Unicycle for Life?

[Biggestbtc]

Is the saying true, "Once a unicyclist, always a unicyclist"?

I'm wondering if it is possible for someone to become deeply involved with unicycling, that they will never turn away from it. Are there people who get really good on the uni and are doing crazy stuff, you know, so they're like buying KH uni's as fast as they can because they keep breaking them and going all over the world to uni, but then just walk away from the sport? Or is there a point of no return?

Answers? Comments?

[Goats_On_Unicycles]

Zach Baldwin, Ryan Atkins, etc.

[Goats_On_Unicycles]

but seriously, you know, there's people who's way into this shtuff who won't be in a few years and there's people that will.

[unibikeling]

Originally Posted by Goats_On_Unicycles

Zach Baldwin, Ryan Atkins, etc.

uhm

scratch ryan atkins off that

i saw him a few months ago doing trials.

[CoreTechs]

Yeah, Ryan still rides, but he's not as into it as he used to be. He's focusing more on competitive downhill MTB, but he's not completely out of unicycling.

[ntappin]

Originally Posted by Goats_On_Unicycles

Zach Baldwin, Ryan Atkins, etc.

Both of whom still uni, actually I can't speak for Zach, but Ryan definitely does. We were going to make a video near the end of fall, but then snow came.

To answer the original question, unicycling is like any other hobby. Some people will do it for life, others won't, some people's interests in it will go up or down, why worry about it.

Originally Posted by CoreTechs

Yeah, Ryan still rides, but he's not as into it as he used to be. He's focusing more on competitive downhill MTB, but he's not completely out of unicycling.

Cross Country MTB not downhill at all.

[johnfoss]

Ryan Atkins' example is a cycling version of what happens to most teen unicyclists. They eventually have to get a job (and/or go to school), which takes up a lot of their time. If they have families, that takes up even more of their time and I think it's really hard for one-time unicyclists to stay heavily involved when their kids are very young.

This doesn't mean they aren't out there riding, but it may be more local, and just by themselves. In Ryan's case, he has to spend lots of training time on the bikes because he's seriously into that sport and it is even a potential moneymaker (unlike, for the most part, unicycling). This leaves him less time for unicycling, though I'm sure he can justify some of his riding as cross training.

Some people get really good at unicycling, do it for several years, and then find something else they really like, like hang gliding. And off they go. I think it's easier to stay involved when you have people around you to do it with, or upcoming uni events to motivate you. So far I'm still heavily into it since age 17 (I'm almost 47), though my involvement level has gone up and down over the years.

[Biggestbtc]

Originally Posted by johnfoss

Ryan Atkins' example is a cycling version of what happens to most teen unicyclists. They eventually have to get a job (and/or go to school), which takes up a lot of their time. If they have families, that takes up even more of their time and I think it's really hard for one-time unicyclists to stay heavily involved when their kids are very young.

This doesn't mean they aren't out there riding, but it may be more local, and just by themselves. In Ryan's case, he has to spend lots of training time on the bikes because he's seriously into that sport and it is even a potential moneymaker (unlike, for the most part, unicycling). This leaves him less time for unicycling, though I'm sure he can justify some of his riding as cross training.

Some people get really good at unicycling, do it for several years, and then find something else they really like, like hang gliding. And off they go. I think it's easier to stay involved when you have people around you to do it with, or upcoming uni events to motivate you. So far I'm still heavily into it since age 17 (I'm almost 47), though my involvement level has gone up and down over the years.

Yeah, that part about school is quite true. Now that you mention it, my brother, who was an avid birdwatcher, was quite involved in the hobby, even spending hundreds of dollars on equipment. He's off at college now and hasn't gone birding for a while. A long while. He just can't afford the time, and kind of rues over that fact.

But then there are people like John Foss, you know, the Energizer Bunny type.

[ghenzo]

And what about Luke Collalto? What is he up to? I totally loved his style, but he seems to be disappeared - at least from the web, apart a small garage clip recently uploaded.
He's been inspirational for so many falls of mine...

[1-wheeled-grape]

yeah I haven't seen any of lukes videos in ages actually. I will have to watch them again!

I hope to keep unicycling up for as long as possible, I'll find time to play around school and college lol. Somehow by the time I'm 80 I don't think I'll be riding much lol... which is a sad though.

[MuniAddict]

Originally Posted by Biggestbtc

Is the saying true, "Once a unicyclist, always a unicyclist"?

For me, it's as much a part of my everyday life as eating, breathing and sleeping! It is, quite simply, my salvation!

[MuniRyder07]

I am the same way, i am addicted to unicycling, as i am for mt biking and motorcycle trail riding. i seriously can't choose between the 3 so i just think about what type of riding i want to do, speed, jumping or technical and i take one out and go play,lol. as for Ryan Atkins, I just met him in December, I think, he was riding with Jeff Groves and Dan Heaton.

[oneisenough]

its funny that i popped on to see what was going on in the world of unicycling...and this was near the top of the list!

As for me i have ridden seriously since probably mid-october. When winter comes and it gets really cold out it becomes more of an effort than its worth (to me) and i just switch my focus to something more fitting for the time. Being an avid skiier and chasing snow, i dont have much time for anything else. Now that im starting to think of spring ill probably start uniing again though.