As spring brings warm weather back to Indiana, students across campus begin to once again bring out their bicycles. One student, though, prefers one wheel instead of two.
On any given day, Matthew Deinlein, a freshman special needs education major, can be seen riding his unicycle to and from classes.
Deinlein's interest in the unicycle began in high school when his gym teacher, Juli Speer, brought hers into class one day for the students to try. She later gave him his own unicycle as a graduation present.
He was determined to learn how to ride it before starting college, so he spent all summer learning with his friends Becca Schafer and Andrew Seever, both Ball State freshmen.
"It was really fun, but frustrating at the same time," Schafer said. "It takes a while just to actually pedal forward. Once you get it though, it's completely different from anything else and really rewarding."
Schafer said she felt a sense of accomplishment when she was finally able to balance on the unicycle.
It took them about two weeks of practice to finally be able to ride more than 10 feet, Deinlein said. A lot of scrapes, falling off and running over feet were involved as they got started.
"We would take turns going back and forth," he said. "It was really not determined on whose turn it was but who had less injuries."
Deinlein said he is willing to teach anyone who wants to learn. He said he has already taught several of his other friends. He also taught Schafer's younger brother how to ride and they both say he is even better at it than Deinlein is.
"It's very unique," Deinlein said. "Nobody really does it. There are a couple on campus, but overall, when was the last time you heard of someone unicycling? It's just something that nobody does."
Deinlein has also incorporated his major into his riding. He taught his friend Joe Gainer, a senior psychology major, how to ride the unicycle. With the help of several other friends, Deinlein was able to get Gainer, who uses a wheelchair, balanced and moving on the unicycle. Gainer joked about the experiences and said he just needs more practice at it.
While unicycling is his hobby, Deinlein said it is also a convenience. When he is running late for class, it is easier to grab a unicycle instead of struggling with locking up a bike. He said he can walk right into class with it.
Some people may give Deinlein strange looks when they see him with his backpack on as he unicycles to class, but he said his friends come to expect these kinds of things from him.
"In the years I've known Matt, he's never done anything the way other people do," Schafer said. "So I guess it's a part of who he is."
Aside from the standard unicycle, there are also many other different types, some of which Deinlein has ridden. He has ridden a mountain unicycle, which allows the rider to travel on rougher terrain, as well as a giraffe unicycle, which are usually around five feet tall.
There are many other kinds as well, such as the cruiser, which is built like the standard one but has a slightly bigger wheel so the rider can travel faster, and the geared unicycle, which is built for long distance.
When Deinlein began learning how to ride the unicycle, he did not have anyone with experience to guide him. He and Schafer relied on teaching themselves.
Deinlein did turn to YouTube to see what other unicyclists were up to, including for information about the 42nd Annual Hilly Hundred Weekend, a bicycling event sponsored by the Central Indiana Bicycling Association in October designed for touring cyclists.
"If you hop on YouTube, you can see the most remarkable things about unicycles," he said. "They go down hills or there are people that do the Hilly Hundred on unicycles. Just the ridiculous things that people come up with to do with one wheel is amazing."
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