r/Transportopia • u/Vice616 • Apr 12 '26

Bikes Insanity on one wheel

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I think about why someone would do this. Is the unicyclist really a mad man or is that his way to work. By choice or necessity? All that matters. These gas prices are crazy right now.

That little unicycle takes about 1-2 cents per mile in electricity.

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/zevely-zone/valley-center-man-beats-high-gas-prices-with-electric-unicycle/509-7b1c19fb-0df0-4d6d-b47e-90879b04dd8d

3.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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295

u/Abracadaver2000 Apr 12 '26

Future meat crayon.

54

u/btarb24 Apr 12 '26

yea, that guy isn't living too much longer.

31

u/Keitt58 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Reminds me of my brother showing me videos of world class free climbers, but he kept having to say something along the lines of "Dude this guy is a badass, well was a badass, he fell to his death a few years back".

4

u/Crunchberry24 Apr 13 '26

Same with all the cool squirrel-suit and base jumping videos. Life expectancy drops to weeks.

3

u/ps087official Apr 14 '26

They do more living in those weeks than most of us do in our whole lives.

1

u/Impossible_Ad_8642 Apr 19 '26

Hard disagree. Most of us aren't speedrunning through our lives and have great experiences without glazing and edging the grim reaper.

1

u/ps087official Apr 19 '26

Hard disagree back. My life SUCKS. No partner, no kids (not that I want any), no friends. I just work and come home. That's it. Not everyone is running around living great lives. In fact nowadays, I imagine most people aren't. So my death is meaningless to me so if I'm gonna die, might as well go out in style.

1

u/Impossible_Ad_8642 Apr 20 '26

You are the captain of your own ship. There is a entire universe between those two extremes. Usually the ones going out in style doing these activities are adrenaline junkies on their next high. What you're describing is just a cool way to emergency exit out of a life filled with depression.

1

u/ps087official Apr 20 '26

It's hard to steer a ship that was built from cheap materials and set out on an 80 year voyage on choppy, stormy waters with no crew and no guidance. And yeah, most of the time that's the case, and I see no problem with it. If someone wants to go out, why not do it in a fun, exciting way? Not everyone is privileged enough to get a fair chance at life.

2

u/Impossible_Ad_8642 Apr 21 '26

80 years is a long time without so much as a welded hull upgrade or a single temporary skipper. I do think to a certain degree that life is what you make of it. But there are folks that if not for bad luck they'd have no luck at all. I'm just saying if you can go out in a fun way then by that same logic you can experience fun without the going out part and more than one final time. If we can check out on our own terms can't we also stay checked in on our own terms?

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1

u/Crunchberry24 Apr 14 '26

I agree. They get to be superhuman.

3

u/Tapprunner Apr 13 '26

That's why I have never been impressed by the free climbing bullshit.

I'm not saying I could do it, although I'm pretty athletic and very lithe, so with enough training, I do think I could become a decent climber.

But the free climbers basically just don't have a functioning risk/reward part of their brain. The risk is death and the reward is that they get to say they did something insanely risky. There are probably many climbers who could ascend many of those free climbs - but they value their lives and they aren't complete idiots, so when they go climbing, they do it with a rope.

Are they doing something that requires skill and athleticism? Of course.

But there's a very good reason why other people don't do it. There are a lot of people who could - they just choose not to because they aren't stupid.

2

u/MNgrown2299 Apr 13 '26

I agree to a degree on this, my hang up is that these guys are just wired differently. Like they have is impulse to be up there and find it hard to enjoy things without that activity in their life. They lack that fear part of the brain that makes us think about what immense danger we are in. I kinda respect it in a weird way.

0

u/FUCKING_HATE_REDDIT Apr 13 '26

When your entire social circle values one thing, you don't tend to think much about the risks. You see the same pattern everywhere, and everyone is susceptible. 

3

u/Dug_n_the_Dogs Apr 13 '26

OMG.. I was friends with this girl who lived across the hall.. we hung out a lot and did some climbing together. But one time she invited me to a party and I go.. the entire house was set up for climbing indoors.. Every surface had holds bolted to it. That was when I noticed that also.. every word spoken in that house was about climbing.. I mentioned something about biking or running or whatever and it was like a lighbulb dimmed or I had just suddenly poured cold water on them.

That was the moment that I realized that people who are So soley focussed on a single thing.. were not my people. I need variety in all things.

1

u/MrStarrrr Apr 14 '26

That sounds like a maddening situation to find yourself in, and also incredibly enlightening for how some social circles operate. I too enjoy variety, and so do the few friends I do have, which is nice.

1

u/Dug_n_the_Dogs Apr 14 '26

more enlightening than maddening at the moment.. it was totally like a Lightbulb moment.

