If you visit Basavanagudi on a Sunday morning, chances are high that you will see a small group gathered around for an activity unusual to many Bengalureans. But for people who are always on the lookout to do something new during the weekend, this weekly ritual of free unicycle training sessions, hosted by the RAD Unicycle Community, could be a perfect fit!
Founded by Kiran Makam, the company began as a simple effort to introduce people to a new way of moving through the city, away from the chaos of traffic. “We started using electric unicycles in Cubbon Park around 2022. People would ask how it worked and whether they could try it. That curiosity is what led us to start teaching free of cost,” Makam recalls their journey.
Unlike their manual counterparts, these electric unicycles are self-balancing personal mobility vehicles powered by motors and batteries. Designed for short-distance commutes, they usually address everyday urban challenges like traffic congestion, parking hassles and pollution, but not many are aware of this way of commuting, says Makam. “Nearly 70 per cent of city commutes are under 15-20 kilometres. These unicycles are ideal for that,” he points out, adding, “The best part is you don’t need parking and you’re not stuck in traffic.”
For many who want to try it out, the intimidating part could be thoughts of the millions of ways it could go wrong, ending up getting hurt. But despite how intimidating they may look, learning to ride one isn’t as difficult as it appears, Makam notes. “It usually takes two to three sessions for most people. We’ve even had someone learn the basics in under 15 minutes,” he shares. According to him, riding an electric unicycle is more about understanding feedback than balance. “Forward and backward movement is handled by the wheel itself. You just learn how to control direction and distribute your weight. In most cases, the fall happens to the wheel, not the person,” he further explains.
Looking back at the two years, running the sessions hasn’t been without challenges for the team. Finding accessible public spaces and navigating regulations has been a constant hurdle, prompting them to move from Cubbon Park to Basavanagudi.
How to join?
The sessions, held every Sunday at 9.30am in Basavanagudi, are structured and inclusive. To manage interest and ensure fairness, the community operates through a WhatsApp group where a weekly poll determines who gets to attend each session. “We run a poll every Wednesday at 3pm on our WhatsApp group, and the first ten people to respond get a slot for the Sunday training session, so everyone gets a fair chance to participate,” he shares.
Participants range widely in age from as young as five to as old as 65, though most fall between 20 and 35. With two instructors and limited slots per session, beginners are first guided through warm-up exercises, basic techniques and assisted riding until they are good to go. “Curiosity is the only requirement. We just ask people to bring protective gear if they have it,” says Makam.
Talking about a bigger shift, Makam says that in the past couple of years, some participants ditched two-wheelers entirely for short commutes, replacing them with unicycles for errands, gym visits and even last-mile connectivity from metro stations. Others have gone on to purchase unicycles and contribute back to the community by mentoring newbies, he adds, “India is still new to these technologies, but cities like Bengaluru need smarter, more compact mobility solutions. The goal was never just fun. We wanted to build an electric unicycle community in India and shift how people think about personal mobility.”
(For details, visit @radboardsofficial on Instagram)