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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, who must maintain stability while steering. Over the history of the monowheel, various stability enhancements have been tried such as support
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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
214:
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). Many riders choose to control stability when at a stop by putting their feet on the ground, similar to bicycles and
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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. Monowheels have also been found to have a lower speed required for stability when compared to unicycles.
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different variations of his version of the monocycle, from pedal powered models, 5HP models, all the way up to V8 powered models. In 2010, Nokia used two of McLean's monocycles in their commercials promoting the new Nokia SatNav smartphone.
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Hand-cranked and pedal-powered monowheels were patented and built in the late 19th century; most built in the 20th and 21st century have been motorized. Some modern builders refer to these vehicles as
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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
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Hemmings' Unicycle, or "Flying Yankee
Velocipede", was a hand-powered monowheel patented in 1869 by Richard C. Hemmings.
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This article is about the one-wheeled vehicle called the monowheel or uniwheel. For the acrobatic circus apparatus, see
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A company in the
Netherlands began taking custom orders for a monocycle variant called the Wheelsurf in 2007.
389:"Bicycles & Tricycles: An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction, with Examples and Tables"
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A world speed record for a motorized monowheel was set in 2016, at 98.464 km/h (61.18 mph).
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There have been many proposals for variants or uses, such as a horse-drawn monowheel or a monowheel
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securing the steering, driver's seat, and propulsion mechanism to the interior of the wheel.
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Bert, Charles W. (1990). "Dynamics and stability of unicycles and monocycles".
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564:"The Dynasphere: The Car of the Future that Never Made it to the Future"
506:"A history of the monocycle stability and control from inside the wheel"
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Impact Lab: History of the World’s
Craziest Invention - The Monowheel
475:"Monowheels: The strange story of vehicles with insufficient wheels"
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339:. University of Princeton: Hurd and Houghton. pp. 76–78.
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836:"Amazing New Motor-Driven Hoop May Be Car of the Future",
293: – Self-balancing single wheel personal transporter
370:"Guinness World Record for bearded woman Harnaam Kaur"
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The velocipede: its history, varieties, and practice
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60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
163:Motoruota monowheel, modified by Giuseppe Govetosa
846:"War Tank on One Wheel, Operated by One Man",
749:(YouTube Video). The Gadget Show. 20 Dec 2007.
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23:. For the novel automotive wheel design, see
8:
287: – Self-balancing personal transporter
1820:Bicycle- and human-powered vehicle museums
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850:, November 1933, front cover and page 47,
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824:"Speedy New Motor-Hoop Amazes Italians",
761:"The Holson Two-wheeled Electric Vehicle"
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
434:– via Taylor & Francis Online.
266:A related vehicle is the diwheel or the
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840:, May 1932, front cover and page 63,
797:from the original on 24 February 2022
485:from the original on January 30, 2011
7:
820:Video of Guinness world speed record
407:– via Longmans, Green, and Co.
58:adding citations to reliable sources
504:Cardini, S.B. (18 September 2006).
399:from the original on March 28, 2022
725:from the original on 23 March 2022
699:from the original on 23 March 2022
668:from the original on 20 March 2022
616:from the original on 25 March 2022
445:George, Patrick E. (6 July 2010).
14:
544:"In Search of the Perfect Sphere"
420:Dynamics and Stability of Systems
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746:The WheelSurf - The Gadget Show
45:needs additional citations for
136:A monowheel rider in the 2011
1:
867:Douglas Self's monowheel page
687:Haney, Mike (15 April 2004).
510:IEEE Control Systems Magazine
233:An electric monowheel called
222:Variants and related vehicles
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830:, December 1924, page 40,
767:. 23 Feb 1901. p. 128
606:"McLean's Monocycle Story"
237:was tested in 1932 in the
175:is a type of one-wheeled,
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857:Cycle World: Circle Cycle
589:Popular Science: May 1932
432:10.1080/02681119008806081
387:Sharp, Archibald (1896).
1805:Animal-powered transport
522:10.1109/MCS.2006.1700041
260:attached to the spokes.
1680:Non-vehicular transport
903:Human-powered transport
852:scanned by Google Books
842:scanned by Google Books
832:scanned by Google Books
787:"Dicycles and Diwheels"
689:"Reinventing the Wheel"
335:Goddard, J. T. (1869).