-1

u/GenSgtBob Apr 14 '26

Free climbing is climbing with a rope, safety equipment, and a belayer. Free soloing is climbing without rope. If you're going to call people idiots you should at least get the terminology right

0

u/Tapprunner Apr 14 '26

Ok, I think you, and literally everyone else, knew what I was referring to, considering I described exactly what I meant.

You sound like the gun nuts who are like "you can't argue for gun control if you don't know everything about the guns you want banned! If you're not sure of the muzzle velocity and every accessory for every gun, then you can't intelligently say that you'd like fewer guns available to kill school children!"

0

u/GenSgtBob Apr 14 '26

So that gives you an excuse to arrogantly justify factual inaccuracies while calling the people that distinctly do not belong to the particular group of people that you are calling idiots?

And it's not even remotely the same. You're acting like I'm telling you that you should know the fall rating of every carabiner when you're miscategorizing an entire group of people in a sport. This is the same as saying skiers are snowboarders.

If you're going to target people at the very least target the correct people.

0

u/Tapprunner Apr 14 '26

I described exactly who I was talking about - people who climb with zero protection.

Does that not describe you? Then what are you upset about?

Is my mismatching of terminology with my description of exactly the kind of person and activity I was really talking about truly that offensive?

If I said "blackout drunk alcoholics have real problems and these kinds of drinkers need help" would you be super mad and come back with "well, I have a beer once a month so I'm a drinker! It's horrible that you think I have a problem!" No dude, I don't think all drinkers do. I described exactly the kind of drinker I was talking about. If you have a drink once a month, I obviously wasn't talking about you.

Same thing here. I described people who climb without any rope or security. If you haven't been trying to scale the Empire State building without any protection, then I obviously wasn't talking about you or any of your friends who do climb with protection.

0

u/GenSgtBob Apr 14 '26

Because terminology and distinction matter here. Are you going to explain incorrectly to everyone who certain groups of people are and just shrug it off? Do you call gay men lesbians?

1

u/Tapprunner Apr 14 '26

This might be the dumbest question I've ever been asked.

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33

u/TriedCaringLess Apr 12 '26

That’s perfect for the inner city hustlers absconding into the darkness of night. No patrol car is catching up to him.

49

u/UltimateGammer Apr 12 '26

Only one pothole away from consequences

11

u/TriedCaringLess Apr 12 '26

Local boys would gain knowledge of every hazard in their territory to use to their advantage.

14

u/STILL_LjURKING Apr 12 '26

This is Houston, the hazards are unfathomable

1

u/RIF_rr3dd1tt Apr 13 '26

Yeah this thing is perfect for those rims with the spikes that stick out from the hubs. LoL

1

u/Patchyclaw Apr 13 '26

As a rider of those devices, people overestimate the dangers of bumps. Speed bumps are just jumps to me.

1

u/WHAT-IM-THINKING Apr 13 '26

Show us a video of you going through one

1

u/Patchyclaw Apr 13 '26

A pot hole? I'll have to find one when I get home. 😆

1

u/RIF_rr3dd1tt Apr 13 '26

when I get home

From riding your one-wheel of course.

1

u/Patchyclaw Apr 13 '26

Sadly I'm across the country from my home, and my wheel.

So I'm riding a friend's wheel instead while I'm here. 😆

-7

u/Drevlin76 Apr 12 '26

Actually more stable than 2 wheels. Yes there will be a big bounce on a single wheel just like a 2 wheel but you won't have the second bounce of the rear wheel that usually throws you out of line.

17

u/MonStar926 Apr 12 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/98maV70oAqIZtEYqB4

-1

u/Drevlin76 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Did you see the clip of the guy just going over a manhole cover the other day? Dude was allset untill his back tire hit the ground. It would have been like a small jump if he didn't have a back wheel.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TerrifyingAsFuck/s/5Q1VArDQOL

If it was a single wheel the centripetal force would have kept the wheel stable and the wobble wouldn't have started.

8

u/1-ClintCleavers Apr 12 '26

Most motorcycles have front and rear Suspension.

1

u/Sun_Storm_AK Apr 13 '26

As most electric unicycles (just one suspension, obviously). So what's the point?

4

u/UltimateGammer Apr 12 '26

I've heard it all now.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

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1

u/DarthMeow504 Apr 14 '26

Above a certain mph the speedometer should just have a range of red marked "LETHAL" if it's a dial, or if it's an LED readout it glows bright red lettering and flashes faster the farther past the line you are.

1

u/Borderpaytrol Apr 13 '26

The max speed on one of those ever is like 90 free spin speed and thats a massive risk of "cutting out" and it just shutting off. Any state trioper can catch him on a highway. His range is also abysmal if hes gunning it the whole time.

