Unicycle

A unicycle is a one-wheeled, human-powered vehicle. Unicycles are similar to, but less complex than, bicycles.

Unicycles are made from a few key parts: the wheel and axle, the frame, the seat, and the cranks and pedals. The wheel is the main part of the unicycle. It is essentially a bicycle wheel with a special hub so that the frame and cranks can attach to the side. The seat is positioned on top of the frame.

Unicycles are supposedly descended from the "penny-farthing" bicycles of the early 1900s. These bicycles had a large wheel in front, to which the pedals were attached, and a much smaller wheel in the back for balance. When these bicycles would hit a bump, the rear wheel would come off the ground, forcing the rider to balance on one wheel. Early unicycle photographs show unicycles with very large wheels, which supports this theory.

Unicycles have traditionally been associated with the circus, but in recent years unicycles have been gaining a following as methods of everyday transportaion. There is also the sport of mountain unicycling, which is similar to mountain bicycling.

Variations on the standard unicycle include:

• Giraffe unicycles: tall, chain-driven unicycles.
• Mountain unicycles: unicycles made for the sport of mountain unicycling.
• Kangaroo unicycles: unicycles with an off-center wheel and cranks that face the same direction. The rider of a kangaroo appears to he hopping about like a kangaroo, hence the name.
• Ultimate wheel: unicycle with no frame or seat, just a wheel, cranks, and pedals.
• Impossible wheel: a wheel with pegs sticking out for the rider to stand on. Theoretically, this works like log-rolling.