Click Here To View The Video of Fro riding across the rail of Lithia Park Bridge. Filmed Today 12.09.06
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The unicycle's history began with the invention of the bicycle. Comte De Sivracwas said to have first developed bicycles during the late eighteenth century. His device, called a célérifère, was a wooden horse that had two wheels joined by a wooden beam. However, this 'invention' was actually a hoax created by a French historian just after the French defeat in 1870 (the truth remained hidden until the second half of the twentieth century). Germany’s Baron von Drais really created the design: a wooden horse that had two wheels joined by a wooden beam and a steering mechanism, and introduced his Draisienne or Hobby Horse in 1818. Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, added cranks and pedals to the front wheel in 1839, and called it the Velocipede. The first mass-produced riding machine, the Michaux Velocipede, was designed in 1863. In 1866, James Stanley invented a unique bicycle called the Penny Farthing with a very large front wheel and a small rear wheel. It is this vehicle that is thought to be the inspiration for the unicycle.
One theory of the advent of the unicycle is based on the popularity of the Penny Farthing during the late nineteenth century. Since its pedal cranks were connected directly to the front axle, the rear wheel would go up in the air and the rider would be moved slightly forward. This likely prompted riders to see how long they could ride with the back wheel in the air and the unicycle was born. Evidence for this theory of development can be found in pictures from the late nineteenth century that show unicycles with large wheels.
Since the unicycle requires a greater degree of skill to ride than a bicycle, many people that could ride them became entertainers. Over the years, unicycle enthusiasts have inspired manufacturers to create new designs such as seatless (the ultimate wheel) and tall (giraffe unicycle) unicycles. During the late 1980s some extreme sportsmen took an interest in the unicycle and off-road unicycling (MUni) was born. Today, the unicycle remains a relatively obscure vehicle; however there are more people riding unicycles now than ever before. -From Wikapedia.com
Red Rides the Rail!
Fro about to leap on the rock.
On the Rock!
