21st Century Monocycle by Ben Wilson
by Mike Chino, 06/30/08
Are traditional bikes a bit too pedestrian for you? Ben Wilson recently unveiled a sleek monocycle at this year’s XXIst Century Man Exhibition in Tokyo. Wilson’s pedal-powered prototype one-ups those tendentious “bi-cycles” with a single center-seated wheel. The elegant nimbus may not provide for the smoothest ride, but it more than makes up for it via its pure awesome appeal.
Wilson has worked in transportation design ever since he studied at the Royal College of Art. His projects frequently explore innovative applications for pedal powered transport: “Ever since cycling for the first time without stabilizers I have been fascinated by human propulsion. Over the years the myth of the monowheel has become an equal fascination.”
His search for the elusive monocycle eventually brought him to create his own: “Since the 1860s many patents have been filed in the monowheel’s name and today there are even rumors of a production monowheel in China, but as it stands there is nothing currently available. As we couldn’t buy a monowheel we made one.” Wilson doesn’t intend his one wheeled cycle as an improvement upon the bicycle; he states that “its value comes from the discourse and ideas generated as a result of this research.” We still want one.
+ Ben Wilson Design
+ XXIst Century Man Exhibition
Tip via Seireeni
I really like this monocycle for it’s simplicity. See also the Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue for a 4-stroke gas powered one.