How to learn unicycling ?

[schroed@sbcglobal.net]

Help! I bought a unicycle on a whim a couple of years ago, tried to ride it on my own and didn't get anywhere. Now the thing sits in my garage and mocks me.
I'm 56, in pretty good shape, and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Any Ideas?

Thanks, Bill

[john_childs]

Here are some links to several tips & tutorials & guides (http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/local_links.php?catid=3&page=1) that cover more than can be accomplished in a single post. The methods and techniques there will get you started in the right direction.

[Hazmat]

:D Refer to the links john_childs just sent as they're very useful in helping you with your problems. :D

[nubcake]

y'know, i'm mildly annoyed at you all in general. all of what i have read on how to unicycle is all fine and good, and telling people to just 'practice practice practice' and read the articles that all say virtually the same thing is all fine and good too, however, no one seems to get into the finer points of how to unicycle. perhaps you have all long-forgotten what it was like and the things you did wrong and right that got you to the point you are at now?

i'm a learner, and the problem with everything i have read is that nothing seems to touch on the WRONG things people do that upset the whole effort, despite doing everything else seemingly correct and doing all that are in the articles. it's often not obvious to someone what they ARE doing wrong as opposed to what they AREN'T doing correctly. practicing practicing practicing something unknowingly wrong until realising silly mistakes is such a painfully large amount of effort only to suddenly become enlightened when it needn't have come as such a surprise in the first place... if only someone had mentioned it beforehand.

i want to see more posts on the things people have done WRONG as opposed to what they aren't doing RIGHT. anyone can try to do all the things in the how-to articles but it's going to be a hard day on one wheel if the person is also trying to brush their teeth at the same time or put on a shirt... yes, silly examples.

i for one have only just noticed that while i'm trying to learn to idle i have been letting go of my support and moving that hand WAY TOO FAR away from it to try to be independent of it, and this has been drastically throwing my balance off and ruining my happy place. i hadn't even noticed i was doing this until just before. all i've had in my head the whole time were all the pointers on what to DO to be able to idle and ride etc and i was oblivious to my support arms actions.

something else that i've only seen mentioned once was that a person doesn't need to idle going only forward and backwards in a straight line. it's just too easy to see all the people who have mastered idling and riding having complete control and keeping things 'tight' and to then get it in your head that the correct way to do any of this is exactly as they do it which is without any side-ways deviations. trying to be so 'perfect' because you are trying to emulate someone who has mastered it can really ruin the whole learning curve and stunt your balance growth i would think.

so... we all have the links for what to do to successfully unicycle, but i think we need more pointers on the silly finer points of what NOT to do so as not to sabotage our efforts (more than just "sit on the seat"). maybe it's all just me and i'm just ranting.

anyways, apart from that little rant you guys all seem pretty cool, but i'm fairly sure that's a prerequisite to being able to ride on a unicycle anyways... so moot point. i've only had a dodgy 24" ebay uni for a couple of months. haven't progressed much. i'm focusing on idling atm for my own reasons, hence, the repeated mention of idling in this rant.

bye now.

[StaggerLee]

y'know, i'm mildly annoyed at you all in general. all of what i have read on how to unicycle is all fine and good, and telling people to just 'practice practice practice' and read the articles that all say virtually the same thing is all fine and good too, however, no one seems to get into the finer points of how to unicycle. perhaps you have all long-forgotten what it was like and the things you did wrong and right that got you to the point you are at now?

i'm a learner, and the problem with everything i have read is that nothing seems to touch on the WRONG things people do that upset the whole effort, despite doing everything else seemingly correct and doing all that are in the articles. it's often not obvious to someone what they ARE doing wrong as opposed to what they AREN'T doing correctly. practicing practicing practicing something unknowingly wrong until realising silly mistakes is such a painfully large amount of effort only to suddenly become enlightened when it needn't have come as such a surprise in the first place... if only someone had mentioned it beforehand.

i want to see more posts on the things people have done WRONG as opposed to what they aren't doing RIGHT. anyone can try to do all the things in the how-to articles but it's going to be a hard day on one wheel if the person is also trying to brush their teeth at the same time or put on a shirt... yes, silly examples.

i for one have only just noticed that while i'm trying to learn to idle i have been letting go of my support and moving that hand WAY TOO FAR away from it to try to be independent of it, and this has been drastically throwing my balance off and ruining my happy place. i hadn't even noticed i was doing this until just before. all i've had in my head the whole time were all the pointers on what to DO to be able to idle and ride etc and i was oblivious to my support arms actions.

something else that i've only seen mentioned once was that a person doesn't need to idle going only forward and backwards in a straight line. it's just too easy to see all the people who have mastered idling and riding having complete control and keeping things 'tight' and to then get it in your head that the correct way to do any of this is exactly as they do it which is without any side-ways deviations. trying to be so 'perfect' because you are trying to emulate someone who has mastered it can really ruin the whole learning curve and stunt your balance growth i would think.