1830:Zero-emissions vehicle
393:University of Michigan
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447:"How Monowheels Work"
248:One variant called a
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662:"The R.I.O.T. Wheel"
660:Lyall, Jake (2004).
177:single-track vehicle
54:improve this article
1768:Alpine touring skis
1578:Hand and foot power
1168:Cold-weather biking
1108:Small-wheel bicycle
1016:Glossary of cycling
981:Cyclo-cross bicycle
966:Cold-weather biking
765:Western Electrician
636:"Nokia Commercials"
376:. 8 September 2016.
297:Star Wars wheelbike
16:One-wheeled vehicle
1773:Cross-country skis
1437:Litter/sedan chair
1001:Flat bar road bike
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793:. 16 Jan 2020.
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65:Find sources:
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43:This article
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22:
1746:Snow and ice
1565:(fixed seat)
1468:Caster board
1401:Stairclimber
1361:Baggage cart
1340:Rowing cycle
1251:Kick scooter
1241:Balance bike
1163:Wheelie bike
1128:Trailer bike
1088:Road bicycle
961:City bicycle
847:
837:
825:
799:. Retrieved
790:
781:
769:. Retrieved
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727:. Retrieved
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618:. Retrieved
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594:Google Books
592:, p. 63, at
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572:. Retrieved
570:. 2018-05-10
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558:
547:. Retrieved
538:
516:(5): 22–26.
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487:. Retrieved
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426:(1): 30–35.
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
1851:Cycle types
1825:Human power
1671:Ornithopter
1499:Street luge
1416:Wheelbarrow
1246:Dandy horse
1078:Quadracycle
1051:Singletrack
919:Pedal power
254:Burning Man
216:motorcycles
69:"Monowheel"
1758:Ice skates
1687:Foot power
1666:Helicopter
1631:Amphibious
1608:Hydrocycle
1601:Foot power
1541:Hand power
1494:Billy cart
1473:Snakeboard
1463:Pogo stick
1381:Hand truck
1366:Bath chair
1333:Row action
1324:Wheelchair
1297:Hand power
1288:Skateboard
1278:Freeskates
1268:Brakeboard
1158:Velomobile
1153:Velocipede
1058:Party bike
956:Cargo bike
951:Boneshaker
574:2022-03-22
549:2022-03-22
303:References
250:RIOT wheel
235:Dynasphere
196:monocycles
185:motorcycle
110:March 2011
80:newspapers
1785:Snowshoes
1613:Hydrofoil
1504:Snowboard
1411:Toy wagon
1406:Stretcher
1309:Handcycle
1283:Longboard
1273:Freeboard
1172:ice cycle
530:1066-033X
489:March 29,
403:March 28,
351:US 325548
205:Stability
187:, with a
169:monowheel
25:Uni Wheel
21:Cyr wheel
1845:Category
1753:Crampons
1654:Aircraft
1509:Toboggan
1263:Kicksled
1256:Kickbike
1138:Unicycle
1133:Tricycle
1103:Sociable
1093:Roadster
1046:Downhill
946:BMX bike
801:25 March
795:Archived
771:25 March
729:23 March
723:Archived
703:23 March
697:Archived
672:22 March
666:Archived
645:25 March
620:25 March
614:Archived
483:Archived
456:28 March
397:Archived
374:BBC News
317:US 92528
285:Onewheel
274:See also
258:sprocket
181:unicycle
173:uniwheel
161:Cislaghi
1814:outline
1810:Cycling
1730:Walking
1718:Running
1482:Gravity
1430:Carried
1314:Hobcart
1304:Handcar
1197:Pedelec
1148:Velocar
1011:Go-kart
996:Fatbike
935:outline
931:Bicycle
268:dicycle
189:chassis
94:scholar
1711:skates
1699:skates
1618:Pedalo
1591:Rowing
1585:Rowing
1563:Rowing
1458:Trikke
1185:assist
991:Enduro
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1553:Kayak
1548:Canoe
1533:Water
159:1931
101:JSTOR
87:books
1659:list
1569:Punt
1421:Sled
1371:Cart
1041:27.5
926:29er
911:Land
803:2022
773:2022
731:2022
705:2022
674:2022
647:2022
622:2022
526:ISSN
491:2022
458:2022
405:2022
228:tank
73:news
1763:Ski
1647:Air
518:doi
428:doi
171:or
56:by
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