Disciplines

This sport already offers a variety of disciplines, despite being relatively young. Our disciplines are mainly Mountain Unicycle (Muni) and Freestyle.

Muni:

Muni is short for Mountain Unicycle and is practised off-road. A distinction is made here between the disciplines downhill, uphill, cross-country (XC) and cyclocross (CX). Muni is mainly ridden on rough terrain where there are many obstacles in the way. The forest is very suitable for this, as there are stones, roots, steep descents, etc. To cope with this terrain, you need a suitable unicycle. Compared to a normal unicycle, the so-called mountain unicycles are more stable and robust. They also have brakes and tyres specially designed for the rough terrain.

In downhill, the aim is to master a route on a downhill unicycle in the shortest possible time. The routes are often very steep and challenging and not entirely without danger. Hence it is important to have full control of the unicycle at all times on the roughest terrain full of natural obstacles. Downhill requires a lot of skill. The difficulty lies in finding the fine line between maximum speed and low risk of falling.

Uphill is the opposite of downhill, where you ride uphill. This is very strenuous, as you always have to balance forwards and backwards on a unicycle. The uphill courses at competitions are usually short and steep. The rules in this discipline state that in the event of a fall, the ascent must take place in exactly the same place; disregarding this rule can lead to disqualification. This rule ensures that all parts of the track need to be ridden.

Cross-country is a mixture of uphill and downhill. Typical XC routes have forest, field, gravel and meadow paths, as well as several climbs and descents. Unlike MTB races where you have to complete several laps of a circuit, unicycle races usually involve routes where this is not the case. It is a discipline that requires a lot of endurance.

Cyclocross is a discipline that usually takes place on a relatively short circuit of dirt tracks and forest paths. A special feature of cyclocross are short, steep passages and obstacles in the course that force the riders to dismount and carry the bike over the obstacle. The duration of the race depends on the organiser and lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. There is no prescribed number of laps but generally as many as possible in the given time frame. Towards the end of the race, the organiser announces the last lap after the first rider departs for its last round. Once the first person crosses the finish line, the remaining riders are allowed to finish the race as.

Freestyle:

In unicycle freestyle, you learn various tricks with the unicycle that you can present in a freestyle routine. It's not just about skill, but also about the entertainment and show aspect. Unicycle freestyle is comparable to figure skating. The athletes perform individually, in pairs or in groups.

Race:

In track races, the aim is to cover a given distance in as short a time as possible. An exception to this are the slow disciplines, where balance is crucial. In the racing disciplines, the technical characteristics of track bikes are precisely defined. Above all, the track bikes are very light and have a special racing tyre that keeps rolling resistance to a minimum. Acceleration and a high cadence are the key factors in track racing.

In the field of racing, we differentiate between the following disciplines:

- 100 m
- 400 m
- 800 m
- 4×100 m relay
- One-foot
- Wheel Walk
- IUF slalom
- Slow forward
- Slow backward

Trial:

Trials are ridden wherever possible. Both nature and cities offer attractive obstacles. However, there is also the indoor version, which is particularly suitable for competitions. In trials, the aim is to have perfect control of the trial unicycle in every situation. Trial is less about riding and more about hopping and jumping over every conceivable obstacle. Above all, body control, balance, concentration, strength, endurance and courage are required. The aim of the trials competition is to manoeuvre the unicycle through a natural or artificial course using the best possible technique. Frequent elements are pallets, boards, tyres, barrels, etc. The time ridden plays a subordinate role in the ranking.