By James P. Johnson
An error was made in the print version of this article in our Spring 2025 issue; Tom Vogt was listed as Bruce Vogt. Out There apologizes for the error.
In 2010, Tom Vogt saw a neighborhood boy repeatedly ride a unicycle past his South Hill home in Spokane. It looked fun and challenging. Turns out it was exactly what Vogt was looking for. He went to a bike shop and bought one.
He was told to practice 30 minutes a day and within a month, he’d get the hang of it. Vogt says taking up unicycling without any guidance or coaching is quite a challenge. Using a fence or wall for balance is a necessity as you learn the basics. Just mounting takes lots of practice. It was a long time before he could get on without holding onto something.
A long time runner, Vogt began experiencing knee pain, and by age 50 it was bothersome enough that he had to quit. Finding another outdoor activity that required the exertion he wanted without a huge time investment was difficult; however, unicycling has filled the need. It took a while to get the hang of it, though. “When you can start actually riding, it’s an endorphin booster,” he says. “It’s not quite as demanding as distance running, but I’d say it requires 75% of the effort.”
During the work week, Vogt likes to put in a couple rides of about 4 miles each along with a longer ride on the weekend. In addition, he’s a year-round unicycle commuter, doing 2 miles round-trip to his worksite at Jefferson Elementary School where he’s a teacher. He rides through the winter as long as roads are clear of ice and snow. “It’s like running. It’s a bit addictive and fun,” Vogt says. His riding pace is about 10 minutes per mile. His longest rides are about 6 miles, which he says are physically demanding.
Bicyclists and skateboarders are commonly seen around town, but a unicycle rider—not so often, unless you live on Tom Vogt’s commuting route. He confirms how unusual it is. In 14 years of riding, he’s never seen another unicyclist while out riding. This lack occasionally causes attention to come his way. Passing cars sometimes slow down with phones held up for photos and video. A woman once stopped and asked if he was a circus performer. Vogt playfully took on the role, saying he was part of an advance team prepping for an upcoming show.
With a year of experience under his belt, Vogt volunteered to teach unicycling as an after-school activity at Jefferson. He’s been doing it for 13 years. With instruction, his elementary school students, using school-supplied unicycles, have a much easier time picking it up than he did.
Vogt says only boys took the class in the early years. He estimates it was five years before the first girl signed up, but these days about 40% of the students are girls. He originally taught one 7-week session each school year, but the growth in popularity now requires three sessions. Some students get so into it that their parents purchase a unicycle for home use.
So, if you happen to be on Spokane’s South Hill and see a unicyclist cruising down the road, there’s a good chance it’s Tom Vogt; however, if the rider’s dressed as a clown and is juggling, it’s probably a sign the circus has come to town.
James P. Johnson has been using his running lifestyle blog, IMustRunEverywhere.com, as a construct for absurdist humor. Despite doing it since 2013, he continues to crave whatever chuckles it can elicit.
