He Built a Unicycle THEN Rode it Around The World in the 1970s! [Wobbling Wally Watts]

[@zach.225]

He seems so excited to talk about his trip to someone who understands what he went through.

[@KandiKlover]

Yes. They should be uni buddies and do some shorter local rides together.

[@derk486]

@@KandiKlover They live a tad far apart if Watts is in Canada

[@Dundi_03]

He unicycled around the world.... in jeans, thats insane

[@snailer06]

Yeah, but specially-made, oiled, LEATHER Crotched jeans!

[@DougTheSnowMan]

Underneath still had to be quite leathery, haha, so thankful we have bib shorts now!

[@magno5157]

nah...the insane thing is he rode 43" unicycle around the world with no handles

[@DarthZackTheFirstI]

more insane he has no breaks Oo

[@richlaue]

I remember following his ride, as it was happening

[@LarsonLake]

No cell phones, no GPS, no Google Maps - Just road signs and asking for directions No Google Translate - Wonder if he carried any phrase books No tent, no sleeping bag, no carried food - His trust in strangers is amazing

[@luova4549]

The World was a different place back then.

[@theninjamaster67]

i woulda at least bought a road map for the places i was going cause relying on directions can be iffy and if he was ever on a long stretch of road with hardly any people or buildings having a map and compass would come in handy greatly

[@KandiKlover]

theninjamaster67 he probably did have some, that’s how bike touring was always done and still sometimes is. I mainly use maps most of the time and just save my GPS for emergencies.

[@theninjamaster67]

@@KandiKlover yah that's a great way of doing it so you can save your battery on the GPS and a map works just fine like it always has

[@treeefrogUK]

@Bamboo Training He could - but as he said, there's god and bad, young and old, wherever you go. Which says to me that people are pretty much the same all over the world. And which means that those people out in the wilds of [insert exotic country name] are similar to those that you know locally. Prepare for your trip, take sensible precautions - but don't be paralysed with fear by the prospect.

[@anthonydowling3356]

Wally must be 72 years old now ,born 1948 ,but he looks far younger .A real legend .He made his own unicycle .

[@georgjacobsen9928]

Anthony Dowling my grandad is 84 years old and my grandmother says he looks like he’s 50, doesn’t make him a fucking legend does it

[@teedo8294]

@@georgjacobsen9928 Did your grandad unicycle around the world?

[@georgjacobsen9928]

Teedo did he mention that in the comment?

[@Deeznutsmynamejeff21]

Fantorangen Official he did mention he made his own unicycle nonetheless, did you grand father do that at the least?

[@teedo8294]

@@georgjacobsen9928 yeah he did.

[@josephxkendrick]

Awesome video to cover some of the trailblazers that weren't around when KZbin and social media was around. Nice shout out to those legends.

[@EdPratt]

Great to see you here mate

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

Ed go to Canada and try to get the transCanada one wheel record

[@joejohnson81]

Wally: "So how I'd thought we do this, is you ask me a question and I'll ask you a question." Ed: "Everyone watching this vid saw my story, here is a platform for your story." You are a wise man Ed.

[@wil6817]

What an absolute legend. The emotion that comes back to him while he tells you about his trip had me all emotional. Could see him reliving his trip while reciting it. Really amazing to see someone so full of life

[@ZCJKF13GDG4]

dude talked his beard clean off

[@niall2353]

And when he listened it grew back!

[@nickster0007]

Yeah! I was like... "wait a minute? Didn't he have a beard?" at one point.

[@bigjumbo9479]

Read this at beginning. Realised and laughed at end

[@KandiKlover]

I'm glad he did. This is important personal and human history that went largely undocumented so it's great that Ed chronicled it and finally has it out there before (god forbid) the man ever passes away and we lose it forever. It may sound silly but anyone who bicycle tours understands the importance.

[@SmellyBones]

Me 30 minutes ago: That's too long, Ed. Me now: More please.

[@iggletwiggle]

Wally stayed with our family in New Zealand during his round the world cycle. Such a nice guy.

[@WaynesStrangeBrain]

What do you/parents remember?

[@markpitts5194]

Yes, what Wayne asked, are there any memories?

[@seanfagan6727]

F**k me, his unicycle didn't even have support bars. How come this guy isn't treated as a national hero of Canada. His storytelling talent and enthusiasm is completely infectious! Brilliant guy. Epic.

[@samuelbino7915]

He clearly enjoyed sharing his tales with Ed. A day off for the grandkids from another 'Did I tell you about the time I unicycled around the world'...Not for at least an hour Grandad. Finally 30 something years later someone who can truly understand. We all need a shared understanding. Fills you with joy and energy to connect and you could see it in Wally. Loved that he had the final say and summed up perfectly what travel and adventure is all about. Great watch.