so... we all have the links for what to do to successfully unicycle, but i think we need more pointers on the silly finer points of what NOT to do so as not to sabotage our efforts (more than just "sit on the seat"). maybe it's all just me and i'm just ranting.

anyways, apart from that little rant you guys all seem pretty cool, but i'm fairly sure that's a prerequisite to being able to ride on a unicycle anyways... so moot point. i've only had a dodgy 24" ebay uni for a couple of months. haven't progressed much. i'm focusing on idling atm for my own reasons, hence, the repeated mention of idling in this rant.

bye now.


what else is to be said that hasn't already been said....... your muscles need to learn what to do (muscle memory) and they only learn that from doing and doing and doing. so sit on the seat, lean forwards, pedal and practice

[nubcake]

like i mentioned... what about those key little things that just mess it all up without you realising. and like i mentioned it'd be good to hear about those things that others have done wrong so that us less experienced can learn from your mistakes, instead of the current methodology of learning from your success.

eventually most of us will get there in the end, but how about giving a heads-up on the paths that weren't so productive that we may not realise we are doing.

i guess it's like trying to explain to someone how to write with a pen... stick pen in between thumb and finger, place pen-tip on paper, write. well, how about those of you who were using your whole arm to write and finally realised to base your hand and just use your wrist to precisely move the pen? things like this that some people might not think of and which fall outside of the given formula!

surely i'm not the only nubcake who has discovered something stupid they were doing that they hadn't initially realised??? surely? anyone?..... anyone????? ok, maybe it IS just me then :S

[Jerrick]

y'know, i'm mildly annoyed at you all in general. all of what i have read on how to unicycle is all fine and good, and telling people to just 'practice practice practice' and read the articles that all say virtually the same thing is all fine and good too, however, no one seems to get into the finer points of how to unicycle. perhaps you have all long-forgotten what it was like and the things you did wrong and right that got you to the point you are at now?


We didn't forget. We never forget the first moments of learning, when we could pedal once, twice, and forever.

Thing is, all the simple things posted over and over are all it takes.

Most weight on the seat, some on the pedals. Sit straight, look forward, pedal, swing arms for balance.

That's really all there is to it. There isn't a secret like, stick you left hand forward, flex your abs, and tilt head to the right and you learn faster. Its all trials and error. And even that depends on who you are.

[nubcake]

fine then. it still feels like y'all just want us noobs to suffer this rite of passage while holding the inner-secrets to yourselves and idly grinning :P

oh, and it's the 'trial and error' that you speak of that i was thinking would help us poor fools (learn from your mistakes, not your success). anyways, how bout that weather, huh!

[Jerrick]

fine then. it still feels like y'all just want us noobs to suffer this rite of passage while holding the inner-secrets to yourselves and idly grinning :P

oh, and it's the 'trial and error' that you speak of that i was thinking would help us poor fools (learn from your mistakes, not your success). anyways, how bout that weather, huh!


Trust me, if I had any inner secrets for learning how to ride, I would tell everyone. Im not the type to hold back on something to watch others have a hard time at stuff.

Unicycling is pretty much all trials and error. Falling forward, then lean back a little, and when you notice yourself going forward with your body, pedal a tad faster to bring the wheel up under you again and try to stay up right. Falling to the side, sit up straight, flail your arms and use your hips to correct yourself, and pedal faster to use momentum to help you balance.

A lot of it is common sense like that though, and if you record yourself trying something, and watch it back, it is very easy to see what is going wrong and what to correct. I taught a friend how to unispin in 5 minutes because I recorded him doing it, saw what he did wrong, told him what to try next time, and he got it on his 4th attempt.

Weather, well yesterday is was great for half of the day, then around 6pm is started to rain. Today is pretty gloomy looking, but a nice temperature for doing anything active outside.

[nubcake]

ok well since i'm focusing on idling what do you suggest about the following... the forward and backward motion is a no-brainer and fine now that it's getting more comfortable to sit on the uni, however, it seems as though all it takes is an ant sneezing to knock me sideways, and once there is the most miniscule falling to either side it is already far too late to recover. is it really just all about the arms flailing and the hips twisting, and if so should it really seem so incredibly unbelievably touchy and difficult to recover from tipping? is there some other factors that come into play? the side-ways tipping is a real killer >/

my plan of attack is to learn to idle. learn to mount. then learn to ride like all of you folk who are out there having fun... this is the plan simply because i don't particularly have anywhere with support to practice riding, and then mount, and then idle as seems to be the normal progression.

[Bondo]

my plan of attack is to learn to idle. learn to mount. then learn to ride like all of you folk who are out there having fun... .

...well this seems like the worst way to learn.
The proverbial cart before the horse.
Learn to ride first...then learn mounting and idling. It will make a lot of difference.



so... we all have the links for what to do to successfully unicycle, but i think we need more pointers on the silly finer points of what NOT to do .

