Sports
Q&A & VIDEO: Ben Bassett Explains the Unicycle
Ben Bassett of Proteus Bicycles in College Park is an avid unicyclist.
Ben Bassett works at Proteus Bicycles in College Park. However, his passion for motorless vehicles extends beyond the two-wheeled world. A unicyclist of three years, he can sometimes be seen riding to work all the way from his home in Wheaton.
College Park Patch: Tell us about yourself.
Ben Bassett: I'm 25 and originally from Montgomery County. Now I've worked at Proteus Bicycles for over two years.
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Patch: When did you start unicycling?
Bassett: I started about three years ago. I was doing some work for my neighbors and I noticed an old unicycle sitting in their garage. So, I asked to have the unicycle as my payment. I actually didn't learn right away after that, but a couple months later I finally taught myself. It took a few weeks, but I looked online and found out the basics of unicycling and learned in an average amount of time.
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Patch: Are you now part of a unicycling community?
Bassett: The community here isn't really very big. There are online communities with members from all over the world, and I look at those sometimes, but I'm not really active. I knew a girl who was a pretty good unicyclist in College Park but she just moved to Europe.
Patch: What makes a community particularly good for unicycling?
Bassett: Flat roads and open spaces are good. College Park is actually pretty good for unicycling, but you wouldn't want to do it down Route 1 or anything. I guess for people who like to do tricks, the University of Maryland campus could be a really good place.
Patch: Do you have any long term goals for your unicycling future?
Bassett: I don't really want to do fancy things. I guess I just want to get better with my hops and learn to idle better.
Patch: Do you have any other special talents like juggling or eating fire?
Bassett: No I can't do that. There are unicyclists who juggle but it's kind of a misconception that all of us do that.
Patch: Do you have any advice for aspiring unicyclists?
Bassett: It's important to start by holding onto a fence or a wall. Once you get your balance you'll be able to ride away.
