Unicycling:
Freaks on One Wheel
Phil
Barbosa was the person who got me unicycling. Summer
of 2004 I had picked up rollerblades while he was unicycling.
We took to the park paths around downtown , on our wheel(s).
I
spent the majority of my time at my first Toronto Unicyclist
Club meet rollerblading around the school yard and was
jealous of the amount of people on one wheel, as opposed
to my eight. I had more than a few people convince me
to try, and get on. I started practicing with the aid
of a fence, as well as the shoulders of club members.
I was convinced it wasn't that hard, and I could learn
it.
Six
months after starting, suddenly I was riding my unicycle,
completing a lap of the double gym on the first day. My
current skills are: static mount (left foot), rollback mount
(left foot), riding in a straight line, well excuted left
turns, hopping seat in, hopping seat out, transition between
seat in & seat out.
My
goal is to learn street riding and trials riding, otherwise
as I call it "jumping on shit" which requires
a small diameter wheel, fatter tyre, and a stronger frame.
This was somewhat realized when I entered the TOque Games,
a unicycle trials competition held yearly at the Toronto
International Bike Show. I hope to join the Bedford Factory
Demo Team as one of its first female riders. Mountain Unicycling
would be another goal, being similar to trials yet out in
nature, and have purchased my Bedford cross-country/muni
hybrid for this purpose.
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