MUC Members

Marquise
2003: I am 12 years old and the reason why I started to unicycle was so I can do something special in my life. It took a while for me to learn how to ride - about 5 hours of practice. As I learned I also learned how to do some tricks. I now know how to ride backwards, ride using only one foot, and idle using only one foot and a lot more, too. I also can now hop up onto things that are about 17" high. I am currently learning how to wheel-walk. I think that it is cool what Tommy does with the club and one day I want to do the same. I'm working on a project that involves trying to get into the circus so that I can get paid to ride - Cha-Ching! Sometimes, during our Thursday practices in the Cooper-Young neighborhood Ronnie and I go out near the restaurants and shops and do tricks for money. Besides making money, another reason that I like to unicycle is I like to impress people. 2006: Marquise is 15-years-old and an accomplished freestyle unicyclist. Here, he demonstates a standup-wheelwalk.
Nick
I got interested in unicycles when the Memphis Unicycle Club came to do a demonstration for my Cub Scout troop in the spring of 2004. During the summer I started going to the unicycle practices at Veteran's Plaza in Overton Park. All the guys in the unicycle club, especially Tommy and Richard really helped me to learn to ride the unicycle. Learning to ride a unicycle is really hard and it is really cool!! Right now I have a 16 inch Torker. I am 8 years old and probably one of the youngest members of the club. I want to learn to ride well enough to ride in a parade some day soon!
Denzel
2006: Denzel has been riding with the Memphis Unicycle Club for 3 years. Along with being an accomplished trail rider, Denzel can one-foot ride and wheelwalk.
Richard
Learning to ride a unicycle is one of the craziest, most outrageous things I have ever done. It is also one of the most fun things I have ever done. I started learning in March 2003, about 2 weeks after I turned 50-years-old. When I started, I was looking for a fun activity that would provide some exercise. Unicycling sure fit the bill. It's a great workout and fun at the same time. How can you beat that? I usually ride for 30 minutes or more at least 5 or 6 times per week. I knew a couple of people years ago who could ride and I was always very impressed with their ability. Now I can do it too!! It took me about 10 hours of practice over a 2 week period before I could ride. I started out riding just a few feet. So far, my longest continuous distance is 4 miles. I learned to ride on a 20-inch Schwinn which was to be the "only unicycle I would ever need". Well, that was followed by a 26-inch Semcycle, a 20-inch Summit and a 24-inch Yuni MUni. Members of the Memphis Unicycle Club are a great bunch of people, all with varying interests and backgrounds but all with the same common interest in riding around on one wheel. It is truly amazing what some people can do on a unicycle. There are many things that I will never attempt since I am a lot more concerned about falling down than the younger members of the club. The best thing about riding a unicycle is the way people smile when they see you coming. 2006: I am still riding with the Memphis Unicycle Club. I now own 7 unicycles but have not had a new one since last year.
Hugh
Unicycling was on my "10 things I want to do before I die" list. My wife bought me a unicycle shortly after we were married so I could check that item off the list. Unfortunately, it took me about 8 years to be able to check it off. No, I'm not THAT slow of a learner. I just was not patient enough to stick with it. I would try a few attempts and then put the thing up for a year or two or three, then get it out and try again. I estimate that it took me 20 to 30 hours over those 8 years to learn to ride. Then I found MUC in the spring of 2006. The first practice I attended, Tommy was able to teach me to freemount. I wonder how much sooner I could have been riding had there been a club (or any unicyclist) around to help me back then. I had only two goals when I found out about MUC. 1. Learn to freemount. 2. Learn to idle. Well, they took care of goal 1 at the first practice. Idling took a little bit longer. So I have accomplished those goals. I can quit satisfied. Well, not quite. Through the club and the unicycle forums, a whole new world has opened up and I am now working on new goals. There is so much that can be done on a unicycle, I don't think I will quit until old age gets me. (I think unicycling keeps you young so that will be a long ways off.) Oh, and the other 9 items on my things to do list, well they've all been replaced with unicycle related activities.
Tom
I got my unicycle, as did a neighbor, some 30 years ago. We spent all of our available time learning how to ride. I was able to ride forward, turn either way, and ride off the curb. Since then, I've pulled it out once or twice to prove to someone I could ride the odd looking thing. Then joined the MUC. My goals are to learn to idle, learn to hop up on things, trail ride. My second encounter with these MUC maniacs was on the Tour d'Wolf trail. At only my second meeting at Overton Park, I hopped up on the curb. (Not gracefully, but a hop just the same). Much faster learning curve with the advice of MUCers. Having a blast.
Matt
Matt here
Tommy
I started riding unicycles in mid-December of 2001. It took me about 4 hours to begin to ride without holding on to something and then the rest of the skills starting coming really quickly. I LOVE it! It is like flying and skiing all in one - and, you don't have to have frozen toes, pay for lift tickets or parachutes. It is a wonderful time, too, that I get to spend with Celeste, my daughter. I currently have nine unicycles (gasp!): a custom painted Wilder with Profile hub/ Sun rim setup with a 24" Fireball 3.0" tire. It is the firebomb-digity. I have a 26" Semcycle street unicycle with a 26" Fireball tire. My every day, lunch-time freestyle uni is a 20" Sem Cycle with a Miyata seat. I'm also lucky enough to have a custom built MaxDaddy freestyle and a custom Paul Wyganowski. What fun! I also have a Yuni with a Profile/Sun wheel and a 24" X 3.0 Gazz tire. My trials uni is a United witha Monty tire . My touring uni is a Coker with the wheel up-grade. I even did the Memphis Marathon on this ride - no problem. I get a great deal of excitement and challenge from my 5' "giraffe" unicycle - Double fun! I try to ride everyday at least 30 min. at "lunch" even if I have to schedule a meeting with "Mr.Wilder" to get my riding in. Riding with other folks is about ten thousand times more fun than riding alone which is why we started our club. I encourage everybody to give it a try but I also encourage everybody to give it at least 5 hours over the period of a week. Come on out and play in the MUC! Feel free to contact Us for information about the Memphis Unicycle Club.