Butler Wobble

Today is your last chance in 2012 to come and try unicycling at the Butler Y. We'll be there from 4:30-6:30 with extra unis. Rumor has it that some of our regulars will be showing us their new rides that they found under the tree!

Just a reminder, we're still meeting at the Y on Saturdays over the Holidays. We're on for both the 22nd and 29th. That should anyone who got unis for Christmas, time to show off their new unis. The video at the top was from last week's practice. If you have a wheel size in mind that you'd like to try, chances are we've got it. We can bring it if you let us know- we're not psycho- er, psychic.

Yesterday was the 48th Annual Spirit of Christmas Parade here in Butler. It was the first one that was moved to Saturday to coincide with Light Up Night. It was also the first night parade in Butler with unicycles! We had a fantastic turnout- so much so that we all didn't fit in the group picture Rob took! Thanks to the Wonders Unicycle Club for joining us and bringing our number of riders into the high teens. (We were over 20 participants including walkers!) Thanks to Jeff Rapp of Rapp's Bicycle Center for providing us with extra lights (as well as supporting us from the start). Jeff also rides a uni with us! A HUGE thanks to the Butler Media Group for organizing the parade and welcoming us. Also, a massive thanks to the Butler Y ! Without their support we wouldn't be trying to ride unicycles on Main Street during a parade in the dark. They have supported us from day 1. Their community support is amazing to say the least. Please stop by and check out uni...

Note: There will be NO indoor practice at the YMCA next Saturday. We'll be meeting at the same time nearby for the parade. Spirit of Christmas Parade details: We will meet in the Forcht parking lot (it's on the corner of E. Penn St. and Main St.) at 4:30 pm. The parade starts at 5:30. The theme is "Lights" so bring a blinky light (or more) so we can buzz around like a bunch of holiday lightning bugs. We'll also have some extras courtesy of Jeff Rapp. Dress for the weather- rain or shine or snow or whatever else PA throws at us in November! We need riders and walkers, so if you can't ride yet, but would like to be a post to help someone remount, or carry the banner, or hand out flyers for us and the Y, we can use you! Speaking of the Y, we should have T-shirts to borrow (XL mostly) to put over a hoodie so we can represent the Y. Without them, we wouldn't be where we're at today! We hope that they're Holiday green or red, but we do...

Just a quick reminder - there will be no Y meeting this Saturday, Nov. 10th. There's a basketball tournament at the Y, and they'll be using both gyms. But, we can't wait to see everyone the following week! It was great to see so many new faces and so many regulars last Saturday! This year's indoor sessions are going to be quite different than last year's sessions. See you in 2 weeks when we're looking forward to practicing some parade formations for the Butler Light Up Night Parade the Saturday after Thanksgiving. See you then.

It's that time of year again. Racing season's about over. The days are getting shorter. The day to day weather is getting colder and wetter. Time to head inside and unicycle! We start next Saturday (the 27th) with our weekly indoor Y sessions. Same time as usual: 4:30-6:30. We'll be there almost every week except November 10th. You don't have to be able to ride. You don't even need a uni- we have extras. You don't need to bring money- as it's free, but you will need to wear closed toe shoes and a helmet. You'll need to sign a standard release waiver if you're over 18 or have a Parent or Guardian sign if you're under. If you're under 12, you'll need to check with us for approval although it's generally not a problem. Why ride a unicycle? It's fun for all ages (our ages range into the 60s). Almost anyone can learn, but many people won't try. It's relatively safe (about as safe as walking down the stairs). ...

Hey all! We're welcomed at the Month of Mud Cyclocross Race this Sunday (they didn't say HOW many wheels you must have!) We'll ride with the first group at 10am. No preregistration, we can register on site and we pay by the wheel. If you're reading this, you should go. Cyclocross racing involves riding, running, and hopping off or on between the two. It's a hoot. The race will be about 1/2hr long and a 24" or larger wheel is recommended. Maybe a knobby tire too, but maybe not if we don't get much rain. We've already got approximately 9 riders- join us to make it the first off the road race in PA to break double digits! Also, don't forget- indoor riding season starts at the Y the 27th!

We know it's been a while since the last post. It was just such a good glimpse into why we do what we do, I thought we'd let it sit and soak in a bit. Things around here have been anything but dormant. In addition to MUni Mondays we've been riding a fair amount at Moraine on the off road trails. When I say we, it means: Isaac, Nate, Steve, Connor, Seth, and myself (Dave). We're pretty much finalized on the Advanced and Expert XC courses for NAUCC 2013 and have some ideas for the Uphill/Downhill for those two categories. We all agree that the courses are challenging, but very do able. After I finish this entry I'm headed out to the Harmony/Zelienople area to scout for the Beginner courses. The Month of Mud racing series starts tomorrow. Unis are welcome at all 4 races. We usually tweak our start times a bit (earlier) to stay out of the way of the bikes on the Moraine and Ohiopyle courses. For Moraine, we'll meet at the registration area and hit the...

