Choosing safety gear for an electric unicycle isn’t straightforward. Partly that’s because there’s not much EUC-specific gear available, but partly it’s also because EUCs have a wide range of capabilities and are used for a variety of types of riding.

My approach to safety gear is to match the type of riding to the most similar activity, and adopt the gear and recommendations from that activity. For street riding I think the best matches are downhill longboarding and slower (often called “urban”) motorcycle riding. At slow speeds skate gear can make more sense.

Many experienced riders have also provided advice that I try to incorporate, often a result of their bad experiences.

Common dangers include

  • FOOSH injuries (short for “fall on an outstretched hand”), which are common when falling from a standing position. These include wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries.
  • Faceplants. The combination of standing, speed, and the design of EUCs make this a common type of crash.
  • Road rash. Asphalt and skin are not friends.
  • Pedal injuries. Because the EUC pedals are attached directly to the wheel they can transmit a lot of force, and it’s easy to hit your foot or lower leg.

All of these dangers can be dramatically reduced with appropriate gear.