Do you find yourself getting bored riding your electric unicycle on the same route over and over again? Not all of us have huge playgrounds for riding our electric unicycles. For those that live in a city or out in the country, there’s a lot of cool places to visit and things to do with your EUC. But for those of us between, a quiet ride through our neighborhood, e.g., side streets, bike trails, has become routine. We crave adventure.
In this article I share 5 ideas for how you can add some energy and discovery into your routine ride on an EUC.
Here are 5 ways to make a boring EUC route more enjoyable and fun to ride:
- Find a group ride
- Stop for a meal
- Listen to a podcast, movie, or book
- Ride slower
- Change your EUC riding style
1. Find a group ride
One of the most effective ways to get out of your rut of boredom is to find a group ride either locally or on an app like Meetup. If you’re near a city, you may find it a lot easier to find a group than out in the country.
I know Onewheel (OW) electric boards are very popular in many places. Perhaps there’s a group of Onewheel riders you can join on group rides with your electric unicycle (EUC). I know they aren’t the same PEV, but the OW community I’ve met has been friendly and welcoming!
If you don’t know anyone in your area, keep searching on social media or start a group yourself and invite people to join you. This means that you may even have to invite regular bicyclists (or join their rides instead).
The idea here is to socialize while you’re on your EUC. That added energy from other people riding along with you will make your EUC rides a lot more fun! The best thing about group rides is that they’re free! And you get that added bonus of making new friends who share your interests–even if that just means being outside moving!
2. Stop for a meal
The other way I found to keep my EUC rides interesting was to stop for a meal. Part of the idea is innovation and discovery, but also there’s just something about sitting down at a restaurant. It’s relaxing. Plus, it can be fun to meet other PEV riders if you bump into them.
I was at one point in the middle of nowhere riding on my electric unicycle when I decided to stop for lunch at an outside food trailer. The counter person was friendly and I soon struck up a conversation with the couple next to me. They had been on an e-bike for a long time, and they were from out of town, too! It was fun getting their insight about how their electric bike changed the way they see their town.
Start your own restaurant ride. Look for places that are local, preferably on bike trails or near bike trails. You can do this on Onewheels or EUCs. I actually prefer doing this on an EUC because of the range it offers me, but some may find it easier to stop at various restaurants throughout the day if they have a shorter range.
3. Listen to a podcast, movie, or book
Another idea I found helpful was listening to something while riding my electric unicycle. It helps the time go by faster! And it can be entertaining if you choose well-written or interesting content. While driving your car probably isn’t allowed (at least many places don’t allow drivers to watch videos), riding an electric unicycle can be done legally while listening or watching something.
Podcasts are helpful because they’re typically short (though you may go back and re-listen to a favorite podcast like I do). Audiobooks work well, too. Movies would probably have to happen at home for most people. But, some movies are fun listens if you’ve already seen them. For example, I enjoy listening to any of the Star Wars movies because of the music (John Williams is amazing!), and the dialogue is pretty simple to digest. It doesn’t take up too much bandwidth.
The key to listening is keeping it interesting. Don’t choose something dull, even if you think you’ll like it. For example, I started listening a book that was supposed to be really great and enjoyed by many people (who also enjoy “meh” books). But after the first 3 chapters, the story wasn’t holding my attention. So I switched to something else.
Of course, make sure you’re aware of your surroundings. If you can grab a set of wireless bone conducting headphones (which I highly recommend), you can hear your tunes and beeps, while keeping outside information coming through.
4. Ride slower
Another thing you can do is slow down. Riding your electric unicycle (EUC) at speeds greater than 20 mph could easily make you bored or let’s face it, even scared sometimes because of the increasing risk of an accident/injury. And though it may feel safer to go fast on an EUC, it’s not.
But if you slow your speed down, you’ll have more time to view the scenery around you or notice things on the ground that are worth examining. You may even see some critters! And it also gives you a chance to check out any other people’s rideables, e.g., normal bikes or even other PEVs, you may encounter.
Perhaps you’ll discover an interesting shop that you could visit for shopping or a place to grab a snack (see idea #2 above). Slowing your speed will add to the enjoyment of your ride by allowing opportunity for discovery.
5. Change your EUC riding style
Another fun idea for riding with your electric unicycle is to change up the style of your ride. There are so many ways to ride an EUC that it’s easy to get into a routine and just go on autopilot. Try changing up your routine by adding some turns, returning to previous routes, trying out new routes.
You might find that you enjoy parts of routes you did before but didn’t appreciate. Or maybe doing this will uncover new hidden treasures in your area, or new places you never knew about! You’ll also get more exercise, which is always good.
Of course, you can learn to carve and ride backwards (or other stunts) during your routine ride to change up your EUC experience. Who says you need to ride zombie-like in a straight line from point A to B? Make the in-between parts of your EUC ride different.
A side effect of changing your style of riding is a strengthening of your muscles throughout your body. For example, carving deeply with your entire body will strengthen your core muscles in your trunk. This makes you a stronger EUC rider overall!
Gamifying your EUC rides can also increase the adventure level of any routine. Learn to set benchmarks for yourself on your EUC. Find some skill or way of riding that challenges the way you play around on your PEV. Ride goofy, with one foot in front of the other, e.g., stagger.
Use power pads and see if you can jump small obstacles like small branches or cracks in the sidewalk–I know this may not be possible on larger wheels. But, the idea is the same. On a larger wheel, work on riding on one leg!
Final Word
In this article, we’ve shared 5 ideas for how you can add some energy and discovery into your routine ride on an EUC. If you’re finding yourself bored of riding your electric unicycle on the same routes there are many ways to add more enthusiasm into your rides.
Though I haven’t mentioned it above; another way to avoid burnout on your EUC is to take breaks. Go for a week, a month, without riding and see how you feel when you start up again. You may find that all you need is a bit of rest in mind and body.
In any case, I hope you found this article helpful and fun. All of us here at Everything Electric Unicycle wish you a good time riding your electric unicycles! If you enjoyed this article, please take a moment to leave a comment below.