The Martlet

While some may find the sport of unicycling intimidating, there are a select few who couldn’t see themselves without their trusty, one-wheeled transport by their side. Just ask one of Victoria’s most experienced unicycle riders, Sean Goode.

Goode started riding unicycles at the age of 14, when he was introduced to the sport by one of his friends. Goode took an immediate liking to the single-track vehicle and has been a unicycle devotee ever since. Even after seven years of riding, he is still amazed by its simplicity.

“It’s so much fun because it’s so simple,” said Goode. “On a bike, there are so many things that can go wrong or can break. But on a unicycle, it’s just you and the uni. It’s so straightforward. If you want to stop, you just stop pedalling. There’s not much that can go wrong there.”

According to Goode, learning to ride a unicycle is no different than learning to ride a bike; the rider must tackle the task with perseverance and determination.

“There’s definitely a steep learning curve,” Goode admits. “You have to keep on trying and trying and trying because there is a lot of falling down that first week. Once you get it, though, it sticks. It’s pretty straightforward.”

Goode was able to teach himself how to ride a unicycle in less than a week and encourages anyone who is interested in the sport to try and do the same. He advises newcomers to focus on keeping all of their body weight on the seat of the unicycle and avoid the temptation to shift their weight onto the pedals. Although it will feel uncomfortable at first, it will help ensure the rider has proper balance.

Over the years, Goode has exhaustedly searched for challenging ways to test his unicycle prowess. He owns four unicycles (each built for a different terrain), which he uses for transportation and cycling trials. Goode faces a slight disadvantage during these trials as all of the other racers use bicycles. He often uses his unicycles for mountain cycling as well, and can be found braving the steep slopes of Mt. Doug and Mt. Tolmie during his spare time. He is eager to share his love of unicycling with anyone else curious about the sport.

“There’s always the standard questions that people will ask me like ‘where’s the other wheel’ or ‘is the circus in town’,” laughs Goode. “But I do get a lot of people who come up to me and are genuinely interested. I love to talk to people about it because I think it’s great and I like to share it.”