Butler Wobble

It's that time of the year again - time to move back inside to ride!  That means we'll be starting at the YMCA in Butler this weekend!  (Saturday, November 19th).  We'll be there every week on Saturdays from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. You don't need to be a member of the YMCA to participate, but you will have to fill in a simple form for them.  Bring a helmet and unicycle if you have them.  And if you don't have them, not a problem - we do! These Saturday sessions are great for learning, practicing new tricks, playing uni basketball with others and socializing with other riders. And if you can't make it to the Y, we can be found at the Wheel Mill (Pittsburgh's Indoor Mountain Bike Park) on Friday nights too.  Don't let the idea of riding in a Mt. Bike park hold you back - there are plenty of beginner friendly areas.

(Photo credit: Mike Briggs) Or PRRYFOMW if you prefer. Mark your calendars for June 26-28, 2015 for the first edition of the event with far more letters than wheels per rider. Plans include: riding, riding, riding, maybe some disc golf (to give the legs a break), and eating. Tentative schedule: Friday June 26th:  Wheel Mill  time.  It's Family and Uni night.  If you bring $25, you'll be in for unlimited riding, some pizza eating, and have a couple bucks left over for a Red Bull or Gatorade.  6pm sounds like a good start time at this point, but we may be there before. Saturday, June 27th: A day at Lake Arthur.  Muni ride meeting about 10:30am at the MOC (Moraine Outdoor Center Parking Lot).  It's at the far end of the North Shore of Moraine State Park- Portersville, PA.  We'll venture into the trails for a few hours and session some of the fun stuff we didn't have time for at NAUCC 2013 .  Bring at least a 2L hydration pack and ...

Saturday, April 11th will be our last YMCA session of the 2014-2015 season. It's been a great indoor season at the Y!  We've seen a number of you go from timid riders or learners to shooting hoops, playing games, and learning new more advanced skills.  We've had a number of newbies pick it up, or at least give it a try - and all ages too!  But the Winter weather seems to be a thing of the past - which means it's time for us to go outside and ride.  And after being cooped up all Winter, we know that you want to be outside more too. We don't disappear in the warmer months - quite the opposite.  Many of us live to ride in the great outdoors.  Racing season has started. Many of the local series and single mountain bike races offer a uni class.  We are also looking forward to Dirt Fest in May, the upcoming Muni Weekend with the Butler Wobble in June (June 26 - 28) as well as NAUCC (North American Unicycling Convention and Championships) in Madison WI in...

First, a video of some tricks from our Canadian friends Ed, Emile, and Hugo.  They're not only great riders, but great guys as well.  You may have seem them in our region before.  They were here for NAUCC 2013 when we hosted it in the Harmony/Zelienople/Portersville area. Next, a quick documentary: Hopefully these inspire you to get off the couch and get on the wheel (yes, we do some tricks and play basketball).  As always, we meet at the Butler YMCA on Saturdays from 4:30-6:30pm until late April.  Friday nights (around 7 or so) we ride at  The Wheel Mill  in Pittsburgh.  Occasionally we even break out the hockey sticks there for some crazy uni hockey. If you don't have a unicycle, we have you covered at both venues.  The YMCA keeps all riding free, and The Wheel Mill offers discounted admission for unicyclists on Friday nights. Winter is still here for at least a bit.  Might as well pick up a new skill or two.

Some people have asked us "What's up?"  This: We're still at The Wheel Mill Friday nights.  If you haven't joined us, you're the one missing out.  The sessions have been awesome, and we've almost got ordering pizza figured out.  You may laugh at that last sentence, but we've had nights where we have to figure out how much to order for more than a dozen people. Last week some of The Wonders, the closest unicycle club to us, joined us for some fun. Chris at THICK Bikes still offers to bring demo unis to supplement what we bring. Since THICK is a Unicycle.com dealer and they make sure they have a good selection, so it's pretty easy to try out anything up to an Oregon.  If you want to try something in particular, call them before they close at 6pm on Friday. We're still at the Butler YMCA every Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30pm.  It's completely free, but if you feel inclined to donate to the Y, do so.  They've always been incredibly supportive ...

Last night was Jesse's first time aboard a 36.  Finding one to fit him at this stage of his life is a bit of a challenge.  Thanks to  Unicycle.com  and Chris at  Thick Bikes , the planets aligned and a Nightfox was available for demo.  The world won't ever be the same. As you can see, the week before was chocked full of good times too. You can join the fun.  We are at The Wheel Mill most every Friday night.  There's a discount for uni riders. We've got free loaner unis available (Trials and 24" muni) all the time. Last night we got to meet a new rider who has been riding for less than a week.  Ashley's already riding around the nice big open Beginner Room upstairs and working on her freemounting. We're at the YMCA in Butler on Saturdays from 4:30-6:30pm as well.  It's FREE to learn there too. Can't ride yet?  It's time to learn.  Why?  IT'S FUN!