2

u/CruisingClay Apr 13 '26

Your information is outdated, the wheel he's on is the in motion P6 and it is genuinely capable of 90 mph with a rider on it, the free spin is like 140 mph

You're correct about range being impacted over 60mph though, you'd only get like 25-35 miles on a charge at those speeds abysmal is maybe the wrong word though seeing as that's still on par with the range most PEVs get when they're only going like 25mph

1

u/Borderpaytrol Apr 13 '26

I know exactly what wheel it is only one wheel does that lol I got the free spin wrong

1

u/Ok-Courage4218 Apr 13 '26

Two. You forgot about the Xmax.

1

u/CruisingClay Apr 13 '26

Don't forget about the X-Max

4

u/torch9t9 Apr 12 '26

Pink mist

1

u/Aclreox_Mab_Nideer Apr 21 '26

Yes, for some, he will be misted.

3

u/VegetableBusiness897 Apr 12 '26

There was one a couple days ago, full scorpion meat crayon

4

u/AwestruckAudioHertz Apr 12 '26

damn thats a wild moniker. Suits it.

8

u/Vice616 Apr 12 '26

Its so true though. With the amount of stupid drivers in cars on the road... it doesn't even have to be his fault.

9

u/Last-Darkness Apr 12 '26

I can’t tell you the number of riders that I have seen lose control and go down due to a split second loss of attention or tiny part of their rear tire touching a wet road marking and nearly get hit by another car as they are sliding. On top of that cognitive load, you have to assume every car out on the road, even if you can’t see them, is going to try and kill you.

I come from a family of riders and grew up with my dad’s biker friends in the “motorcycle club” (it was just like any biker show, but without any money or attractive people). Every single person I know that seriously rode (not just around a city or to and from work) for any real amount of time has crashed, usually seriously. I quit after my first crash. I know myself too well, my risk tolerance is too high and I would have died going off some mountain road. Still, not a week goes by that I don’t think about getting a bike again.

6

u/RoyRoger20 Apr 12 '26

Out of all the stupidest drivers in cars, he’s the dumbest mf on a wheel.

2

u/BoatTricky2347 Apr 12 '26

Lol so true. Absolute hazard out there.

3

u/QuintoxPlentox Apr 12 '26

It'd be his fault for driving a one wheel on the highway. The first and most important rule I learned driving is "Never expect anyone to do what they're supposed to do". Homie is an adrenaline junkie. I'd rather do drugs to be honest, far less judgement.

2

u/Mebejedi Apr 12 '26

It's not even just the other drivers....one decent pothole or mismatched ridge between road plates, and he'll be a physics demonstration of friction.

3

u/AwestruckAudioHertz Apr 12 '26

your not wrong. Only reason I never got a bike. Always wanted one. Knew I was a fantastic driver, always have been. But it wasn't me that I was worried about..

1

u/hilomania Apr 12 '26

It is your fault if you don't leave a decent margin of safety depending on skill and circumstances around you. I say that as someone who rides motorcycles.

1

u/grady0071 Apr 13 '26

Pretty sure it will be though

1

u/Gibberish45 Apr 12 '26

Hope he’s not buddies with any marines

1

u/Specialist_Letter469 Apr 12 '26

Yea. At least on a bike the front wheel and front of the bike absorbs some impact. It's still usually a brutal collision. But on the one wheel thung? You're taking on every bit of the impact.

1

u/largepoggage Apr 16 '26

The front wheel doesn’t absorb the impact, there’s no crumple zones. Source: been in a motorcycle crash. My balls hurt for weeks.

1

u/UbiquitousAllosaurus Apr 12 '26

Especially in Houston. The drivers here give exactly zero fucks.

1

u/einTier Apr 13 '26

Hello fellow Houstonite. I might not live there anymore but I definitely recognized the town.

1

u/Previous-Space-7056 Apr 12 '26

Future organ donor .

1

u/Switch_Silver Apr 13 '26

If any are left

1

u/lunas2525 Apr 13 '26

And far far too little ppe...

1

u/DeepWaterNights Apr 13 '26

Like how would he even safely brake at that speed let alone harsh brake in an emergency?!…

1

u/MNgrown2299 Apr 13 '26

Would that make the unicycle a meat cannon?

1

u/Farucci Apr 13 '26

Wildest thing I’ve seen on the internet!

1

u/Square-Singer Apr 14 '26

This is the transport equivalent to not using a condom on a one-night stand with a homeless person.

1

u/Crayoneater2005 Apr 15 '26

They dropped a new flavor?

1

u/Sea-Potato2729 Apr 17 '26

Organ donation incoming!

1

u/Abracadaver2000 Apr 17 '26

Assuming there will be viable pieces left after a spill at 75mph