[@kushsingla7541]

30 something? isn't it more like 45 something.....

[@kushsingla7541]

It was 1976-1978 right?

[@samuelbino7915]

Solid maths...gold star, wasn't really the salient point of my comment though.

[@Papershields001]

You can tell Wally is still so passionate about the adventure. It’s really inspiring.

[@GorggW]

this man is a gem, he saw the world and became better for it, the stories people like wally have to tell are more valuable than gold, thank you Ed for bringing this man to my attention, you really are a special person.

[@smartassist9700]

My hatsoff to you for identifying this mans accomplishments which was before yours. I thoroughly enjoyed following you and your experiences throughout the journey. .. Now, thanks to you I get to hear of anothein my small town I grew up on of 980 people, my brother got a UNICYCLE for Christmas one year. He mastered it immediately and became the astounding conversation of the town for decades. Going to store on it, drive through bank. He rode it everywhere and they even let him ride inside store to watch him shop for bread, pay, and ride home. That was 1/2 Century ago. Thx again. I will watch this later today for sure. God bless from USA/Georgia. Alton

[@mackthemark9105]

Wally’s from my hometown - makes me happy to think that there are these totally amazing people who don’t necessarily get much recognition, who could be living on your street :)

[@hikerstl]

I totally enjoyed this story of an adventurer who preceded you by 40 years or so. You both are amazing people.

[@adamkavanagh5607]

He even reminds me of ed even looks a bit like him when he was younger

[@ChaoticMatters]

I was thinking that too lol

[@Almoody6996]

ChaoticMatters me too lol

[@cazza5707]

Not one to comment, but the passion that you could see in this video was amazing. I bet it was amazing to be able to chat to the only person in the world that could honestly appreciate the thrill and experience that you went through.

[@grantslinger]

I met and had dinner with Wally and tried to ride his uni! We also had an Indian wrestling match - can you imagine with his legs! It was during his ride around the world and was in Preston when he stayed with a Unicycling friend of mine Roy Rivers. Very nice guy.

[@robertbradley2420]

Wow I googled this guy obsessively yesterday after seeing him mentioned in one of your videos. Couldn't find a thing after 1977. This is great!

[@mitch3137]

That was awesome. Genuinely awesome. You two are World Record breakers and have endless stories to prove it. A book entry is meaningless...Congratulations!

[@Joseph-on7nf]

15:20 wtf was that. The guy just changed in the middle of nowhere. I'm speechless😂

[@YouTuber-ep5xx]

Wobbling Wally stayed for a night with my family in southern Minnesota, USA! He had stayed with some friends of ours in South Dakota, and they arranged for Wally to stay with us when he got here. Then he was off to Wisconsin, I suppose! Nice guy. Just amazing what he did. Was just wondering what became of him, wound up watching your vid. Enjoyed the vid. Thx!

[@tsoliot5913]

What a lovely man. I'm glad you preserved this story for posterity.

[@bradarmstrong1656]

I had heard about Wally back in the day. Thanks for making this video, Ed, it really helps complete the story and fill out the person he is. It is wonderful to see how upbeat and happy Wally is.

[@emptyscience]

28:20 is why i couldnt stop watching Ed's videos , his encounter and interaction with people ... makes you feel you were there ... so fascinating . People need this now as much as they can , not online meetings and work but go out , explore and meet people.... its not gonna be always pretty and nice and easy encounters but ...those which willl... will be remembered forever .

[@alexmorgan3435]

I remember watching the Blue Peter episode with Lesley Judd and Walter Watts as it was broadcast. Although it didn't inspire me to ride a unicycle it did inspire me to spend my life cycling a conventional bike and for that I am very grateful. Ed you are looking at yourself 50 years down the road and Walter is seeing the young man he was 50 years ago as if it was yesterday. Fabulous interview. You made an old guy very happy. Thank you for making.

[@Marc_Fuchs_1985]

Wonderful that you helped this humble man to get a little bit of late internet fame. This video could have been hours long, and most people around here would have watched it all!

[@EchoBravo370]

cellphoneless in the 70's - truly you, the road and only whatever was directly in front of you.

[@martinoosthuizen5175]

That was a total different ball game in the 70ts.

[@KandiKlover]

Actually there were wireless phones. Also ham radio handheld transceivers were easy to use and get and lots of repeaters had an auto patch that let you place phone calls through it.

[@raphibullet9306]

Two legends...so cool you interviewed W.Watts!

[@russwarwick1846]

This made me so happy.

[@lostman65]

ed, this was an amazing interview. this guy was/is just an incredible person.

