Friday, August 20, 2004

One wheeled wonders ride trails

Father and son unicycle in the mountains


By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer

Joe Stoltzfus, left, and his son Jared tackle trails like Carbonate in Hailey on their unicycles. Photo by David N. Seelig

It?s not something you can anticipate running into on the trail. Maybe at a parade or more likely at a circus. But steep, rocky trails are exactly where you will find Joe and Jared Stoltzfus riding their unicycles.

The father and son duo venture off road with their one-wheel rides, taking part in the growing sport called Mountain Unicycling or MUni. Mountain Uni-cycling, also referred to as Rough Terrain Unicycling and All Terrain Unicycling, encompasses riding on terrain like grass and dirt.

The sport seems like the dare devil type of activity only teenager would do. Ironically, Jared, 15, of Hailey, learned to ride from his father Joe.

?It?s my fault,? Joe said. ?I started when I was eight, my friend had a unicycle.?

The Stoltzfus duo take Mountain Unicycling to the extreme, riding numerous Wood River Valley trails. Not surprisingly, father and son often shock other trail users.

?Eighty percent of people say, ?Hey you?ve lost a wheel,?? Jared commented.

The two regularly tackle valley paths such as Shady Side, Carbonate, and even Sun Peak.

?You can find a challenge anywhere,? Joe remarked.

Before braving nature?s obstacles, the duo mastered mounting the unicycle without holding onto an object for support.

Once on the unicycles, the men use the pedals to maintain their balance and speed. Because the unicycles do not have breaks, pedaling controls the speed of the unicycle riding up and down hills.

?It?s like a tricycle, with direct drive to the pedals,? Joe explained.

The unicycle does not coast like a bicycle, so ?it?s impossible to ride out of control,? Jared said.

In order to maneuver steep terrain, each rider utilizes a handle secured to the under part of the seat. In order to maintain his balance, the rider grasps the handle with one hand as he rides up and down hills.

When confronted with rocks and steep terrain along the ride, the two use a special bunny hop technique. On a recent ride, Joe demonstrated the jumping technique as he approached a single log bridge in Adams Gulch. After completing a serious of small hops to get onto the log, he easily pedaled across the narrow bridge.

Both father and son ride unicycles designed specifically for off-road use. The off-road unicycles are designed with durable frames and wider wheels to handle the abuse of riding on rough terrain.

?When I first went unicycle riding off road, I?d break my unicycle every other month,? Joe said.

Joe said that in the last five or six years technology has improved unicycles to handle ventures off trail. The Stoltzfus men also wear helmets and knee, elbow and shin pads to protect their bodies.




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