Mature Unicyclists

"One Wheeling" in your Golden Years....

by Pat Moore

Mature Unicyclists???  Somehow you’d never expect those two words to be used in the same sentence.  Believe it or not there is a growing cadre of senior citizens around the globe who think nothing of hopping on one wheel and tooling around.  Let’s meet a few of them.

Bob Ferguson is a fun loving Canadian who tried unicycling at 40 and then took a 22 year hiatus before resuming the sport at 62.  Now an accomplished rider, Bob has even managed to learn to ride backwards.  When Bob travels, he takes a 20” uni with him and has ridden in England, Switzerland, the Bahamas, Florida, and Sweden. 

He has chalked up some impressive distances too with the goal of logging 500 km this year. That’s impressive at any age but Bob is 66!  On his 66th birthday he and his friend Bill (age 64) rode 66 furlongs (8.25 miles). He even enters competitions.  His partner Lena Meurling is the same age and has progressed to 200 foot rides. 

Bob had discovered that Canadian ski racer Ken Read trained on unicycles in the off season and that prompted him to try it.  If you’re a skier looking for a way to build core strength, improve your balance, and develop your quads and calves, consider that Bode Miller trains on a uni too.  Bob points out that riding is fairly safe because of the low speeds.  When you fall (and you will!) you usually land on your feet.  Helmet and wrist guards are strongly suggested.  He raises another very good point.  Unlike many sports, the cost of getting into unicycling is quite low.  A decent entry level model can be purchased for a little over $100. 

Klaas Bil is a 56 year old unicyclist from the Netherlands who participates in distance riding (either competitive or touring), racing, Muni (the equivalent of mountain biking on one wheel!), and
trials.  An avid racer, he recently won the open German marathon championship in his age class (50+).   He is training for track racing with the aim of competing in distances from 100 meters to marathon distance – 42.195 kilometers (26 7/32 miles).  The photo shows him competing in a 38 kilometer race in adverse weather conditions – heavy headwinds and rain.

He first tried unicycling at age 30 as part of an acrobatics course.  He found it difficult and concluded he’d never be able to master it.  Ten years ago his daughter wanted a unicycle for her 11th birthday.  They discovered a unicycling club with members of all ages and Klaas became hooked himself.  He has avoided any major injuries in his unicycling endeavors by wearing protective gear:  helmet plus padding for knees, wrists, and elbows.

For distance rides, Klaas usually opts for a unicycle with a 36” diameter.  Compared with a 20” uni, it looks like a monster but allows much higher average speeds.  He has also dabbled in “trials” - tricks like hopping up on objects, stairs, etc.  Challenging at any age, it’s especially impressive at 56. 

When riding a unicycle you’ll inevitably hear someone shout out “where’s your other wheel”? (like no one has ever thought of that before).  Klaas’ favorite response:  “I don’t need a training wheel anymore”.

Bernard Amade, nicknamed the Wobbling Bear, is a 61 year old unicyclist from France who lists his occupation as Java Evangelist.  A lifelong musician, he first saw a unicyclist while he was performing with a brassband (on skates no less).  He resolved to learn to ride but didn’t take the plunge until 2002.  His subsequent unicycling career has not been without perils as he’s suffered broken Achilles’ tendon, toes, and wrists as well as numerous bruises.  Clearly unafraid to push the envelope, Bernard participates in all facets of the sport including hill climbs where he admits that’s he’s more adept at descents than climbs.

Bernard encourages other seniors to test the waters.  He says that unicycling not only keeps him “young”, it keeps him serene and he’s pretty sure it helps reconnecting some neurons in his head!

His favorite witty comeback for “you’ve lost a wheel”:  “Economic downturn you know.”

My own background in the sport isn’t all that different from that of the folks above.  I first rode a unicycle across the gym floor at the University of Florida in 1964 and didn’t ride again until five years later.  In 1997, I bought a 20” unicycle on a whim and learned to ride it in the hallway of my apartment before progressing to a parking lot.  Today, my riding is primarily focused on distance although the longest trip I’ve taken is 12 miles. 

I managed to fracture my hand in a fall in 2005 and always wear wrist guards nowadays. At age 62 I don't bounce back as quickly as I did in decades past.

I can’t take credit for originating it but my favorite comeback is, “It’s worse than it looks.  It started out as a tricycle!”  When my ski club schedules Monday Night Bike rides I’ll frequently opt to ride my 28” uni.  I find it’s a terrific way to build the quads and calves for my favorite winter pursuit: snowboard racing.

As you can see, the sport of unicycling isn’t limited to the young.  At a recent UNICON event (a biennial world unicycling convention and competition hosted by the International Unicycling Federation), eighteen of the entrants were over the age of fifty. 

These folks are just a sampling of the many “youth-deprived” practitioners of this sport.  I ”met” these fascinating individuals through a forum at unicyclist.com, the ultimate resource for information about this offbeat pastime.  If you visit that site you’ll meet dozens of older riders more than willing to share their experience, support, and guidance. 

Still unsure if you want to try it?  You still have time.  The oldest unicyclist on record is believed to be 93…..

Pat Moore has been ranked number one in the U.S. in NASTAR snowboard racing in his age group multiple times and holds six national championship titles. In 2008, he became the first NASTAR racer ever to concurrently hold the titles in both snowboarding and skiing. An avid unicyclist, he's not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. Pat runs domestic and international online sales for Suburban Sports in Berlin Connecticut