This 10 foot tall unicycle I am holding was built by Brett Shockley, a young University of Minnesota engineering student who set a world record in 1977 when he rode a 53 foot 9 1/2 inch unicycle which he had built the previous week for the world record attempt. My uncle Don and his son Tony saw him performing on a 16 foot tall unicycle at the ValleyFair amusement park near Minneapolis. After the show they spoke with Brett and learned he built custom unicycles so they commissioned Brett to build two 10 foot unicycles.
Tony and I (and Jack) had been riding in local 4th of July parades with a 6 foot unicycle and a 9 foot that I had made by extending a 6 foot. The 9 foot used a design allowing too much flex in the round pipe used for the frame resulting in a spongy and somewhat unsafe ride, especially on rough terrain experienced during parades (think railroad tracks, cracked streets, and children running around you picking up candy being thrown from parade floats). We wanted to purchase taller unicycles but there are no mass-produced unicycles taller than 6 feet. Having Brett build them was a perfect solution. The one I am holding in the picture is one of those unicycles after I rebuilt it in 2014. The original was built with a chain on only one side resulting in a slight bending of the frame when you cranked hard on the peddles to stop or idle (rock back and forth in a stationary position). It had sat unused in a barn for a couple of decades so the frame was pretty rusty and the other hardware was all ruined. It now has a powder coated frame and all new hardware with a dual sprocket and chain design which removes any flex in the frame while riding. The pedals use longer arms which produces more power and the tire is wider. It is a fantastic smooth ride. Notice the sprocket mid-way down each chain. These are free floating sprockets (not attached to the frame). They remove stretch the chain would otherwise experience when tension is applied. It produces a more solid feel while riding.
I had restored the 10 foot and another 6 foot with the idea of my brother-in-law Jack and I to ride in another 4th of July parade in Minnesota. We ended up not riding in the parade because we did not feel comfortable in the open conditions of a parade after not riding for 30+ years and with little time to practice ride. Also our geezer bones may not like coming down from that height if we had to dismount by falling (which we did all the time with younger bones). We did not want to test that theory.
Fun fact: taller unicycles are easier to ride and much smoother to operate than a standard unicycle. The best way to explain the effect is to consider balancing something on your finger. Which is easier, balancing a pencil vertically on your finger or balancing a broom handle? The greater length slows down the movement needed to maintain the point of balance. Taller unicycles are easier to ride and super fun, however, you end up not riding them very often because you need a more controlled space and a place to mount the unit.
Here is a photo of Brett riding his world record setting unicycle ( which is very short compared to more recent records ) along with an article describing the event. He was tethered to a crane for safety. When riding a unicycle you need to lean the frame forward the proper angle relative to the wheel before it can start moving. At 53 feet he had to fall forward 5 seconds before he could start pedaling. That sounds terrifying.
