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“Get another wheel assh***!” was an all-too-common response Josh Picard received while riding his unicycle throughout the University of New Hampshire (UNH) campus.

Andrew Ricker, a fellow unicyclist and protégé of Picard’s circus riding, was once told to “get a haircut” while riding near fraternities on campus.

MULTIMEDIA Video:  For love of one-wheeling

“There are jokes and derogatory comments. People yell out ‘do a wheelie’ or ‘where’s the other wheel.’ It gets old when you hear it everyday,” said Picard.

However, the few unicyclists, like Picard and Ricker, can’t be stopped by a few nasty spills or comments. They continue to push through the pain of bruised knees and the occasional scraped appendage to continue to do what they love – pedaling freestyle on one rubber wheel through the open air.

“It’s an addiction,” said Ricker.

For Ricker, unicycling turned out to be an unexpected pastime. Realizing that video games and guitar were the main joys in his life, he began to look for a new hobby the beginning of fall 2006. Altering a UNH Cycling shirt to read “UNH Unicycling,” Ricker is now into riding as much as video games – almost.

“It was cool and unique,” said Ricker.

According to Ricker, despite the obstacles blocking the path to unicycle success, there were some significant perks to being an unicyclist.

“Unicycling's hard. You have to have patience to do it. You fall down so much but you have to get back up. But I really just do it for the chicks,” said Ricker.

Practicing in darkening parking lots during prime party hours, Ricker and a few of his friends would receive attentive inquiries from drunken students – mostly female. Whether positive or negative, unicyclists draw a crowd if not a raised eyebrow.

“I’m trying to get down a technique so that I can have a chick sit in my lap while riding,” said Ricker jokingly.

But in sincerity, Picard tells tales of people who approached him and asked to take a stab at riding while practicing. One of the only riders, he became known as the “unicycle kid.” He said that most people smiled when they talked to him or would share personal unicycle stories. While riding down an incredibly steep hill with a friend in the snow one winter, Picard remembers a girl approaching him and telling him he was “extreme.”

“People would stop and chat. It was real attention,” said Picard.

Ricker drew his love for the one-wheeled sport through his interactions with band-mate Picard. One of the founding UNH unicyclists, Picard began his practicing in fall of 2003. He kept riding until he mastered the art of balance and propulsion while pedaling, eventually turning and learning how to perform small tricks. Hopping in place, riding down stairs, and pushing the unicycle forward without the use of pedals is now easy.

“It all sounds simple. But keep in mind that it’s hard to ride backwards with one foot up, hopping off and onto things and riding down steps with both feet off,” said Picard.

There aren’t many unicyclists currently on the UNH campus. At the moment, Ricker is one of few UNH undergraduates riding. Though, Picard and Ricker have spread the sport to a few of their friends, the numbers are still very low. In jest, they have named their troupe of approximately five young men the “Death Jesters” when the band rides together.

“There’s a smattering of unicyclists now,” said Picard.

According to junior Seraphina Caligiure, bumping into an unicyclist on the street is “rare” yet the sight amuses her.

“It’s really good to see something out of the blue. It makes me smile,” said Caligiure.

Andrew Rickenbach, a Bentley College undergraduate, has begun riding after hearing about the sport from his friend Ricker.

“I’m a unicyclist in training,” said Rickenbach.

He has made special friends because of the attention he receives while riding.

“A cop stops and talks to me while I’m practicing. The first time I fell, I got my foot caught in the wheel and fell on my knee and shoulder. The cop saw. That was our first conversation. He tells me I’m not getting any better,” said Rickenbach.

Though Picard doesn’t ride as much as he did while an undergraduate, he fondly remembers the notice he used to get for being the reigning UNH “unicycle kid.”

“We were special back in the day. We worked for it risking our lives down steps, bashing shins. We’ve earned our respect,” said Picard.