Future of Unicycle Road Racing (here's what I think; what do you think?)

Well, based on the legth and intensityof you post, I'd say you must have
stirred up a yellow jacket next

I'm not any sort of unicyclist like you, I'm a newbie, but I excell in
a number of other sports where "size" and equipment can quickly lead to
an advanatge. What I'd like to do is offer some suggestion as you how it
can be handled.

In mountain biking, there is often a seperate class for single speed
bikes, of course there usually aren't too many of these folks, however
there are some single speed dedicated races. The idea here is having
gears often results in a faster lap time.

In downriver whitewater kayak racing, the classes are broken up by boat
type and length, the idea being that longer boats are faster boats, and
that specialized racing hulls can be way faster.

So you see, it doesn't have to be a geared versus ungeared race. We can
ride and race together, but we compete within our class; wheel size,
guni, uneared, age, sex, shoe size, etc...

Now I do have one opinion that you may not like, but I think it still
needs to be said, esp after reading your very long winded rant:

If you bring a burro to a horse race, you aren't really horse racing.

If we go by the assumption that unicycling is a most rediculous form of
transportation, then the idea of racing said cycles is truly silly. This
isn't to say that it shouldn't be done, but we need to take this thing
with a grain of salt.

Talking about setting speed "records" on a unicyle is sorta like saying
I hold the record for hopping on one leg for 26.2 miles. Sure, if you're
missing a leg you might be maximizing your potential as a physicaly
challenged athlete, but a person with two legs setting said record is
just being silly.

Now this is just my opinion, so no need to flame (I'm heat proof
anyhow).

I am as thrilled as the next person with gear advances, but in the end
it's still a unicycle, and unicycling is pretty durn silly


--
Nurse Ben
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Well, based on the legth and intensityof you post, I'd say you must have
stirred up a yellow jacket next

I'm not any sort of unicyclist like you, I'm a newbie, but I excell in
a number of other sports where "size" and equipment can quickly lead to
an advanatge. What I'd like to do is offer some suggestion as you how it
can be handled.

In mountain biking, there is often a seperate class for single speed
bikes, of course there usually aren't too many of these folks, however
there are some single speed dedicated races. The idea here is having
gears often results in a faster lap time.

In downriver whitewater kayak racing, the classes are broken up by boat
type and length, the idea being that longer boats are faster boats, and
that specialized racing hulls can be way faster.

So you see, it doesn't have to be a geared versus ungeared race. We can
ride and race together, but we compete within our class; wheel size,
guni, uneared, age, sex, shoe size, etc...

Now I do have one opinion that you may not like, but I think it still
needs to be said, esp after reading your very long winded rant:

If you bring a burro to a horse race, you aren't really horse racing.

If we go by the assumption that unicycling is a most rediculous form of
transportation, then the idea of racing said cycles is truly silly. This
isn't to say that it shouldn't be done, but we need to take this thing
with a grain of salt.

Talking about setting speed "records" on a unicyle is sorta like saying
I hold the record for hopping on one leg for 26.2 miles. Sure, if you're
missing a leg you might be maximizing your potential as a physicaly
challenged athlete, but a person with two legs setting said record is
just being silly.

Now this is just my opinion, so no need to flame (I'm heat proof
anyhow).

I am as thrilled as the next person with gear advances, but in the end
it's still a unicycle, and unicycling is pretty durn silly


--
Nurse Ben
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Nurse Ben wrote:
Now I do have one opinion that you may not like, but I think it still
needs to be said, esp after reading your very long winded *-rant-*:



Rant? This word, I do not think it means what you think it means.


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--
tomblackwood

Tailgate at your own risk...
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The idea (and fact!) that unicycling is silly is probably why the really
serious athletes don't take it up. They're too into their own sports and
don't want to waste their time with something so ... pointless. I'm
definitely not disputing that. If we were serious about going fast,
we'd be on bikes. I think the reason I love racing unicycles so much is
the feeling of doing what many do on a bike -on- only one wheel.

In computer science, I kind of like the idea of implementing known
interfaces under funky assumptions that make things cool... maybe
that's why I like unicycling like cyclists ride, or at least trying to.

I think there's just something really cool about going fast on one
wheel. I can't really explain it in order to counter your point;all I
can tell you is that I disagree and I don't know exactly why

If you want to race a unicycle, you're not bike racing, but you sure
can race a unicycle if you want. This may be quite truistically (that a
word??) pointless, but we're bringing unicycles to unicycle races, I
think.


--
chuckaeronut

Uni to work to eat to live to uni to work to...!
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Wow, so humble... Thanks for writing that, Chuck. I think that cleared a
lot up for a lot of people. I've been thinking of gearing up pretty soon
and with all these advances in equipment, I'm not sure if it's the right
time even yet. There could be more to come sometime soon.