Photo by Mike Briggs - He RULES!!! Once again, it's time for the Month of Mud .  Not only is this series 25+ years old, it's been home for regional off-road unicycle racing since 2008.  Since then we've been welcomed.  This year things are a bit different.  We've got an official uni class. This is huge. First off, mark your calendars and plan to attend: 9/21 - Moraine State Park Cross Country 10/5 - Brady's Run Cross Country 10/12 - North Park Cyclocross 10/19 - North Park Cross Country 10/26 - Ohiopyle State Park Super D/Enduro Now that we've got the dates established, let me explain why this is a big deal.  Outside of unicycling conventions such as NAUCC (the North American Unicycling Championships and Convention) and Unicon  there aren't a whole lot of races that have official unicycling classes.  (Around here, we're lucky to have 2: The Fat Tire Challenge , and 6 Hours of Brady's Run .)  When you throw in the word Series...

The 6 of us who attended Unicon 17 will remember the trip for years to come.  Beyond amazing is an apt description of the experience.  If you want to see some of the pics, go here . If you want first hand accounts, just ask Connor, Danielle, Dave, Isaac, Lisa, or Steve.  We'll be glad to tell you as few or as many stories as you want. If you just found out about the Butler Wobble, you may not know we hosted the North American Unicycling Convention and Championships (NAUCC) in 2013.  A big reason we did was to encourage people to experience a unicycling convention.  We had around 300 people participate.  Among those were Benoit and Hugo, the two primary organizers of Unicon 17.  Long before we met them in person we could tell that Unicon was going to be phenomenal.  After getting to know them between the start of NAUCC 2013 and the end of Unicon 17 we found them not only to be tremendous organizers, but fantastic people as well. At U...

The short message: GO RIDE! If you can't ride a uni yet, there's opportunity to learn.  We've been a bit busy, but that doesn't mean we don't join up with the THICK Bikes crew when they have Uni Nights every other Monday.  Rumor has it that Unicycle Hockey is starting to gain some traction.  Don't be left out.  If you can't ride, we'll teach you how to.  As always, unis are available to borrow for free at these sessions. As far as where else we're at, that involves hanging out with our friends from far out of town.  Dave just made the trip to Minnesota for NAUCC 2014 .  If you're wondering about those results, hang on a bit, they'll be published to the site soon.  Several of us are headed for Unicon 17 in just a few short weeks.  If you're missing the uni conventions this summer, that's a bummer.  To say they're an incredible experience is an understatement.  Ask any of us who have been to one about the experience, and ...

In April of 2013, Pittsburgh officially got it's own indoor bike park.  Well, Pittsburgh actually got a lot more than that.  From the start, The Wheel Mill  not only welcomed mountain and BMX bikes  but unicycles and even Striders for the wee ones too. It's been a home for all things cycling since.  From being a stop during other local cycling events, to being a birthday party venue (wear a helmet)  to just plain being the place with the coolest pump track on the planet. It boils down to this: The Wheel Mill has been ALL about cycling since its inception.  Now it's time cycling is all about The Wheel Mill. Summertime in Western PA is not the time we think of heading indoors for a ride.  The weather's (FINALLY) nice.  There are other things to do. However, it IS Western PA and Winter will inevitably return.  We speak from experience when we say that in spite of the craziest winter we've seen in a long time, we ke...

No joke: this Friday- April 4th, is the Wheel Mill Uni Skinny Contest (part deux).  Showtime is 8:30 pm and entry is FREE with your paid park admission (it's Family and Uni Night so there's a discount from regular price too!) There will be multiple categories.  Last time G-Form generously sponsored the event with pads for the male and female winners! If you're not interested in The Wheel Mill riding, then don't forget we're at the YMCA in Butler on Saturdays- for a few more weeks.  We plan to end the winter indoor season on April 19th.  We'll resume Y time in the Fall. Until then there's a growing list of fun on one to check out.  Expect to see some more group rides- and general tomfoolery.  We've also got events on the calendar- 6 Hours of Brady's Run, Dirt Rag's Dirt Fest, the Fat Tire Challenge, NAUCC 2014 (in MN), and UNICON 17 in Montreal! Don't miss out!

What's wrong with this picture? Hopefully we're heading out of Winter soon.  Very soon.  If you're not looking forward to it being over, you might want to see a doctor. With Spring come a few changes to the routine.  We'll be heading back outside a whole lot more.  That means our YMCA indoor time will taper off (typically in April) and we'll hopefully have more group rides outside.  Until then, it's business as usual- Friday Nights we're at The Wheel Mill , and Saturday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:30 we'll be in the gym.  Thanks to the many new riders who joined us and learned to ride this Winter.  It's our hope you'll continue to ride unicycles throughout the snow-less months and join us for some other rides. If you've enjoyed unicycling with us at the Butler YMCA, please consider giving back.  The YMCA has been gracious to keep unicycling absolutely FREE to those in the community.  In appreciation, as the unicyclists, we...

