Acrobatic Skill Needed To Ride Monowheel Cycle
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The idea of building a “monowheel” motorcycle has been around for decades but most people have never seen one. Dave Southall in Staffordshire, England, told FARM SHOW he can pretty much bring traffic to a standstill when he takes his monowheel cycle out for a spin.
Southall has been modifying vehicles since he was a boy on a Staffordshire farm. That led him to earn a Ph. D. in electrical engineering but somehow he ended up working as an acrobat for 15 years. Both sets of skills were needed to build and operate his one-wheel cycle.
“A monowheel is basically two circles, one inside the other. The inner one has some form of drive that can power the outer circle around it. It’s like a ball bearing but with its own power source,” Southall explains. “Monowheels have been built since before 1900. They seem to attract the sort of people who build things in their sheds - people like me, I guess. Some monowheels are pedal powered and some have engines. I still have a bit of a dream to build a steam powered one.”
He built his cycle based on a photo of a 1924 circus monowheel and named it The Red Max after a UK cartoon character.
He had the outer hoop made - a 5-ft. dia., 2-in. steel tube hoop with bicycle tires he pop-riveted around the outside. He purchased a 90 cc engine with a centrifugal clutch, roller, drive wheel and gas tank, and made the rest of the parts in his shop.
“I think it helps that I’ve worked as an acrobat and ridden motorcycles all my life,” Southall says. “You have to set off very carefully; if you accelerate too hard you’ll just go round and round within the outer circle, like a gerbil in a wheel. If you take it steady the outer ring rotates, and you stay in the inner ring and the whole vehicle moves forward. Braking has to be done very, very carefully. If you apply the brakes too hard you effectively lock the inner and outer rings together and over and over you go. It’s basically a mechanical gyroscope.”
Though he moved on to other projects for a London-based TV show, he still rides the monocycle occasionally after lawn mower racing, another of his hobbies.
Southall is busy working on a couple of new projects: a bottle rocket jet pack-powered stunt dummy and a diesel-powered chopper with tilting sidecar.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, (www.davesouthall.com; dave@redmaxmonowheel.co.uk.)
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Acrobatic Skill Needed To Ride Monowheel Cycle FARM HOME Novelty Items The idea of building a “monowheel” motorcycle has been around for decades but most people have never seen one Dave Southall in Staffordshire England told FARM SHOW he can pretty much bring traffic to a standstill when he takes his monowheel cycle out for a spin Southall has been modifying vehicles since he was a boy on a Staffordshire farm That led him to earn a Ph D in electrical engineering but somehow he ended up working as an acrobat for 15 years Both sets of skills were needed to build and operate his one-wheel cycle “A monowheel is basically two circles one inside the other The inner one has some form of drive that can power the outer circle around it It’s like a ball bearing but with its own power source ” Southall explains “Monowheels have been built since before 1900 They seem to attract the sort of people who build things in their sheds - people like me I guess Some monowheels are pedal powered and some have engines I still have a bit of a dream to build a steam powered one ” He built his cycle based on a photo of a 1924 circus monowheel and named it The Red Max after a UK cartoon character He had the outer hoop made - a 5-ft dia 2-in steel tube hoop with bicycle tires he pop-riveted around the outside He purchased a 90 cc engine with a centrifugal clutch roller drive wheel and gas tank and made the rest of the parts in his shop “I think it helps that I’ve worked as an acrobat and ridden motorcycles all my life ” Southall says “You have to set off very carefully; if you accelerate too hard you’ll just go round and round within the outer circle like a gerbil in a wheel If you take it steady the outer ring rotates and you stay in the inner ring and the whole vehicle moves forward Braking has to be done very very carefully If you apply the brakes too hard you effectively lock the inner and outer rings together and over and over you go It’s basically a mechanical gyroscope ” Though he moved on to other projects for a London-based TV show he still rides the monocycle occasionally after lawn mower racing another of his hobbies Southall is busy working on a couple of new projects: a bottle rocket jet pack-powered stunt dummy and a diesel-powered chopper with tilting sidecar Contact: FARM SHOW Followup www davesouthall com; dave@redmaxmonowheel co uk
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