It's my greatest hobby of all. Off-road unicycling is a sport which is still rarely practiced in Belgium. It would be great to have more people get into this. Unfortunately, the rather steep learning curve at the beginning often discourages people. On the other hand, this is what made unicycling the unique sport it is now.
It was a real challenge when I got my first uni in the summer of 2006 (12th of august). After two weeks and a lot of practise, I managed to ride on this circus-type unicycle. Of course, taking turns was still not easy.
After several months, when my skills evolved, I bought a 24 inch Kris Holm unicycle. This was a big upgrade, because it was suitable for off-road riding. Most unicycles still lack gears and therefore our speed is limited by the wheel size. So, the upgrade from 20" to 24" was welcome, but still not fast enough.
Obviously, I needed something larger again. Our roades are much too flat and 24" would also become boring on this terrain. So, I bought the 29" Kris Holm unicycle. This unicycle has now magura brakes installed, which is required for long distance downhill riding -- breaking by stopping the rotation on your legs does not do anything good to your knees.
It's very similar to mountain biking, only we are missing a wheel.
The sport is really challenging, and the more unpredictable the
terrain, the better. It's a very good balancing practise too,
especially riding very slow over some rough surface or doing steep up-hill.
Off-road riding does require a good physical condition as well, it's
really intensive.
So, why should should you learn it?
Why not? It's a lot of fun. You will gain a very good balance. And don't forget the impression you'll make while passing by other people.
Your reflexes will become better, and it will also result in a good hand-eye coordination when combined with juggling.
Movies
2007-09-17 - A short muni ride in the woods near my home. Technically less difficult, but really relaxed riding. This is the kind of uni riding what I like the most. (Youtube version available)