I’m a married, 63-year-old father of five, living in Northern California. I’m a retired management consultant and the creator of two satirical news websites: InABoldMove.com and LocalTattler.com.

In 2018, I drove with my daughter Heidi to Peet’s Coffee in Orinda. When we arrived, she said to me, “You do this every day. Do you know how much gas you’re using just to get your daily coffee?”

She was right.

The logical solution would have been to ride a bike—but I live in a hilly area, and I’m not eager to work that hard first thing in the morning just to get coffee.

My first alternative was a Onewheel. I put over 2,000 miles on it but eventually realized it was a pretty dumb way to get around. If you go over 20 mph, the motor cuts out and you nose-dive into the pavement. The makers of Onewheel apparently thought it was uncool to include audible beeps to warn you of this.

Then I discovered Electric Unicycles (EUCs) on YouTube. They looked way more fun—and crucially, they do beep to warn you if you’re about to do something stupid. (Honestly, it should probably beep the moment you decide to own one.)

My first EUC was an InMotion V11. The first week I had it, I thought I’d never learn how to ride. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to return it either.

But after that first week, I realized it was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Since then, I’ve owned six electric unicycles and have ridden over 15,000 miles.

I’m a lifelong skier and mountain biker, but for me, EUCing has eclipsed both. It’s become my one-quiver sport—and my drug of choice.

Every day, I leave my house and descend on my EUC on a steep, tree-lined powder run (well, that’s what it feels like). I carve my way along the fresh corduroy of residential streets, using the divider bumps as my slalom gates on the way to ride singletrack in the local state park. When we need something from the grocery store, I fly over there at 30 mph, roll my EUC straight inside, and park it by the front door. I can get to the store and back faster on my EUC than I can by car.

I can honestly say every mile I’ve ridden has been with a smile. EUCs have enriched my life in many ways, and I hope this foolishness helps evangelize the EUC cause.

I’ve tried to convince friends and family to try EUCing. So far, no one has taken the plunge—except my neighbor Jarrett and his 10-year-old son Asher. Maybe after I finish this trip, someone else will join me next time.

One thing I realize is how lucky I am to have a wife who is letting me do this adventure while keeping everything else moving. I have done a lot of crazy things in my life, and she has always been there to support me.