Riding one unicycle, holding another unicycle in front of him and toting a 5-foot unicycle behind him, Tanner Sweeney pedals from Eastview Terrace toward the Pattee and Paterno Libraries.

Sweeney looks like the kind of guy you would see at a rock concert, except that most concertgoers aren't zipping around campus on one-wheeled contraptions. With hair to his shoulders and a pair of cargo shorts, he doesn't fit the clown stereotype, either -- but he loves attention. And he loves the company of other unicyclists, so much that he's set out to train others in hopes of forming a club.

Will Morgan (senior-psychology), one of Sweeney's latest mentees, first unicycled last year. Now he's learning to perfect his balance as Sweeney shows him how. Seven other unicyclists came to the session, and a few interested passers-by took a whirl on the wheel. Sweeney said he doesn't consider helping students learn how to ride the unicycle teaching -- it's more like mentoring.

"It's measuring progress and critiquing each other. It's the same as with riding a bike," he said.

Sweeney's own path to the unicycle has been circuitous. He received his first one-wheeler for Christmas two years ago, but he threw it in his closet and forgot about it. A year and a half ago, he met a friend who made him want to ride the unicycle again.

"The thrill about unicycling is that progress is addicting -- you see yourself do one rotation, two rotations, three and so on," he said.

He's now trying out a 5-footer, one of the newest additions to his collection of six unicycles. Through trial and error, he's learning to ride it the same way he learned to ride the smaller ones.

While Frank Wisen (junior-political science) won't be riding a unicycle anytime soon -- he likes having his head attached to his neck -- he said it's something you don't see every day and that it's pretty fun to watch.

"The tall unicycle is weird, being that high off the ground," Wisen said. "They're crazy and kind of cool to see in the middle of campus."

Walking by, Leteace Howard (sophomore-biology) said she saw the opportunity to ride the unicycle and thought it would be fun.

"It feels like falling, and you have to fall forward to get on," she said.

That's a lesson Morgan learned long ago. It also took him a while to get the hang of staying on.

"You've just got to go for it, lean into it and pedal. Have no fear because the unicycle will hurt you before you hurt the unicycle," Morgan said.

Sweeney's friend Ryan Holleran (sophomore-engineering) tried to ride the 5-foot unicycle but first needed to find a way onto it.

"It's like climbing a tower," Holleran said. After several attempts, he decided a light pole might provide the lift he needed.

This isn't the first time Sweeney has mentored others. Last year, in the East Halls, he mentored several of his friends by teaching them in the hallways.

Sweeney has come a long way from the hallways in East, though. This past summer, Sweeney put his riding skills to the test when he and a friend went to the Long Beach Island Unithon.

"We rolled up on our unicycles, rocking a 20-inch wheel," he said. "We were exhausted by the end. It took us four hours, while the people who rode on 36-inch wheels only took two."

For the past year, Sweeney has ridden to most of his classes and said it has given him the greatest core workout.

"For all those who want to learn, stop me," he said. "I want to get more people involved. It doesn't matter where you are -- inside, outside -- every time is a good time for unicycling."