension of some of the other events we've done and the Coast
to Coast is well known around the world," he said.

The race rules state the cycle legs must be completed on a "cycle" but
Looi suggested to race director Robin Judkins that he could carry
another wheel on his back, strapped to his entry bib.

"If Ken and Tony carry a wheel then technically they are using bicycles,
therefore, they are within the scope of the race rules," Judkins said.


It is not the first time the cycle stages have attracted innovative or
interesting pedal power.

Nine-time champion Steve Gurney used a "pod bike" in 1990 while
Trans-Atlantic rower Rob Hamil did the cycling section in 2003 on a kick
bike.

Judkins said he and his technical director had discussed Looi and
Melton's entry.

"We actually found a case in the United States where a unicyclist had
done the same thing and the race director came to the conclusion that
the entrant could legally take part," he said. "That was good enough for
me."

Both riders have extensive experience on the one-wheeled cycle.

Looi is awaiting confirmation that his world record attempt of riding
378km in 24 hours on a unicycle will be accepted into the Guinness Book
of records.

He also has a bronze medal from the downhill and cross country
championships at the unicycle world championships in Japan.

"This will be the ultimate challenge," Looi said of the Coast to Coast
race.

"And we enjoy pushing the boundaries of what can be done on a unicycle."


Melton -- who must learn how to kayak for the 67km paddle section of the
race -- has been unicycling for 15 years and has won medals at the
Australian unicycling nationals.

He will tackle the treacherous first 55km leg but has no concerns about
jostling for position in the bunch.

"I'll average probably 20 to 25km per hour but cyclists with two wheels
will go a lot faster," he said.

The pair will use an "epicyclic" for the race which is an internally
geared unicycle and the only one of its kind in New Zealand.


--
JJuggle - I like to watch.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

'7th Annual LBI Unithon' (http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon) -
Saturday, June 11, 2005.
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What can I say!

'Speights Coast to Coast' (http://www.coasttocoast.co.nz)

This is probably one of the best known multisport/adventure races in the
world, and we should have a pretty awesome team cycling wise. Now I
just have to work on my mountain running!


--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO
'www.adventureunicyclist.com' (http://www.adventureunicyclist.com/)

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with balls the size of yours', mountain running and learning to kayak is
likely to be the least of your concerns

break legs!


--
GILD - Waffle-Tosser, Time-bider and JCTK

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
'alice' (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/custom.html?) 'roosevelt'
(http://tinyurl.com/963jr) 'longworth' (http://tinyurl.com/78ybd)

I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.-- William H.
Mauldin
...using nietzsche's metaphysics to escape from
christianity...-'metro_tramp on the value of metaphysics'
(http://tinyurl.com/4sjw6)-
it's hard to be sure, and good to be paranoid...john childs on life on
the internet
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://www.lyricsdir.com/d/deep-purp...ld-in-time.php)
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Tony's got a much tougher job- he hasn't even got a kayak yet! I used
to be a runner so I think I can cope with that OK- apart from the river
crossings (I have a habit of getting swept away). How well Tony Kayaks
and how fast I run will be the main determining factor in how well we
do; I don't think we'd lose all that much time in the cycling sections.


--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO
'www.adventureunicyclist.com' (http://www.adventureunicyclist.com/)

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Guinness PLC (NAICS: 312120, Duns:21-012-9250 )
The Charleston Gazette. Charleston, W.V.: May 20, 2005. pg. 9.A


Copyright Charleston Newspapers May 20, 2005
Charleston native Zach Warren's attempt to break the Guinness world
record for the fastest 100 miles on a unicycle has been postponed until
fall.

Warren, a 23-year-old divinity student at Harvard University, had
planned to go for the record Thursday in New York City as a way to raise
money for the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children, a traveling
mini-circus that helps children in Afghanistan. Warren, a juggler and
unicyclist, is traveling to Afghanistan to help teach with the circus.

Warren found a better, safer place to try the feat at the Dover
International Speedway, a NASCAR track in Dover, Del. The track features
low wind and good grades for unicycling, but Warren won't be able to use
the track until after he returns from Afghanistan.

The new date for the record attempt will be Oct. 11. To find out more
about the project, visit www.unicycle4kids.org.


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

¤-Kaycee
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Kaycees-Unicycle-gallery

http://www.maineunicyclist.2ya.com/
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CRITERIUM WILL SKIP BICYCLE FESTIVAL; [ALL Edition]
BRIAN CLARK, BEE SPORTS EDITOR. The Modesto Bee. Modesto, Calif.: May
20, 2005. pg. B.2


Copyright The McClatchy Company May 20, 2005
There will be fewer spinning wheels than in past years at Modesto's
annual Family Cycling Festival.

The Save Mart Criterium, run previously in conjunction with the downtown
event to be held Saturday, will take a year off, according to event
director John Field. He said downtown construction, which forced
organizers to tweak the course last year, has become a problem.

Last year's criterium drew more than 300 riders for the 10 races, run on
a quarter-mile, L-shaped course with the start-finish line at 13th and H
streets.

Field had concerns about potential race-day conflicts with contractors
possibly needing access to the county's office and parking garage
project, which borders the course on H, 12th and I streets.

So, instead of crossing his fingers and hoping for the best, he decided
to call it off.

"They've got stuff out on the street every other day," Field said. "It's
hard to control what's going on exactly.

"We can't stop the progress of them building their buildings. Those
things happen."

Field said he never considered moving the event to a later date because
he wanted it to run with the festival.

He said he received a couple of calls from riders disappointed about
word of this year's break, but assured them the event would return next
year.

The loss of the criterium certainly won't put a damper on the day for
cycling enthusiasts.

The festival, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes a giant bicycle stunt
show, a race for kids, a "cop"-etition, professional unicyclist John
Foss and plenty of other activities, including food, music and
giveaways.

For more information on the festivities, call 529-9303.

Bee staff writer Brian Clark can be reached at 578-2300 or
.


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

¤-Kaycee
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Kaycees-Unicycle-gallery

http://www.maineunicyclist.2ya.com/
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