The Wheelsurf - calling all thrillseekers

The Brazilian-made Wheelsurf is one of the most distinctive vehicles on the planet -- a US$2500 single-wheeled , ride-inside conveyance that's sure to get you noticed. Riding the Wheelsurf is not for those seeking transport alone as it has no conventional steering mechanism and requires adept throttle control. The throttle and the brake are located on the rigid handlebars and steering is done by moving your centre of gravity (i.e. YOU) to the inside of the corner. Too much throttle and the inner body, with you on it, starts to rotate backwards. Back off the throttle to slow down and you need to lean backwards so you don't rotate forwards within the wheel. Grab a handful of brake and ... errr

Since man invented the wheel, people have been creating remarkable conveyances of countless configurations.

In the last twelve months alone, Gizmag has covered one, two, three, four, six and eight wheeled vehicles, but apart from the Bombardier Embrio concept (our most-read story of 2004,) its hard to imagine a single-wheeled conveyance being all that practical for mixing it with cars on the road. The Embrio is a futuristic concept designed using technologies that will not reach market for another few decades yet - it is Bombardier's idea of what we might find red-blooded adventure-seekers riding in 2025.

So the Wheelsurf project intrigued us. Mono-wheelers are traditionally associated with stunts and clowns and circuses - not practical transport.

It didn't take us long to find a large resource of failed mono-wheel machines that their inventors felt seemed destined to play a role in the planet's transport but didn't.

Naturally enough, there are others who have taken the concept of the monowheel, applied the latest technologies and still forsee a niche future in this genre of vehicle and Wheelsurf is not alone in its endeavours to eke out a minor role in transportation devices. Kerry McLeans's V8 monocycle is one of the most awe-inspiring vehicles ever to prowl the tarmac.

When you first sit on the seat inside the 1.70 metre diameter Wheelsurf the circular steel frame of the Wheelsurf is all around you and you can feel the weight distribution in places you don't find it on any other conveyance - it's not all concentrated underneath you like on a motorcycle and this is something that takes a bit of getting accustomed to. In some ways, it's like learning to balance all over again.

The Wheelsurf consists of an inner and an outer frame. The inner frame has three small wheels that make contact with the outer frame. The outer frame is the actual rotating wheel and has a solid rubber tire. The rider sits inside the inner frame that also contains the engine, clutch, propulsion mechanism and petrol tank.

The engine is a regular Stihl 55 cc two-stroke single cylinder petrol engine with one speed and a centrifugal clutch. Before riding, the driver positions himself inside the wheel and starts the engine by pulling on a cord - just as with a lawnmower or chainsaw - indeed, the motor is derived from chainsaw motor.

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