I think it was a first. Or maybe it was the first time in years.

I was driving Elin – my 8 year old granddaughter – to camp. We’re heading southbound on Sheridan Road when up ahead cruising northbound – I saw a guy pedaling (fasten your seat belts) A UNICYCLE. He was in the bike lane and I blubbered quickly “ELIN LOOK – THERE’S A GUY ON A UNICYCLE!!” We both watched as he pedaled by — hands swinging at his sides. Now mind you the wheel on this baby had to be 36 inches or more in diameter. And there he went – Elin staring out the back window.

So Elin crinkled her eyebrows and asked me a question – “POPI – how does he stop the unicycle?” Well, I hemmed. Hawed a few times. Coughed. And I had to admit that I didn’t know the answer to this question. That’s only the second time in my life when I couldn’t answer a question (the last time was in third grade). I tried to deflect the question by discussing UNIcycles (one wheel), BIcycles (two wheels) and TRIcycles (three wheels) for children. But but then Elin pressed the question and corrected me that some children’s “tricycles” have four wheels. Well okayyyyy. . . . . How about them Cubs. . . .

• To stop a unicycle, stop pedaling. Unicycles are direct drive vehicles. Since pedals are attached to the axle of their wheels, the wheels stop rotating as soon as the rider stops pedaling.