As far as the seriousness of unicycle racing goes, it's not as
competitive as bikes yet (and it may never be) but the sport is
steadily growing in dedicated athletes. I'm sure a lot of people went
into RTL in a relaxed state, then suddenly went into competitive mode
(I know my team did). If we have more races like this, many more
unicyclists will be converts of the GUni and really strive to be the
best and fastest riders they can be.

I was thinking there is no point to seeing if we can get to the same
speeds as a competitive bike rider, but thinking again, I'm sure there
will be someone to come along that is a little crazier for the speed on
a uni that they wont care how fast they have to pedal or what risks they
will have to take to get there. But right now, there has hasn't been
someone to show us that future and right now bicyclists ultimately have
that obvious advantage of that extra wheel and ability to coast. (I
think I`m rambling)

Either way, I'd like to congratulate and thank Chuck for that write up
and recent accomplishments. Also, I would like to thank him and all the
other top riders of RTL and Unicon for shining a light on what potential
geared unicycles have in the future.


--
CoreTechs

UNICYCLE FOR CHRIST
In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti

)--21stOverall-RTL2008-O
)--18thCriterium-RTL2008-O
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Nurse Ben wrote:



Talking about setting speed "records" on a unicyle is sorta like saying
I hold the record for hopping on one leg for 26.2 miles. Sure, if you're
missing a leg you might be maximizing your potential as a physicaly
challenged athlete, but a person with two legs setting said record is
just being silly.

Now this is just my opinion, so no need to flame (I'm heat proof
anyhow).

I am as thrilled as the next person with gear advances, but in the end
it's still a unicycle, and unicycling is pretty durn silly



Silliness is relative. Is it because of the efficiency of transport?


It is pretty silly to be riding a bike when you could drive a car and
get much faster from A to B is it not?

Why then would you choose to ride a bike?

And why would you walk or run when unicycling is so much faster? The
Unicycling Marathon record now sits at 1hr 27min. The running marathon
record sits at just over 2hrs.

Is silliness a reflection on what people are used to? If you were from
a culture that had never seen either bikes or unicycles. Which would
look more silly? Balancing on two wheels? Balancing on one wheel?


--
GizmoDuck

The Uninam Tour 2008.....Hanoi to Saigon!!! www.uninam.net

The SINZ Unicycle Tour 2007....South Island, New Zealand
www.sinzuni.org

The Induni Unicycle Tour 2009. Unicycle Tour of India. Email me for
details.
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What an interesting, open and sincere discussion! Wow.

My personal opinion on categories is that we should continue to have
two classes: "standard" and "unlimited", with the current definitions.
Standard just preserves the legacy of unicycling and gives continuity
of the old line of records into the future. All the rest should move
along with technical evolution - I don't think we should spawn a new
category with every major technical step change. It's kind of bad for
me personally, because I haven't been able (yet?) to get used to geared
riding. But I'm old and slow anyway (just under 1:56 on the marathon on
a fixed 36").

I said to Dustin this week that even Chuck's current marathon time is
way slower than what an accomplished road bicyclist could do on the
marathon. The upright bicycle hour record is, what, 55 km? Chuck could
maybe do about 31 or 32 km as an hour record? That gap is still huge in
my opinion. Not to demean Chuck's riding abiliby but there is no
physical reason for such a big gap, I think. There will always be some
gap because the unicyclist needs to 'keep reserve' to correct fore-aft
balance, but a margin of 10-15 km/h should be really enough for that.

My guess is that within 10 years the unicycling world hour record is
more than 40 km/h (that's 24.8 mph), with the right type of top rider,
matching the right type of unicycle (wheel size and gear). That equates
to a marathon approaching 1 hour (1:03 something). Twenty years from
now, I wouldn't be surprised at even more than 45!

The future should be exiting!


--
Klaas Bil
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I agree with the two different classes? In some sports its is an
advantage in how much money you can put in to your ride. Like RC car
racing and biketrials(something I did in the past). Equipment does
matter, but the person still has to perform.
Another example was when I put on a unitrials event. A guy showed up
with clipless pedals. He crushed all of us. Everyone there cried
foul. It made me think. Do we need two classes or should everybody
just work harder to get better. Who knows.


--
redlinewaterboy
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tomblackwood wrote:
Rant? This word, I do not think it means what you think it means.



Aay!
You got in-a there before me!


--
Inigo Montoya

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it
means."
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In Late January or early February, I am planning the 1st Annual Unicycle
10k Race. No limit on wheel size and the course begins at Sand Key Park,
two bridges with a beautiful view of Clearwater Beach along the route
with a 10% grade, ending in downtown Clearwater Coachman Park. Proceeds
to local non-profits. Any ideas will be helpful. Please contact me via
email and a phone number.


--
dondi
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