[@Adam-ox6zy]

Man, I really enjoyed that chat. What a special guy! Thanks for posting that!

[@buckettraveler8398]

28:14 Backpackers think they are all adventurous by going somewhere they didn't plan on. On a bike you generally know the next city/village/town and try to get there asking along the way the best roads to take. You know your off the beaten path when you have been 3 days in the desert, not seeing anyone during that time, with your last .75 liters of water and thinking 'I might die'. Explaining my experiences with backpackers in hostels always got wide eyes and 'I'm not sure I could do that'.

[@curiousgeorge555]

My bet is a lot of people would appreciate if Wally would put more pics of his journey up on the net.

[@jonabub]

Good, bad, young and old. perfect resumen. Thanks you guys for letting us listen to your stories. That was really lovely in the most sincere sense of this word.

[@SebastianUnterberg]

I see so much similarities in their both young faces. Fascinating.

[@Andrew-Andre]

Thank you so much for making this Ed! You have shone a light on a fascinating character who didn’t have the same opportunity to thoroughly document his own adventure. Great message from Wally at the end as well.

[@aramarsh]

Old school adventure, I probably watched that episode of Blue Peter when I was a nipper, nice one Ed and Wally.

[@michaelcosten]

Two amazing people, two amazing journeys. Thank you for the great video. Nice to see and hear your conversation on your respective travels (40 years apart).

[@davelightfoot2913]

Thanks for recognizing Wally's accomplishment.

[@wrongfamily]

Fantastic doc, Ed! Well done! I've recently taken up unicycling in the last few months. Wally's explanation about being able to complete 2 revs, then a few feet and further and further really resonated with me. That's been my experience so far. Long distance uni riding has become my passion! I rode the equivalent of a 10k, just the other day on my 26" road unicycle. Your posts inspire me to keep going, thank you for sharing!

[@helenwenley5715]

I have a strong feeling that I met Wally on his travels. I am having trouble remembering where I met him.

[@kevinmcfarlane2545]

15:40..I wish I could shave that quickly

[@nialloconnell5895]

Great stuff Ed, you let the man speak. So many make the mistake of thinking it's all about them.

[@hansonlukose4373]

This man also holds the record for the quickest shave. Beard gone in second @ 27.17

[@bosengineer]

amazing how he shaved his beard and regrew it all in the span of one interview!

[@BCzepa]

the truth he spoke about at the end is AMAZING.

[@dave597]

That was amazing, thanks Ed and Wally!

[@stuartrobertson8851]

Great chat by kindred spirits. Looking forward to seeing what's next. Good luck.

[@MobileBicycleRepair505]

Amazing When he talks about fabricating the unicycle.

[@ilanpenkower]

Hey Ed! It's great to see you still making quality content in this chaos! Keep up the good work

[@DarrenGBrooks]

You two are incredible, I’m in awe of what you both did. Ed’s videos are always so well made and edited

[@bicyclemission5704]

Well done Ed...this is such an informative interview covering the wonderful aspect of touring. I loved Wallys passion, as he shared his memories to someone who understood. What I loved the most, was when he said, "I don't care if you believe me or not, I did it...as he talked to those in disbelief.

[@gvcarpenter60]

What an absolute treat this must have been for both of you, I know I was sporting a grin throughout the video. Thanks Ed!

[@ShankKulkarni]

Awesome video. I really forgot everything else for half-hour and went to that time period of 70s.

[@moondog-HMB]

Wow, proves life is what you make of it. Good job, thank you Ed And Wallis

[@gafrers]

Absolutely awesome video. Thank you Mr. Walter J. Watts it was an amazing interview. Great job Ed

[@charlificity]

Hope it doesn’t need to be said, but your filming, video editing, interview and story telling skills are really on point, it’s clear you’re passionate in adventure and sharing it. Look forward to see your future content (good luck on the tandem!)

[@UKPete]

Really interesting interview thanks!. It made me laugh when he said the the British constable had no common sense, Nothing changed there then!.

[@desiiaviator]

It is very beautiful to hear two people who went through similar situations...

[@chrisplatten2293]

The comment near the end is so true. Wherever you travel, there are kind people and not so kind people. Fortunately, on my many travels I have met more of the former. Whatever else you believe in, be nice to the people you meet and make the world a better place.

[@willian.direction6740]

Thanks Ed enjoyed hearing you both sharing your experiences.

[@montanaylago]

Thanks Ed for introducing Wally to us!

[@boredsuhas]

Beautiful video. Love this quote: No matter where you go in this world, there's always good, bad, young and old.

[@plethoraofpinatas.]

Made my day! Thanks, for bringing this great guy to our unicycle knowledge.

