The Peru, Indiana Circus is steeped in decades of history, and has been kept alive thanks to the efforts of volunteers, organizers, and of course, new participants. Located 80 miles north of Indianapolis, Indiana, the small town of Peru comes to life every summer when over 200 young people, ranging in age from 7 to 21, descend on the streets and the circus arena to perform various circus routines and displays of athleticism. One of the most immediately recognizable of these is unicycling.
Despite Peru circus participants making unicycling look fairly easy it takes a great deal of practice, as well as the proper equipment to master the unicycle. That said, becoming accustomed to the unicycle is not out of reach for most people; however, you must practice consistently in order to be able to ride effectively. Here are some steps to learn how to ride a unicycle:
1: Buy a good quality unicycle with a properly-sized wheel.
It’s relatively easy to find unicycles that have been used or are simply of poor quality. However, one should avoid buying a unicycle with shoddy construction, as they will break quickly and could lead to injury for the rider. Instead, look for a unicycle with a 20”-24” wheel that appears to be in good shape. This way, one can avoid a situation where the unicycle breaks and accidents occur.
2: Set up the unicycle and make sure you have proper safety equipment
Being able to properly ride a unicycle is largely dependent on properly adjusting the seat height. You should be able to reach the bottom pedal of the unicycle with just a slight bend of the knee. If not, adjust the unicycle post as needed. Make sure you’re wearing safety equipment before attempting to unicycle. Ideally, this would include a helmet, knee pads, hand pads, and padded shorts, but at the very least, remember to wear a helmet and knee pads.
3: Mount the unicycle by aligning the pedal cranks vertically to the ground
Keep the unicycle upright while one pedal is as close to the ground as possible. While using your weaker leg, step up on the pedal closest to the ground and throw your leg over the seat, then sit on the unicycle. Having something to grab onto like a fence helps greatly during the first few attempts, but eventually, you should be able to mount the unicycle with little to no assistance.
4: Practice sitting on the unicycle, then try riding forwards and backwards
During the first few attempts at riding, you should concentrate on simply learning to sit on the unicycle without falling. Most of your weight should be on one’s pelvis, rather than the thighs or calves. You should mainly focus on getting a feel for the unicycle. When ready, try rotating the pedals back and forth. The eventual goal here is to get a full rotation of the pedals without falling, but this will take some practice to achieve.
5: Practice riding the unicycle for 15-20 minutes per day
As with most things in life, perhaps the most important part about learning to ride a unicycle is to not give up, and to practice consistently. Follow these steps, be diligent, and riding a unicycle will eventually come as naturally to you as riding a bike.
