Tandem Unicycle

The device has a range of 24 miles on a single charge and changes direction by the user leaning The Air Wheel, pictured, costs ￡429 and can hit a top speed of 14 miles per hour The Air Wheel, pictured, costs ￡429 and can hit a top speed of 14 miles per hour A bit like a Segway, this little machine is designed to help us zip around town at up to 14mph, but crucially doesn’t have the handlebars of its counterpart. With nothing to hold on to, mastering the Air Wheel is far from easy. Yet the promotional videos show people whizzing through their office reception area or flying along city streets on their wheel, holding a coffee. They’ve sold 300,000 of the Chinese-made machines since the launch last year. Walking, it seems, is so last century. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good track record of being in charge of wheels. When I tried riding a bike for the first time in years, I went flying off after hitting a pothole. I am such a nervous driver that, despite having passed my test 20 years ago, I still won’t go on the motorway. Yet here I am on a wheel, with no brakes, no steering column and no safety belt. What could possibly go wrong? You’re supposed to be able to slow down enough that you simply step off and grab hold of the wheel before it falls but going slowly means wobbling, so I panic and jump off instead. As for turning, the theory is you simply lean in whatever direction you want to go, but every time I try, I panic and jump off. Fabio tells me it can take a few days to get the hang of that, so for now the Air Wheel and I will be going in a straight line only. Fabio boasts he regularly goes shopping on his Air Wheel and even navigates the London Underground on it. Inspired by his claims, I decide to give the Air Wheel a go on a busy pedestrianised street. There are people, and benches, and broken glass, and I am on edge. There are shop windows to bang into, signs to knock over, children to injure. Fortunately, those in my path are all taking one look at me and stepping far away. And you do get looks on this thing. A bloke munching on a sausage roll says: ‘You’re not gonna lose any weight on that, are you?’ Charming. I’d turn and mow him down, but I don’t know how. I’m like a beginner on a ski slope: I cannot move out of your way, so you’ve got to move out of mine. The Air Wheel will travel up to 24 miles on one charge. And although at 13kg (28lb), it feels like carrying a very heavy brick, it’s about the same weight as a fold-up bike. The makers say people are buying them for dog walking, shop runs and days out. Their youngest user is ten and their eldest is 70. Seventy! Meanwhile, the gadget is getting rave reviews online and I can see why. It’s fun, fast and will get you places quicker than your feet can. But I, for one, will be keeping my feet on solid ground. Unicycle Rider, Sun Unicycle, Qu-Ax Unicycle Review