Unicycling Long-Distance: Why It’s Worth It

Unicycling is hard. It’s far more taxing than biking and biking is taxing enough. In fact, moderate exertion on a unicycle (even at a low speed) is roughly equivalent to jogging. Add in obstacles or a gradient, and you’re working twice as hard (if not more).

So why then does unicycling hold a certain allure when biking and hiking great distances - like hundreds if not thousands of miles - is hard enough just the way it is.

Well, perhaps a large part of the appeal is that it is hard. As Kennedy once said of going to the moon, “We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

Thomas Paine observed something similar almost 200 years prior in the first of The American Crisis Papers in 1776, noting that “What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only that gives everything its value.”

So, with that said, here are some of the reasons that long-distance unicycling may pay dividends you never expected.

1. A unicycle is a great conversation starter

Let’s just face a potentially uncomfortable truth. Everyone sees hikers and bikers. Some may have even seen some odd bikes out there. But they’re not going to turn any heads, at least not as much as a unicycle would.

But when is the last time you saw a person riding a unicycle in the wild? And no, you can’t count a member of the unicycling community, at a convention or something like that.

Have you ever? Because it’s likely that there are people you know that have literally never seen one.

Now, if you do give long-distance unicycling a go, you’re almost guaranteed to come across people that have never seen someone else really riding a one-wheeler before.

And that’s going to open doors. Some people will simply be genuinely interested in what you are doing. Some may even be interested in helping you.

And that’s not just a way to make long-lasting human connections - it’s also a way for you to passively solicit shelter and relief when you’re hundreds if not thousands of miles away from home on the open road, with nothing but a unicycle and some rudimentary camping supplies!

2. The innate difficulty 

Let’s just talk about how unicycling compares to hiking or bicycle touring. Almost without respect to how much you’re carrying, it’s more taxing to take a unicycle.

Carrying 45 pounds of gear on your back as a hiker is no cakewalk, but trust us, it’s a lot more physically demanding on a unicycle. Most people are inherently better at balancing on their own two feet than they are on one wheel.

With a bike, this gets even more magnified. You can travel faster on a bike, more efficiently, carry more gear, and cover more ground more easily.

So in that respect biking long distances is the easiest, followed by walking, with unicycling taking up the rear.

It’s harder to climb and descend grades, harder to balance, and, heck, it’s harder just to move in a straight line. You need to be constantly vigilant to make sure you don’t experience an unplanned dismount, and you also need to be wary of traffic when on the roads.

But all of that is worth something. All else considered, and assuming a similar pace, you can take pride in the development of your skills as an athlete, because believe us, we know as well as anyone (and better than most) just how hard it is to take a unicycle out touring.

3. The inestimable satisfaction

Imagine looking at a map of the United States and thinking to yourself, “I traveled that whole thing. On a unicycle.”

That would be pretty unbelievable, right?

That’s probably what a lot of committed unicyclists think before they sign up for a long haul. And it is hard, but there are so few people that have done it that the satisfaction really must be experienced. It just can’t be justified in words.

Covering a massive tour on a bike or even on foot is one thing. But there are so few that have done it on a one-wheeler that you’ll be joining an exclusive brotherhood if you accomplish it.

Not to suggest that it can’t be done or that there is any shame whatsoever in not doing it (we all have our own priorities and disciplines) but it is definitely something that can be extremely gratifying and which, to come back to Paine, cannot be obtained cheaply.

Unicycles, Unicycle Gear, Odd Bikes and More

Before you get ready to take a long trip on a unicycle, first, make sure you know how to ride and are comfortable in the saddle. Then make sure you have the right unicycle tools and gear. Also, make sure you take the trip on an appropriate unicycle - nothing smaller than 29”.

And, if you have any questions about the unicycles or odd bikes we sell, or about what else you need to prepare before your trip, just give us a call and we will be more than happy to help.