Sinjung Jung stands with the Wheeler his father sent him from South Korea. His speed can reach about 43 mph.
One international student in the OSU English Language Institute has a vehicle that may be unfamiliar to many American students.
About a month ago, Sinjung Jung, or Sean, as his friends call him, received a machine called a Wheeler from his father in South Korea.
The machine resembles a mix between a motorcycle, scooter and snowboard.
To ride his Wheeler, Jung places his feet into slots on a board above the two wheels and holds onto a cable-type controller containing an acceleration throttle and hand brake. He stands upright on the board, squeezes the acceleration handle and takes off.
The Wheeler has no handlebars or seat. Riders have to rely on balance alone to avoid falling off.
To steer, Jung shifts the weight of his body and angles the front wheel with his foot.
“Riding is not easy,” Jung said.
Although he said the machine is difficult to ride, Jung said he taught himself to ride his Wheeler in one day.
Jung snowboarded in the past, so he was already familiar with the techniques used to balance and steer the Wheeler.
However, he did fall when learning to ride it.
“One time, in the grass,” he said.
Kay Keys, the director of ELI, said she was surprised when Jung, who is a first-level student in the ELI program, brought the Wheeler into the school one day.
“He had it up in the hallway and all of the teachers were gathered around it,” Keys said. “We were all fascinated and asking all the questions. ‘Which way do you face?’ ‘Where do you put your feet?’”
The machine runs off an engine similar to a lawnmower engine, which holds about one liter of a mixture of gasoline and engine oil.
Jung said he can ride about 25 kilometers, or about 15 miles, on one liter of fuel.
The Wheeler can reach speeds up to 70 kilometers per hour, which is about 43 miles per hour, he said.
Jung usually keeps his speed between 18-25 miles per hour, however, he said.
Jung said he heard about the Wheelers about four years ago, while living at home in South Korea.
He said he knows one friend at home who has the machine, but not many people own them.
In South Korea, a Wheeler costs about $2,500, Jung said.
His father paid about $600 extra to buy the machine and have it shipped to the U.S.
The machine originated in Australia, where it is called a Wheelman or Brushpig. It was featured in Time Magazine in 2002, in the magazine’s “Best Inventions of the Past Year” section.
Jung said he rides his Wheeler around campus, to church and when running errands, such as going to Wal-mart.
Jung said the machine gets the attention of many around campus and Stillwater.
People turn their heads and look at him when he is riding it, he said.
The Wheeler also serves as a conversation starter for Jung.
He said many people talk to him when they see him on the machine.
Jung said it benefits him to talk to people about his Wheeler because he moved to the United States in January and is still learning English.
Jung said he has not had any problems with cars getting too close to him or almost hitting him when he rides his Wheeler in the street.
He said most drivers are very polite.
Jung’s friend, Michael Wang, who is also a student in ELI, said he tried to ride the Wheeler once, but did not do well.
“It’s very hard and very exciting,” Wang said.
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