Monowheel

Similar to bicycles, monowheels are stable in the direction of travel, but have limited horizontal stability. This is in contrast to unicycles which are unstable in both directions.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0cppgYDmsRYC&pg=PA184|title=Bicycles & Tricycles: An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction, with Examples and Tables|page=184|author=Sharp, Archibald|publisher=University of Michigan|via=Longmans, Green, and Co|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=1896|accessdate=March 28, 2022|archivedate=March 28, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328153044/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bicycles_tricycles/0cppgYDmsRYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA184&printsec=frontcover}} Monowheels have also been found to have a lower speed required for stability when compared to unicycles.{{Cite journal |last=Bert |first=Charles W. |date=1990 |title=Dynamics and stability of unicycles and monocycles |journal=Dynamics and Stability of Systems |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=30–35 |doi=10.1080/02681119008806081|via=Taylor & Francis Online}}

A monowheel remains upright due to gyroscopic effects, but its lack of stability makes it highly dependent on forward momentum and the balance of the rider,{{Cite web |last=George |first=Patrick E. |title=How Monowheels Work |url=https://auto.howstuffworks.com/monowheel.htm#pt2 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=How Stuff Works|date=6 July 2010 }} who must maintain stability while steering. Over the history of the monowheel, various stability enhancements have been tried such as support struts (Green & Dyer, 1869), skids and propellers (D'Harlingue Propeller-Driven Monowheel, 1914), as well as gyroscopes, fins, and rudders (The McLean V8 Monowheel, 2003).{{Cite web |title=Monowheels: The strange story of vehicles with insufficient wheels|url=http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/motorwhl/motorwhl.htm#hd|website=The Self Side|language=en-US|url-status=live|accessdate=March 29, 2022|archivedate=January 30, 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130092801/http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/motorwhl/motorwhl.htm}} Many riders choose to control stability when at a stop by putting their feet on the ground, similar to bicycles and motorcycles.{{Cite journal |last=Cardini |first=S.B. |date=18 September 2006 |title=A history of the monocycle stability and control from inside the wheel |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1700041 |journal=IEEE Control Systems Magazine |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=22–26 |doi=10.1109/MCS.2006.1700041 |issn=1066-033X}}

There have been many proposals for variants or uses, such as a horse-drawn monowheel or a monowheel tank.{{Cite web |title=In Search of the Perfect Sphere |url=http://www.tankarchives.ca/2019/05/in-search-of-perfect-sphere.html |access-date=2022-03-22}}

An electric monowheel called Dynasphere was tested in 1932 in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-10 |title=The Dynasphere: The Car of the Future that Never Made it to the Future |url=https://www.weirdhistorian.com/the-dynasphere-the-car-of-the-future-that-never-made-it/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Weird Historian |language=en-US}}{{Google books|id=1ScDAAAAMBAJ|page=63|title=Popular Science: May 1932}}

In 1971, an American inventor named Kerry McLean built his first monocycle (aka monowheel). In 2000, he built a larger version, the McLean Rocket Roadster powered by a Buick V-8 engine, which subsequently crashed in 2001 during the initial test run. McLean survived and proceeded to build over 25 different variations of his version of the monocycle, from pedal powered models, 5HP models, all the way up to V8 powered models.{{Cite web |title=McLean's Monocycle Story |url=https://mcleanmonocycle.com/mclean-monocycle/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325231649/https://mcleanmonocycle.com/mclean-monocycle/ |archive-date=25 March 2022 |access-date=25 March 2022 |website=McLean Monocycle}} In 2010, Nokia used two of McLean's monocycles in their commercials promoting the new Nokia SatNav smartphone.{{Cite web |title=Nokia Commercials |url=https://mcleanmonocycle.com/nokia-commercials/ |access-date=25 March 2022 |website=McLean Monocycle}}

One variant called a RIOT wheel was presented at Burning Man in 2003. It involves the passengers sitting in front of the wheel and being balanced by a heavy counterweight inside the wheel. Rather than the typical ring drive, this vehicle is powered through a sprocket attached to the spokes.{{Cite web |last=Lyall |first=Jake |date=2004 |title=The R.I.O.T. Wheel |url=http://www.theriotwheel.com/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320204819/http://theriotwheel.com/index.html |archive-date=20 March 2022 |access-date=22 March 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Haney |first=Mike |date=15 April 2004 |title=Reinventing the Wheel |url=https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2004-04/reinventing-wheel/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323040831/https://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2004-04/reinventing-wheel/ |archive-date=23 March 2022 |access-date=23 March 2022 |website=Popular Science}}

A company in the Netherlands began taking custom orders for a monocycle variant called the Wheelsurf in 2007.{{Cite web |title=Wheelsurf Shop |url=https://www.wheelsurf.nl/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323041311/https://www.wheelsurf.nl/ |archive-date=23 March 2022 |access-date=23 March 2022}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLtgsIIQLGg |title=The WheelSurf - The Gadget Show |date=20 Dec 2007 |type=YouTube Video |publisher=The Gadget Show}}

A related vehicle is the diwheel or the dicycle, in which the rider is suspended between or inside of a pair of large wheels placed side by side.{{Cite magazine |date=23 Feb 1901 |title=The Holson Two-wheeled Electric Vehicle |url=https://archive.org/details/westernelectrici28chic/page/128/mode/2up |magazine=Western Electrician |page=128 |access-date=25 March 2022}}{{Cite web |date=16 Jan 2020 |title=Dicycles and Diwheels |url=http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/diwheel/diwheel.htm#otto |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224013808/http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/diwheel/diwheel.htm |archive-date=24 February 2022 |access-date=25 March 2022 |website=The Self Site}}

• {{anl|Centreless wheel}}
• {{anl|Onewheel}}
• {{anl|Electric unicycle}}
• Star Wars wheelbike

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Monowheels}}

• [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2016/9/video-fastest-monowheel-motorcycle-speeds-into-guinness-world-records-2017-book-443140 Video of Guinness world speed record]
• "Speedy New Motor-Hoop Amazes Italians", Popular Science, December 1924, page 40, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FSkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40 scanned by Google Books]
• "Amazing New Motor-Driven Hoop May Be Car of the Future", Popular Science, May 1932, front cover and page 63, [https://books.google.com/books?id=1ScDAAAAMBAJ scanned by Google Books]
• "War Tank on One Wheel, Operated by One Man", Popular Science, November 1933, front cover and page 47, [https://books.google.com/books?id=7CcDAAAAMBAJ scanned by Google Books]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080504030515/http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=12&article_id=270 Cycle World: Circle Cycle]
• [http://www.impactlab.com/2006/11/27/history-of-the-worlds-craziest-invention-the-monowheel-with-amazing-pics/ Impact Lab: History of the World’s Craziest Invention - The Monowheel]
• [http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/motorwhl/motorwhl.htm Douglas Self's monowheel page]

{{Human-powered vehicles}}

Category:Cycle types