Wahhaj
10-10-2003, 09:00 PM
Kerry McLean is obsessed with speed. He owns a fleet of suped-up vehicles, from a 1977 Corvette to a speed boat to the "world's fastest electric barstool." He even suped-up his piano.
But McLean still felt unsatisfied. He wanted to build something unique, not simply push an existing machine to its extreme.
Enter the Monocycle, a single-wheeled, gasoline-powered vehicle that's driven from inside the wheel itself. The idea came to him in a blacksmith class, while he looked at a stagecoach wheel without spokes.
"It's basically a big ball bearing, and the freer that is, the better the system will work," McLean says. He built his 50-inch wheel with aircraft aluminum and a simple design.
"The wheel intrigues me because it's very difficult," McLean says. "It's not only difficult to build, but it's also a challenge to ride."
McLean's Monocycle is also a strange sight to behold -- so much so that its been cited by "Ripley's Believe It or Not."
Though he's suffered some bumps and bruises -- including a brush with death during a test run of an initial design -- the inventor has succeeded in setting the first speed record for a single wheel: 57 mph.
McLean has sold only six so far, but he hopes one day to be able to make his Monocycle a full-time business and quit his day job as a mechanic. In the meantime, he's enjoying the ride
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_01.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_02.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_03.jpg http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_04.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_05.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_06.jpg
But McLean still felt unsatisfied. He wanted to build something unique, not simply push an existing machine to its extreme.
Enter the Monocycle, a single-wheeled, gasoline-powered vehicle that's driven from inside the wheel itself. The idea came to him in a blacksmith class, while he looked at a stagecoach wheel without spokes.
"It's basically a big ball bearing, and the freer that is, the better the system will work," McLean says. He built his 50-inch wheel with aircraft aluminum and a simple design.
"The wheel intrigues me because it's very difficult," McLean says. "It's not only difficult to build, but it's also a challenge to ride."
McLean's Monocycle is also a strange sight to behold -- so much so that its been cited by "Ripley's Believe It or Not."
Though he's suffered some bumps and bruises -- including a brush with death during a test run of an initial design -- the inventor has succeeded in setting the first speed record for a single wheel: 57 mph.
McLean has sold only six so far, but he hopes one day to be able to make his Monocycle a full-time business and quit his day job as a mechanic. In the meantime, he's enjoying the ride
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_01.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_02.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_03.jpg http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_04.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_05.jpg
http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_gallery/0306_monowheel_06.jpg