Shock is paired with awe for pedestrians traipsing down Morton Hill when they realize that what they thought was a bicycle whizzing by them has only one wheel.
Robert Barga has been unicycling for about three years, but it wasn’t until Christmas, when he received one as a gift, that he became more serious.
“There isn’t an endpoint,” said Barga, a junior studying psychology and philosophy. “There is always something new to learn. A new trick to learn, a new skill to perfect — there’s always a way to get better. I’m still learning.”
Barga and other unicyclists agree that the biggest advantage to riding a unicycle versus a bike is its portability.
“If you are riding from Athens to Nelsonville, a unicycle is not the best way to ride,” said John Lefelhocz of Cycle Path Bicycles, 104 W. Union St. “But if you are riding back and forth to class and want to carry (your transportation) up stairs and to your room, the unicycle works well.”
Yet Athens’ bicycle shops stand divided when it comes to the one-wheeled vehicles.
“I don’t see the advantages of riding a unicycle,” said Tim Kirkendall of Athens Bicycle, 4 W. Stimson Ave. “I guess it’s just what you’re into.”
Kirkendall added that the main reason the shop sells unicycles is because people buy them as Christmas gifts. What is on display throughout the rest of the year is simply leftovers from the holiday season.
At Cycle Path Bicycles, however, Lefelhocz said he sees somewhat steady sales of unicycles during the spring and summer.
Lefelhocz speculated that unicycles are less popular than their two-wheeled counterparts because it takes more work to learn how to ride one.
“It takes a lot more practice,” he said. “You have to learn your balance, and it takes more effort because it has one gear.”
Julia Smirnova, a freshman studying psychology, agreed it takes a while to learn, but said it’s worth it in the end.
“It’s something not a lot of people do at a young age,” she said. “They don’t have the patience and time to learn how to do it. I hope more people get to do it though.”
Smirnova added: “You don’t go very fast, but it’s a lot of fun.”
In addition to its portability, Smirnova said she enjoys riding her unicycle around campus for the looks she gets.
“I like making people smile as I ride by them,” she said.
wa054010@ohiou.edu
