more photosJason Kasari, 14, challenges his unicycling skills riding on wood pallets and boards set out during a gathering of single-wheeled enthusiasts on Sunday in Bend.
Photos by Rob Kerr / The Bulletin
One-wheel wonders
Unicycling group members find balance in their lives
By Katie Brauns / The Bulletin
Published: November 03. 2009 4:00AM PSTUnicycling: It’s not like riding a bike.
It takes time and patience to learn to pedal for even just a second on one wheel.
But members of a local group called Central Oregon Unicycling say that once you start, you can’t stop.
“It’s addictive,” says Dan Harshburger, the 62-year-old organizer of Central Oregon Unicycling, whose members get together every Sunday afternoon to ride around Bend.
“I look like a robot when I ride,” says Boston Szymanski, a 28-year-old Bend woman and a member of the unicycling group. “It’s an awesome addiction. It’s definitely an extreme sport, if you can get over looking really ridiculous. It’s a good way to not take yourself so seriously.”
Unicyclists can look a little like human-sized praying mantises wiggling around oddly on a wheel — fascinating to watch.
“The taller you are, the more you flail your arms,” Harshburger notes during a recent gathering of local unicyclists as some of the younger riders hop tricks over shipping flats. Then they backpedal and zip around on sidewalks, looking smooth. The parents and other adults — more of them than the young ones — cruise and, sometimes, stumble around the parking lot at the new Bend Park & Recreation District office on Columbia Street, before they set out on their ride on paths and trails along the Deschutes River.
It’s a pleasant afternoon with temperatures in the low 60s. But Central Oregon Unicycling members are not necessarily fair-weather riders. They plan to meet all year long, rain or shine, sleet or snow.
“It’s just a group of people that get together and meet,” says Harshburger. “There’s no membership, no fees, no nothing.”
Harshburger says he took up unicycling a year and a half ago after retiring from 30 years in the oil industry.
“It was one of those things that I always wanted to do as a kid,” says Harshburger. “I was over in Portland and I saw about four young people riding down the street and going down a back alley, and I told my wife, ‘I’m going to learn to do that.’ That’s what got me started.”
Many of the unicyclists in the local group are in their late 30s to late 50s, and about 10 youngsters are in the mix. Most of the club members just recently learned how to ride.
“It’s a challenge, something different,” say Anthony Daprano, who says he rides with his 9-year-old son, Dominic, to Bend’s Miller Elementary School every day by unicycle. “It’s something new and exciting for me.”
“You get your balance back when you’re older,” adds Doug Buzbee, 51, who notes that he started unicycling in 2005. “And (unicycling) helps your aerobic activity.”
Balance is key when riding a unicycle. Weight must be distributed evenly along a vertical plane in order for a rider to stay upright and not fall forward or backward. Central Oregon Unicycling members advise beginners to remember to step forward when they think they may fall. That way, they can catch themselves instead of crashing. Harshburger encourages novice riders to come out and try one wheel with the group any Sunday afternoon.
“The younger you are, the easier it is,” says Harshburger. “The kids here, they learn so quickly. They’re shorter, they’re lighter, their center of balance is so good.”
Harshburger calls unicycling an excellent core workout.
“Your core body is constantly changing to keep your balance,” he explains, “so it works all those small muscles in your stomach and in your back.”
As with bicycles, unicycles come in a variety of styles: road cycles, trail cycles, and trial cycles designed for tricks. The price of a unicycle ranges from $75 to $1,000, according to Harshburger. Riders are advised to wear helmets and protective gloves.
One club member rides his grandfather’s old unicycle.
“It’s the oldest unicycle here,” claims Eric Birky, 42, of the unicycle being ridden by his 10-year-old son, Donovan Birky. “His grandfather rode it in high school.
“I’m an avid cyclist and I thought riding a unicycle would be totally hard, to be honest. And he (Donovan) started riding it and I thought, ‘If he can ride it, I should try it.’”
All skill levels gather for the Sunday rides. While most are relative newcomers to the sport, a few have been at it for years.
“You just take it step by step,” says Ben Hanes, 29, of Bend. He explains that while he was learning to ride a unicycle, he would start by a pingpong table “and just go one pedal, and then two pedals away and fall over, and then three pedals away and fall over.”
Some of the older riders say they have been inspired by Harshburger.
“He was 60 when he learned how to ride,” notes Lance Kasari, 48, who joined the group with his young son and daughter. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Brave riders take their unicycles down mountains. Buzbee says he recently rode down Howard Mountain near Sisters with his nephew.
“It’s not real extreme,” notes Buzbee. “But our quads (quadriceps muscles) were blown. I couldn’t walk when we were done.”
“It’s a challenge,” says Szymanski, who is Buzbee’s daughter. “It’s a quick and easy workout. It gets you huffing and puffing pretty fast, and your quads are on fire.”
From beginners just learning to pedal a few feet forward to longtime riders who hop rocks down mountains, Central Oregon Unicycling welcomes all kinds.
“It’s like anything else in your life,” says Harshburger. “It’s just trial and error. You just have to have a little bit of courage and a little bit of faith — and go.”
Katie Brauns can be reached at 541-383-0393 or at kbrauns@bendbulletin.com.
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