I know this is a goofy post, but I wanted to express why I wanted to host NAUCC 2013, or rather why NAUCC has become so important to us. So, please bear with me and muddle through any sappy sentiments...most of this isn't new to any of you. A number of years ago, Dave decided that a unicycle was the one cycle he had yet to master. So he taught himself to ride. Then he heard about this crazy event, Ride the Lobster. He thought it sounded like fun. And it was, but first he had to do a qualifying ride, be accepted and form a team. So he did all that and we went to Nova Scotia for vacation that year. It was a great chance for us to meet a whole group of international unicyclist who were and remain just as unbalanced as we are (pun intended). After that adventure, I learned to ride. I was convinced during a conversation at Ride the Lobster, that I too, despite my vertigo issues, could learn to ride. The next summer (2009) we went to NAUCC for the first time, having never...

We're back from NAUCC 2012. Those were a couple of thing we saw. We're hosting NAUCC 2013. See you at MUni Monday. 7pm at Ritts Park. Max will be here next year to really show you how it's done:

First off: No MUni Monday this week due to NAUCC 2012 . Many of us are headed out early so we won't be meeting at Ritts Park. We may do next week. Shoot an email if you're interested as some of us will be getting back on Monday. The week after (the 23rd) things will be back to normal. Other updates: July 4th we the Monroeville Miracle Mile Parade with Pro Bikes. It was a great time. Adam, Kevin, Rick, Nate, Isaac, Steve, Lisa, and Dave were in attendance. The usual "You lost a wheel" jokes were given, but most of the people observing the parade really seemed to enjoy the unicycles. Once again, NAUCC 2012 is this week. We should be able to post some updates as the week progresses. If you have the opportunity to head out- even for a day trip- you should give it a go. Saline, MI is only 4 1/2 hours away. It's the closest the NAUCC conference has ever been to us. If you do make it out, you may have the opportunity to meet some of these cool peop...

Don't forget MUni Mondays! 7pm at Ritts Park. This week we have some NAUCC stuff to discuss as well as carpooling for... The July 4th Parade in Monroeville. Lineup is at 8am in front of ProBikes Monroeville. Please join us as they REALLY help us out!

First, a video (It's a bit long so if you don't need the information, skip it): Next: MUni Mondays @ Ritts. 7pm. Let us know a day or two in advance if you need us to bring something extra. Finally: If you didn't get the email for some reason, but check here, we have a business meeting Tuesday (the 12th) at Panera. Topics include NAUCC 2012- and beyond. We need to sort details for the trip and discuss future plans- they're pretty big. Be there.

It was a good unofficial 3-day weekend for unicycling in the region. Saturday was a lot of back roads scouting. You need to attend NAUCC 2012 to get a feel for how AWESOME a week long unicycling convention is. Just sayin'. Sunday we shot the video above on the Moraine bike trail ride. Well, it's not just for bikes but for unicyclists, walkers, and roller bladers too. And geese, and chipmunks, and groundhogs, and skunks, and deer. We saw them all. An nearly collided with some of them. MUni Monday went down without a hitch. A few falls, but not a hitch. We also got to meet Eric in person. It turns out he and Dave had met a few years ago when Eric was cruising downtown on a uni and Dave was riding a tallbike. Eric doesn't live in Butler anymore, but often comes to visit. It will be good to have him ride with us. And play hockey. Join us.

This weekend is Memorial Day. Give thanks. There will be no Muni Monday due to the holiday. We'll resume next week. There's still some video to be entered from the last two wildly successful uni weekends, but here's some of what we got at Dirt Rag's Dirt Fest: Don't forget to register for NAUCC 2012 ! See you at the first Muni Monday in June!

Last weekend's escapades were awesome to say the least. We've definitely got some big plans for the future. A MAJOR thanks to Connie for making the trip, riding with us, and teaching the first Beyond the Basics Uni Workshop. One of my favorite moments is captured above. This weekend is equally as uni crazy with several of us doing demos at Dirt Fest. Hopefully we'll get some edits and pics up soon. Muni Mondays at Ritts Park. Don't forget!

Friday: Butler Bicycles and Unicycles weekly Friday Night Ride. Meet in the parking lot across from Pizza Joe's. 6 pm start. We eat after. Saturday: Beyond the Basics Workshop at the Y with Connie Cotter. As of yesterday we have 30 registered. There is a limit of 40. $20 advance. If there is space we can have day of registration. $30 day of. Once we hit 40 riders registration is closed. See below for more details. Sunday: Ride in the morning. We will base it on what people at the workshop want to ride.

We have a slight change of plans. We will NOT be meeting at the Y. There is an all day basketball tournament. Unfortunately, it's not a uni basketball tournament. That won't stop us from meeting, however. We will be meeting at Butler Memorial Park at 4:30. We'll meet by the tennis courts. Bring your own uni and helmet. This is not affiliated with the Y. Next weekend is still on. Friday night downtown ride at 6. Saturday is the workshop. Sunday we will ride- we'll discuss options tomorrow.

