One Wheel? No Problem! with 801Wheel

Anyone with a keen eye in any major city for the past few years is likely to have seen a new kind of vehicle cruising down the street, bike lane or trail. With a deck and rails like a skateboard and one large, go-kart sized tire in the middle, Onewheels have existed for just over 10 years. They are self-balancing, utilizing accelerometers, gyroscopes and a battery-powered, brushless hub motor to keep the rider stable. SLC is lucky enough to have its own Onewheel shop: 801Wheel, offering retail, repairs, customization and accessories, all of it run and started by Stoker Jonz.

Jonz first saw a Onewheel in Costa Mesa, California and got hooked. He rented one for a few hours and immediately decided to buy one. Shortly after that, he had the idea of servicing them. “I changed a couple of tires for some homies, and I was like, ‘There’s other people out there. Let’s do a little weekend gig,’” Jonz says. This quickly turned into a shop space on Major Street, which he has had for a little over four years now.

“We do require smiles, but that comes naturally.”

Utah has proven to be fertile ground for the new and burgeoning sport. With ample city bike lanes and mountain trails (legally, it classifies as an e-bike), Utahns have been quick to adopt it. “Onewheeling does have very surf-like qualities and very snowboard-like qualities,” Jonz says. “A lot of the muscle mechanics and such are relative to even skateboarding and all the other board sports — but it is something that should be respected as a board sport all [on] its own.” Jonz says that many of his customers use them to run with their dogs, commute to work, ride with their kids or even run errands. Some even use them for chores on their ranch like going out to feed horses or milk cows, replacing ATVs as a means of transportation.

Every Wednesday, dozens of riders of all ages and genders gather for a group ride hosted by 801Wheel. “[The rides are] stoke-filled chaos and always an adventure,” Jonz says. “We do require smiles, but that comes naturally. You’re going to meet new people in the community, make new friends, explore new territories … You show up to any one of these group rides and one of those riders is gonna say, ‘Yeah [you] can take [my Onewheel] for a mile.’”

“Foot pads are another immediate upgrade that should be made to most, if not all, boards that will help with the foot fatigue and increase the control of the board.”

This summer, Jonz has organized a treasure hunt and board giveaway meant to encourage people to get out and explore. “We’re placing markers throughout Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Utah and Summit counties. We’ve got 12 markers hidden out there and every week we release a clue to go find those markers. If you capture all 12 of those markers, you’re going to be put into the drawing.” The full details can be found on Instagram at @801wheel.

For riders who are looking to increase the speed or range of their board(s), Jonz offers nearly every type of upgrade possible. “Tires are a simple but significant upgrade. There are many options and it really comes down to [rider] preference, but that would be a serious, significant and very noticeable upgrade right off the bat,” Jonz says. “Foot pads are another immediate upgrade that should be made to most, if not all, boards that will help with the foot fatigue and increase the control of the board.” In addition to these simple upgrades, Jonz offers swaps of all other major components, which provides the rider with something that no one else has.

Onewheeling is relatively new when compared to other board sports, and Salt Lake City is lucky to have a thriving community and shop to help Utahns achieve a kind of Zen while riding, which Onewheelers refer to as “the float state.”

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