[@j.k.6148]

“Wherever you go there is good, bad,young , and old....” so true

[@zoltankaparthy9095]

Ed, it's so good to see you back! You are a welcome bit of sanity and goodness in this mad, mad world.

[@mcnbns]

Hello from another Canadian unicyclist! I did 110km in a day recently, but I went home and slept in my own bed. Loved listening to this conversation. Legends, both of you

[@jwbodey]

Gold. Just gold, well done Ed, a very tidy production. Thank you for sharing.

[@caspervanosch8654]

Two unique individuals discussing an unique experience!! Love you guys discussing your tours

[@andrewdunbar828]

A long one? It was too short! I would've happily watched you guys for double or triple the time.

[@dcaabd]

thx for sharing this guy's enthusiasm

[@simonlynch4204]

Ed, you need to make a larger documentary with him. For real. Actually, you guys should talk to network and see if you guys can't revisit places together and compare notes.... all on Unis. I'd watch that!

[@earthman4222]

Ed, Wally, you guys rock. Ed thanks for paying respect. You told the world. Love both of you. As to Guinness, I will have a Pale Ale.

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

Imagine talking to someone that's done the same as you like these two have done. Instant bond.

[@NotAnotherFilm]

Love this so much! Two incredibly inspiring people, generations apart, exchanging notes on life-changing experiences.

[@kyddshine]

Love it. Records are meant to be broken. I love watching the kids coming up just killing it.

[@jaketalbot9162]

It’s so good to see two people with open intrigue and admiration for eachother!

[@martxw]

So much less to carry without a laptop, multiple cameras, batteries, cables etc! Thanks for sharing Wally's story.

[@CM-kl9qh]

I couldn't agree with Wobbley more. The topography is fascinating; the people make the trip.

[@framedman]

No problem for sticking around till the end. Great video, Ed. He does like to talk, doesn't he but he had some entertaining stories and I'm glad you let him roll a little in the edit too.

[@1wheelonly583]

What a beautiful, shared story and experience, Ed. Thanks for making this. It's lovely to see the shared similarities and that Wally also got the opportunity to talk about his journey with someone who understands. He took a t-shirt, spare pants and water. Love that approach to adventure! Cheers, Kelli from Australia.

[@WAVE0025]

To summarize this video, its 2 legends talking to each other

[@BMad-we6qf]

So nice that you were able to share his story with the world. Thank you.

[@mistrlampshade]

hey Ed. thank you for your uploads. you are such a beautiful person, i wish you all the best. cheers

[@masondavis6270]

What a brilliant piece. I like Wobbley's "it's all about the people" so true...

[@6spacemonkey]

i remember when i was 9 years old and Uncle Wally called at 6 am on a Saturday morning to have me ready in half an hour so we could ride a bike-a-thon in ST. Albert (outside Edmonton at the time). I brought my cool new Mustang bike and he brought his unicycle. We met a lot of people as he certainly stood out. A really cool memory of my childhood. This was before any trips and he was teaching himself juggling on a unicycle because he thought it looked cool.

[@sblyon2162]

Wally is my second cousin... Coincidence!

[@the1barbarian781]

Shaving and regrowing a beard in 30 minutes is impressive. In all serious really loved listening to him, thanks for the video

[@ECsponger2]

Tremendous generational gap, but the joy and bond between the one wheel is amazing. Thanks for the interview, and putting Wally into the modern spotlight.

[@pjrob1957]

Pretty sure I met him in '78 cycling through the little village of Narre Warren nth near Melbourne, Australia. I was so stunned by the sight I stopped the car to say hello. Definitely him, accent and all. Nice to find that out after 42 years! Thankyou Ed, and the internet. P.S. I nearly met you, Ed also. After following you so long on the net when you rode through Melbourne. I was on an organised ride that day on bike paths in the same area. I'm sure we crossed paths at least.

[@trexinvert]

Wow. Amazing story. Amazing life. Both of them. When I ride my unicycle I feel a little bit of pride and motivation knowing their story.

[@tamiresolivy5378]

That was a great adventure! Thanks for sharing :)

[@frankfalkenburry5373]

in jeans!! what a legend!

[@markanthonyllabore5131]

Legend meet the legend❤️

[@johngarroch]

A very interesting video. “You can’t judge people by the country they live in”. Perfect statement.

[@fulks19]

Both of you men are living legends. What a great conversation. I could listen to both of your stories all night.

[@TheNails3]

Wally: 'absolute gems of people'- he is a gem!!!

[@nickster0007]

I had never heard of Wally Watt's until your video, but I'm so glad I found both of you. He is so amazingly cool! And so are you Ed!