One-Wheel Wonder

It’s one of those things we all do while we’re driving, between texting, grooming or drinking a starbucks beverage, my attention was somewhere else besides my driving.

I was headed down Riverside Drive in Danville, VA, when something caught my eye. It was the front window of the Bicycle Medic bike shop. In the corner were a couple of unicycles.

Danville didn’t seem to me to be a haven for unicyclists so I turned around and headed back to the shop.

The guys at the shop told me how they go into carrying unicycles. Local rider Barry Davis had been in the store looking for parts to fix his unicycle and sparked their interest in them as well. They managed to scrounge around for parts to repair his ride and he was back riding on one wheel again.

Barry’s interest in unicycles started when he was about seven and thumbing through one of the Christmas catalogs that came to the house. Within the glossy pages, he spied what he wanted for Christmas; a unicycle.

Now, his parents being like most parents, were a little apprehensive about buying their young son a potentially dangerous apparatus that defied common sense and lacked the all important second wheel of normal bikes. Not to mention, there were no training wheels. 

But as most kids do, Barry hounded his parents until they gave in. After all, he already had a BB gun and hadn’t manage to shoot his eye out with it. How much more dangerous could a unicycle be?

That Christmas morning, Barry awoke to with anticipation to see what Santa had brought. Sure enough, under the tree was a brand new, shiny unicycle.

Within 15 minutes, he was on his way to mastering his new toy.

Ever since, Barry has been known to pull out his one-wheel wonder and hit the pavement. Usually it comes after a little coaxing from friends and a little desire to prove to himself that he still knows how to ride.