Street unicycling is one of the latest developments in unicycling. The aim of the sport is to use natural/urban/specially made obstacles such as ledges, handrails and stairs in a given area to perform tricks that look good. The emphasis falls on technical proficiency, style and creativity. Street unicycling draws inspiration from skateboarding and bmx bike riding, with many similar tricks.
For street unicycling, most riders prefer to ride 20" trials unicycles because of their light weight, good hopping abilities, smooth maneuverability. However, some riders prefer using the less conventional 24" and 26" wheel sizes for street riding.
Competition street unicycling
The 13th Unicycle World Championships (Jul/Aug 2006) played host to the first ever "official" Street Freestyle Competition, while the first ever street competition was truly at the California Mountain Unicycle Weekend in 2004 (http://www.unicycling.com/muni/2004/). Xavier Collos (France) clinched the world title. Unicycling competitions incorporating street aspects are now more commonplace.
Mountain unicycling is an adventure sport that consists of traversing rough terrain on a unicycle. Mountain unicycling (muni) is undertaken on similar terrain to mountain biking. However, muni requires much more attention to the microfeatures of the short distance in front of the wheel. Unicycles' lack of a freewheel means that descents must be controlled all the way, and the typical lack of a gear system prevents the rider from reaching high speeds. Muni usually takes place on specially designed unicycles, which are equipped with strong hubs, large, knobbly tires, high-grip pedals and rugged frames. Some are also equipped with rim or disc brakes, having the lever mounted under the nose of the saddle. The brake primarily helps to compensate the downhill-slope force, while more expert riders also use it to decelerate or stop.
Unicycle trials is a form of unicycling which involves participants attempting to ride a unicycle over obstacles without any part of the rider touching the ground. The obstacles traversed can be set up specifically for the purpose of unicycle trials, but are often walls, railings, ledges and other "street furniture" found in an urban environment. The sport is derived from bike trials and motorcycle trials.
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