Returning the Favor

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 first timers. It's not hard to catch those two assisting others. It's just part of who they are. They're a great example of the people who make up our roster.

Adam has been with us since the start. I remember the day at the Ritts Park tennis courts when he left the fence and started riding unassisted. That was the Summer/Fall of 2008.

Rick joined us in the Winter of 2010-2011 (I think). He wanted to learn to unicycle to improve his balance and core strength. He said at 57 he knew he needed to work on those areas and he didn't want to hit the weight room. He turned to unicycling. He's been one of our biggest advocates- not only because he's really taken to 36er riding, but because he keeps recruiting new riders.

These are a just couple of people in our neighborhood.

We've got one more open session indoors- next Saturday, May 5th. We're going out to eat afterwards. Join us.

Just because we're done for the indoor season doesn't mean we're going to be done riding for the season. We're looking to have weekly uni meet ups around the area. These will still be free, but we won't be focusing on teaching people how to ride. We won't have loaner unicycles available all the time like we do at the Y. It's time for those who can ride to have some outdoor fun. That, and we REALLY want to play some uni hockey.

But the most important date at this point is May 12th. It's another opportunity we have to thank the Y. The Beyond the Basics Uni Workshop with Connie Cotter will be well worth your time. Register now- either online (see a post or two below) or by picking up a form and registering at the Y. The phone number there is (724)-287-4733. If you call during normal M-F business hours ask for Allison. She can help you register.

All the registration money goes to the Y to support them and the good work they do in the community.

Like giving people the chance to try unicycling for free.

The Next Few Weeks

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. It's not because we haven't thought of what to do, it's because it's Mother's Day and we don't have an idea how many will show up or want to ride. We can do a Rail-Trail Ride, Muni, Trials, Hockey, or Polo. We got it all covered at the Butler Wobble. We're looking for input over the next couple of weeks.

The Summer break from the weekly indoor meetings does NOT mean we plan to stop riding. We need to keep the momentum going. NAUCC is in July and we need to pack the cars and make the trip to Saline, MI. We need people to step up and start regular uni rides between now and then.

If you've enjoyed the ride, keep it going.

May 12 at the Y- You NEED to attend

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 in the Winter of 2009, I'd conservatively estimate our combined rosters to include 80 different people.

Most of which wouldn't have tried unicycling if it weren't for the Butler Y.

If you're one of these 80 people ask yourself, "Would I have tried if it weren't for the opportunity at the Y?"

Since our inception, we realized that unicycling was a lot more than juggling and clowns (no offense to either of those arts). We realized that unicycling is a great sport for many people of many ages. It's a quest for balance. It's a great core workout. It's a learned skill that many people CAN do, but few will take the time to learn. Most likely if you're still reading this- You're one of the ones that has taken the time to learn. Congratulations if you're one of the people who has learned due to our efforts at the Y. We hope you continue to enjoy unicycling for a long time.

Since our founding in 2009, we have done everything possible to keep the cost of learning to a minimum. Free has been the mantra. Free time at the Y. Free loaners. We've done our best to eliminate excuses so that anyone who will take the time to learn has the opportunity to do so.

Free isn't free to everyone involved. Some have invested significant time and money to keep it free to you. Invested is the key word. The Y has donated the space. To the best of our knowledge, there is only one other unicycling program in the US that functions in conjunction with the YMCA. They're in South Dakota- not exactly a hop, skip, or a jump away. If you don't have any other motivation for spending the $20 and registering for the workshop, do it as a "Thank You" to the Y. Then show up for as much of the day as you can. Connie is an excellent teacher and an excellent unicyclist. If Paul Simon offered to stop by and help you to write and produce a few songs for you, would you say, "No thanks."? If Rachel Ray offered to help you throw together a few recipes, would you say, "I'm busy that day."? If Lady Gaga offered to hang out with you and give you some fashion advice- well that's probably a bad analogy...

The investment goes beyond the Y donating the space. A few individuals in the Butler Wobble have invested large amounts of time and significant amounts of money to allow you to try unicycling for free. Even if you didn't borrow a loaner to start, did you get to try a different wheel size? Where else can you do that?

If this is the spot where you think we're going to ask you for money, think again. We don't want your money. We want a deeper commitment to expanding the unicycling community in the area. Why do you ride? Most likely because it's fun. Now that you've found that out, don't keep it a secret. We need to spread the word. We need to expand beyond Saturday afternoons at the Y.

Last year, we participated in a couple of parades, and even a car cruise. We need to do these things more. We need to have weekly rides. Unicycle hockey is an internationally recognized sport. We need people to get together and share the unicycling fun on a regular basis. Those who manage unicycling at the Y are tapped. We have given up Saturdays from November through May to recruit new riders. Once again, "given up" isn't the right term. Invested is. We need to expand. There are some amazing opportunities on the horizon. We need to rise to the occasion.

Here's an example of what we've been doing so far:

In 2010 we co-hosted the Butler County Stage Race. It was the first multi-day unicycling stage race since Ride The Lobster (we're not including NAUCCs which have several events, but aren't just a stage race). It may have been the first unicycle friendly stage race coordinated in conjunction with our fellow 2 wheeled brethren. It included a 6.5 mile closed course Time Trial, a 36er criterium (and a criterium for all wheel sizes too), and a multi-lap 17-25.5 mile tough road course with some very difficult climbing. Since 2008, we have been welcomed in the Month of Mud mountainbike series. In 2010, the Fat Tire Challenge added an official unicycling class. While these events may appear a bit more extreme than what most of you will want to join, the fact is, they're here.

Unicycling is a developing sport. There is always something new to learn. By spending time with us at the Y we hope you've started to figure this out. Attending the Beyond the Basics Uni Workshop is a great way to broaden your horizons.

We need full enrollment for the May 12 Beyond the Basics Uni Workshop.

Why?

1. For your benefit. 2. To give back to the Y for their generosity. 3. To show we are moving beyond being individual unicyclists to being a wobble- a large collection of unicyclists.

$20 and a day of your time is a really cheap way to explore the unicycling world. It's about the price of 2 movie tickets. But at the workshop you'll learn a lot more, and you'll help insure the future of unicycling in the Butler area.

Triskadekaphobic?

Don't worry: unicycles have only one.

Please make it to the Y this Saturday the 14th. We've got some big news.