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Some commute by car, some by public transit and some ride bikes. But one Portland man has chosen a different form of transportation—a very large unicycle.
Duncan Ellinwood, a baking student at Le Cordon Bleu in downtown Portland, decided to make his unicycle his only form of transportation when he moved here from Salt Lake City 18 months ago.
Ellinwood lives in southeast Portland and when he's not riding to school, he still has to commute to work at the Pearl Bakery in northwest Portland. Every day, rain or shine, Ellinwood hops on his 36-inch wheel and braves Portland's streets. You may have seen him zipping through the city on his unusually tall unicycle, which Ellinwood says is the tallest form of mass produced unicycle.
Unlike conventional unicycles with smaller wheels, a 36-inch wheel is ideal for touring and covering long distances. While living in Portland, Ellinwood has has taken numerous long-distance trips on his unicycle."I can cover more distance with one revolution of the wheel," he said. "I've ridden to the coast and to Mount Hood on two and three day trips."
Drivers and other bikes are often surprised when Ellinwood flies by on his unicycle, but for the most part, other commuters love it. "Usually I get a really positive response from people," Ellinwood said.
Hell on Wheel from wweek.vimeo on Vimeo.
WWeek 2015