Last Friday night's trip to the Carnegie Science Center was an all around good time.  It was a good thing we had a crew of around a dozen of us to help as we had 200 people sign waivers and give unicycling a try.  Once again, 0 injuries.  Overall, unicycling is a relatively safe venture.  And as many people discovered, it's challenging and FUN! If you were there that night and are now reading this, we hope you'll join us again in a bigger space (The Wheel Mill or Butler YMCA) to really get the feel for riding.  As always, we don't ask that you give up anything else you may already pedal.  We just ask that you remember that unicycles are more than just circus props. As I sit here and type this, we're in the middle of the coldest day of the year.  Let's hope this is it and Spring is around the corner.  Let's look forward to riding comfortable again outside. Here are a couple of events you may want to keep in mind: 1. 6 Hours of Brady's Run...

Last night's overall winners of the Skinny Contest were Daniel Collins (for the males) and Danielle Millett (for the females).  A huge thanks to The Wheel Mill and G-Form  for inventing and sponsoring the event.  G-Form awarded a set of pads for each winner! The 15 minute jam format was a lot of fun, but the contest was only the beginning of the evening's good times.  Hopefully we'll get to see the official pics from the contest sometime soon.  Friday night mUni nights at The Wheel Mill have indeed turned out to be fun for the entire family.  Last night we had riders ages 10 and up.  Up didn't stop at 40 either. As much fun as it was, many of us are going to be taking a break from The Wheel Mill this Friday the 24th to be part of a 21+ Night at The Carnegie Science Center .  The theme is Circus Science!  While we don't personally do many circus-like activities with our unis, we do see the connection.  We also can't resist the cha...

I'm pretty sure we did save the best for last.  The Friday night Wheel Mill session was excellent and the Saturday session at the YMCA was AMAZING to say the least. It's not the unicycles, it's the unicyclists that make it that. The only thing better than last Saturday will be this Saturday.  Happy 2014!

First up, the schedule: we'll be at The Wheel Mill tonight and every Friday night (unless the weather gets too dicey to make the drive) from 7pm to close.  You are welcome to start earlier as unicycles are welcome when the doors are open.  If you only have one uni, you may also want to note that we have loaners available for FREE while you're there.  Ask at the desk.  There are two Trials unis and two 24" mUnis in stock at all times. As far as the Butler YMCA time goes on Saturdays- we'll be there every Saturday through at least early April from 4:30-6:30pm.  It's free to ride.  A waiver needs signed and a helmet needs worn.  We have extra loaner unis there too. That brings us to the next point: the Y time has been extremely popular the last few weeks- so much so that we've had almost all of our dozen loaner unis in use!  That's AWESOME!  However, please be patient with us as sometimes we have to share the loaner unis.  We'...

Tomorrow is the ONLY Saturday we won't be at the YMCA for practice.  We will be in the Spirit of Christmas Parade for Butler Light Up Night . Next week we'll be back to the usual shenanigans: If you can't wait that long, we'll be at The Wheel Mill on Friday Nights.  Rumor has it there may be some uni hockey in the works the first or second Friday of Dec.

It's about that time of year again.  Daylight Saving Time kicks in this Saturday.  Looking for something to do to stay moving?  Interested in staying warm?  Every thought of riding a unicycle? Join us.  We start our weekly meetings here in Butler, PA at the YMCA every Saturday from 4:30-6:30pm.  If you have your own uni- great!  If not, no problem- we have extras.  You will need to wear a helmet (we have extras of those too, but you should bring your own).  You will need to sign a release too (parents need to for those under 18).  We welcome all ages- especially 12 and up.  For those under 12 we often accommodate, but a parent will have to stick around while we practice.  So Mom and Dad you might as well give it a try! Unicycling is for everybody.  It's fun.  It's relatively safe- on a 20", you're about as high up as standing on a stair. If this isn't your first time to our site, you've heard all of this before. ...

It's not secret we like the Butler Family YMCA and  The Wheel Mill .  From the top down both have not just tolerated unicycling, but welcomed it in their facilities.  It's been a bit of a paradigm shift for some to see unicycles as not just clowns, juggling, and the circus (although there's nothing wrong with those things), but rather an activity that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy. The Butler Wobble was founded on the principle that unicycling is fun and you should do it.  It can be incredibly athletic if you want it to.  You can enjoy a cruise around the neighborhood or local rail trail or you can enter charity events and races populated with bikes.  We've tried to keep an open mind to what those who join us to ride want to do so we end up in many places with our unicycles- including some parades and basic demonstrations. But what most of us who are heavily involved in the Butler Wobble like to do is ride unicycles for sport. The YMC...

September has just begun.  The days are getting shorter (and hopefully cooler) and we're entering our 3rd season of the year.  For us, that means several things: Item #1- The Month of Mud  race series begins.  In the past we've had several riders compete in this series.  We've had good times.  Hopefully this is the year we can get 5 riders to each race to make an official unicycle class. Check the link for dates.  Note: you should be an Advanced level rider to race all but the cyclocross race.  As far as cyclocross goes, you must be able to control your uni and freemount.  If you can do those things, join us on Oct. 20th! Item #2- The Wheel Mill  mUni Mondays are shifting to Fridays to join Family Night!  This is exciting as we can get the whole family to try unicycling at The Wheel Mill.  For September and October we're committing to being there every other Friday (the odd dates), although the discounted admission and we...