Extreme Minimalism Monday: look ma! no hands!

Sure, your average proponent of simple-living might ride a bike to work every morning instead of driving a car. That’s not really all that uncommon these days.

But the extreme minimalist believes that mobility devices should be reduced to their essential attributes. That’s why he goes a step further and rides the Ultimate Wheel to his office every morning.

This approach seems perfectly reasonable to us. Honestly, do you really need handlebars, brakes, and a second wheel to get around?

And don’t even get us started on “seats.”

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Posted by PJ on Jul 2, 2007 | Comments |

17 comments posted

  1. Posted by Cyrano - 07/02/2007

    I know this is a joke, but I can vouch for how hard this is to ride. This is what unicyclists ride when they move up from unicycles, which they eventually find “too easy”.

  2. Posted by EmmaNadine - 07/02/2007

    Wouldn’t extreme minimalism be walking?

  3. Posted by PJ Doland - 07/02/2007

    Yes. But that wouldn’t be very funny now, would it?

  4. Posted by Ryan - 07/02/2007

    Look Ma, no hands! And an ass made of steel.

  5. Posted by Jamie - 07/03/2007

    That would be COMPLETELY impossible to ride.

  6. Posted by glad cow - 07/03/2007

    @EmmaNadine - In fact, extreme minimalism would be walking, but with only one leg. : )

  7. Posted by Clarity - 07/03/2007

    I also recognize the humor in this post, but I think minimal for the sake of minimal misses the mark. Shouldn’t the goal of minimalism be to obtain simplicity which is different than minimal (this pedal-powered wheel is the perfect example). In my opinion a better, make that simpler, mode of self-propelled transport for most folks would be a fixed gear bicycle that eliminates all the excess gears and shifters of most 12-speed or more cycles. Here’s the wikipedia article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle

  8. Posted by Anonymous - 07/04/2007

    I think it would be possible. I would like to try it.

  9. Posted by talldave - 07/04/2007

    Awesome find PJ!

  10. Posted by talldave - 07/04/2007

    @Jamie: What is this “impossible” word you speak of? Us unclutterers know not what it means.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EPMlU4qcK8

  11. Posted by LM - 07/04/2007

    did anyone notice the Jewish-minimalist-unicycle? The Jewish Star is really funny :-D http://www.unicycle.com/shoppi.....asp?id=810

  12. Posted by Jim - 07/05/2007

    Uh, Clarity, bicycles are not self-propelled…

  13. Posted by Anonymous - 07/09/2007

    Not impossible to ride. I ride one and have been around for about 20 years now. I wouldn’t want to commute on one though.

  14. Posted by gumnos - 07/10/2007

    Bah, according to my juggler brother, the Ultimate Wheel is easy compared to the “BC”

    http://www.unicycle.com/Shoppi.....asp?id=828

    Those genes missed me, and I, OTOH, have the physical dexterity of a stick.

  15. Posted by Jasi - 08/02/2007

    True, ultimate minimalism would coax images of a more pedestrian mode of travel (nevermind the pun). But I’m more likely to bike miles than to walk them, especially before a long day a work. So this unicycle would not only be an inventive way to get there faster, it would probably help me develop a new skill, improve my athleticism and save me the trouble of hauling a mountain bike around. Great post!

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