The Butler Y has been incredibly supportive since the Butler Wobble started in 2009. It's safe to say we wouldn't have been able to get so many people so excited about unicycling in such a short time if it weren't for their wholehearted support. Thanks to their help we've been able to get dozens of people riding. They've given us the space to practice. They've allowed us to offer unicycling lessons to the community for FREE. They see the bigger picture. Unicycling is all about fun. It's an incredible workout. It's for a much bigger demographic than clowns and children. Actually, our demographic has surprised all of us. Most of our riders didn't ride before 2009. A lot of our ridership didn't start until well after they were of voting age. Every now and then we get a chance to say "Thanks!" The picture at the top of this post is from our annual appearance at Healthy Kids Day. Rick and Adam are caught helping a couple of ...

Tomorrow, April 27, several of us (Adam, Rick, and Dave) will be at the Y for Healthy Kids Day from 3:30-6. We'll be the only sticker stop with unicycles. Next weekend, May 5, is our last official indoor ride day- UNLESS you are registered for the workshop on the 12th. Don't forget we're going out to eat afterwards too. Friday, May 11th, we'll be joining the Butler Bicycles and Unicycles group for the weekly downtown ride and dinner afterwards. Meet at the lower city parking lot- the one across from Pizza Joe's at 6. This will be your first chance to meet our guest for the weekend, Connie Cotter. You REALLY don't want to miss the Beyond the Basics Uni Workshop on the 12th, although judging from registrations some people will be putting their absence in the regret pile. Reminder: You must pre-register for the workshop. If you show up on the 12th and are not registered, you will NOT be allowed to ride. The ride on the 13th is still a bit up in the air...

If you've attended unicycling at the Butler Y over the past 3 years, please keep reading. If you've learned to unicycle at the Butler Y, now is the time. If you're just surfing and found this site for the first time, join us. We have a workshop scheduled for May 12, 2012 with Connie Cotter. We've put some info 2 posts below this one on what's going on that day. To clarify: all day May 12th is for anyone who can ride. We picked titles for the 3 workshop time slots, but they're only guidelines. We're looking to make the day worth it for everyone in attendance. You won't want to miss this day. If you have other things going on that day, sign up anyways. You're welcome to show up for whatever workshops fit your schedule. WE NEED YOU HERE. We have 13 people signed up for the event. We can accommodate 40. We have over 40 on our current roster, and if we include last year's roster, we have over 60 people on it. Since we started i...

Don't worry: unicycles have only one. Please make it to the Y this Saturday the 14th. We've got some big news.

BEYOND THE BASICS UNI WORKSHOP May 12th at the Butler Y. So you can ride a uni? What now? Learn new mounts and skills, uni maintenance, and games that can be played on a uni. Presenter: Connie Cotter — Instructor Highlights include Level 10 (highest level possible) rider; past President of the Unicycling Society of America and the Twin Cities Unicycling Club; Chaired the International Unicycling Federation Rule Book Committee and was one of the organizers of Ride The Lobster-the 2008 800km unicycle stage race. She's traveled the world riding, promoting, and teaching unicycling for the past 30 years. Fee: $20/rider or $50/family of 3 or more riders. Register online through the Butler YMCA beginning March 12, 2012. Pre registration only. Space is limited to 40 riders. (It is also recommended that you be a current USA member, as we will be doing skill testing and learning USA approved skills. USA membership is also required for Nationals. If you will be joining us in July @ Nationals,...

If you're a Y regular who rides with us: You need to register ASAP. We do have a limited number of spots available and the Workshop will be advertised in another week and a half or so. Here's the issue: Registration is online only. If you are in the Y's system (i.e. on our normal Saturday riding roster), you probably will experience difficulties. You need an email address with your name in the Y's computer. Allison Whelan is the person at the Y who will help you with your account so you can register. Her contact info is on the left hand side of the general registration page here . She's there 9-5 Monday-Friday. Noting "Uni Workshop" will help her help you faster. This link will take you to registration: Uni Workshop . If you want in, please don't wait. Registration will be opened up to the general uni public before the end of March. You don't want to miss this opportunity.

Still on indoors at the Y today!

Don't forget about hanging out someplace local after this week's Y session. We have to talk about the May 11-13th weekend- big news for the Wobble!

Bring your own unicycle to practice at the Y and... Win a free funky valve cover! One per uni-that's all you need.

There's alot going on these days, and I don't really know where to start. If you want to learn to ride, or already know how, the Y in Butler is the place to be on Saturdays from 4:30-6:30pm. We work on new skills, play games and hold races. On the first Saturday of every month, the group will be heading out to eat after meeting at the Y. So bring a few extra bucks for your dinner, a change of clothes if you want, and an appetite. This is just a good time to socialize outside of gym time. In January we ventured down the street to Natili's Pizza Shop and had a good time talking about up coming events. In May we will be hosting a Uni "Beyond Beginners" Workshop. We'll have more information later, right now the schedule may include fun rides on Friday night and Sunday afternoon and workshops on Saturday. The workshops will be held at the Butler Y. The fun ride locations are yet to be determined. There will be a registration fee, and we are asking tha...

We're back on for Saturdays starting this weekend, January 7, from 4:30-6:30pm. There's a lot to be excited about in 2012. Hopefully you'll make unicycling a part of the New Year's resolutions that stick. This uni plans to see a lot of use this year: (guess who it belongs to)