Submitted without comment

Ryan Cousineau

This photo:

<http://cache.boston.com/universal/s...picture/oly_06_
06/oly17.jpg>

Snagged from the Boston Globe's superlative "Big Picture" photoblog:

<http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/06/olympic_preparations.html>

--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

carlfogel@comcast.net

On Jun 7, 11:41*pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This photo:
>
> <http://cache.boston.com/universal/s...picture/oly_06_
> 06/oly17.jpg>
>
> Snagged from the Boston Globe's superlative "Big Picture" photoblog:
>
> <http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/06/olympic_preparations.html>
>
> --
> Ryan Cousineau rcous...@gmail.comhttp://www.wiredcola.com/
> "In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
> "In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

Dear Ryan,

An email alerted me to your post about the resurgence of 1873
technology.

Monocycles are a well-established design, with some interesting
details illustrated here:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/handcraf...rvel-289603.php

or http://tinyurl.com/2mb847

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Ryan Cousineau

In article
<257909cb-83ee-4a76-a5f7-027261a41252@f24g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
carlfogel@comcast.net wrote:

> On Jun 7, 11:41*pm, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > This photo:
> >
> > <http://cache.boston.com/universal/s...picture/oly_06_
> > 06/oly17.jpg>
> >
> > Snagged from the Boston Globe's superlative "Big Picture" photoblog:
> >
> > <http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/06/olympic_preparations.html>
> >
> > --
> > Ryan Cousineau rcous...@gmail.comhttp://www.wiredcola.com/
> > "In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
> > "In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."
>
> Dear Ryan,
>
> An email alerted me to your post about the resurgence of 1873
> technology.
>
> Monocycles are a well-established design, with some interesting
> details illustrated here:
>
> <http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/handcraf...eplica-is-a-mec
hanical-and-engineering-marvel-289603.php>>

> or http://tinyurl.com/2mb847

That is a beautifully turned-out mechanism. Complexity aside, the
monocycle looks like it has a lot of advantages over an ordinary, and if
1873 is accurate, it's ordinaries that this bike would be competing
against.

Alas, I'm sure the monowheel was doomed by its cost and fussiness.

The modern Chinese replicas appear to have simplified somewhat, probably
making for a more, um, practical machine.

I also note on second look that the outer wheel of the Chinese version
consists of bolted-together segments, which might make for easier
transporting and easier manufacturing. They also appear to have
something like aluminum foil wrapped around a few spokes on each wheel,
and my first thought was fireworks display.

--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."