OK

Ways to not learn how to unicycle:

Do not learn to ride it on a tightrope first.
Do not learn with snowshoes on your feet
Do not learn while working on a tuna boat...or in a canoe
Do not learn while under the influence of vodka. (trust me on this one)
Do not learn while hot chicks are watching.
Do not learn if your unicycle is made by ACME
Do not learn during an alien abduction, there is enough anal probing going on.
Do not learn while in a public restroom, especially in airports.


hope this helps.
:) ;) ;) :D

[nubcake]

Do not learn while under the influence of vodka. (trust me on this one)


hot diggity! i wanna try it now :)

[john_childs]

I learned to ride back before the Internet. I didn't know of any local unicycling clubs or local riders. I just got a unicycle and said I'm going to learn to ride it. I had no instruction and no knowledge of any proper way to learn to ride. I just experimented with trial and error. I tried some things that didn't work well at all (like stretching a rope across the garage to use as a support). Through all the mistakes and lack of knowledge I did learn to ride. There is nothing magic. You just gotta put in the time and the practice.

With the Internet it is now trivial to find instructions and tips for learning.

If you're stuck somewhere with no access to other local riders then you can improvise by doing things like video taping a practice session and your riding. Experienced riders can look at the video and tell you what you may be doing wrong or give you suggestions on what to work on.

[john_childs]

ok well since i'm focusing on idling what do you suggest about the following... the forward and backward motion is a no-brainer and fine now that it's getting more comfortable to sit on the uni, however, it seems as though all it takes is an ant sneezing to knock me sideways, and once there is the most miniscule falling to either side it is already far too late to recover. is it really just all about the arms flailing and the hips twisting, and if so should it really seem so incredibly unbelievably touchy and difficult to recover from tipping? is there some other factors that come into play? the side-ways tipping is a real killer >/

Sideways balance while idling is the tricky bit. I'm currently learning how to crank idle (http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/play.cfm?pi=f320240crankidletouch) and dealing with learning how to control the sideways balance while doing that. It's like learning to idle all over again.

The sideways balance is in the hips. It's also in the timing of those hip corrections. You gotta learn to time the corrections with the position of the pedal stroke.

The sideways balance is also about posture and how you position your upper body. If you're upper body is all moving around all over the place the wheel is going to have to follow. That makes idling difficult. Learn to keep the upper body mostly still and use the hips to control the unicycle.

[xtor]

The sideways balance is also about posture and how you position your upper body. If you're upper body is all moving around all over the place the wheel is going to have to follow. That makes idling difficult. Learn to keep the upper body mostly still and use the hips to control the unicycle.


I just learned to idle, and couldn't agree more. What helped me the most
was my neighbor has an iron railing in front of his house which happened
to be just the right height for me to support my self and practicing to
get the right motion before letting go and doing it.

It always seems easier to do things when I know what it feels like.

[nubcake]

now where talking. this is exactly what i was chasing and what i suspect (hope?) others are chasing too. regarding the hip corrections, do you mean in terms of changing wheel direction, or trying to counter-balance by jutting the hips to the non-falling direction, or both (, or something else entirely)?

also why did the rope-assist fail you? on pen and paper it seems like a not terrible idea, but i don't have the setup to see why it fails in practice.

[cool-bananas]

fine then. it still feels like y'all just want us noobs to suffer this rite of passage while holding the inner-secrets to yourselves and idly grinning :P
!

if we had secrets we would tell but the plain truth is you have to ...

Weight on seat, look forward, pedel and your arms will swing wildly and practice.

It really is as simple as that to learn. For when you learn tricks it is abit more than just practice there is some technique.

[nubcake]

well anyways i'm starting to get idling... i can do it for a few seconds before i run out of room to move around in or before i just plain lose control. i'll feel like (more of) a right tool when i can idle and not yet even ride :P

on very rare occasion i can even mount. sux to be me a few days ago, but not so much now. am i right in saying that to put virtually any weight on the downward pedal when mounting will virtually always mess-up your balance in trying to mount? it's best to try to 'float' directly above the seat and to intend to have the weight fall on both pedals when you are directly above the seat? i've seen some of the side mounts on youtube so clearly it's possible to compensate for drastic weight displacement to one side, but is the balance on a uni really fickle when simply trying to mount if there is any pressure on one pedal?

i've also found that trying to sit on the seat too fast tends to kill it too. if i can 'float' onto the pedals and above the seat and keep my grip on the seat for a moment and seeing where the balance is going to fall seems to really help, and as i start to try to roll to compensate i can then put my weight on the seat and remove my hand. does anyone else find this?

more questions for my own reality checks on if it's "just me" or not :)

cheers for any reply.

[john_childs]

now where talking. this is exactly what i was chasing and what i suspect (hope?) others are chasing too. regarding the hip corrections, do you mean in terms of changing wheel direction, or trying to counter-balance by jutting the hips to the non-falling direction, or both (, or something else entirely)?


The hip corrections are in terms of changing the wheel direction. If you're falling to the right you'll arc the wheel to the right on each forward and back idle stroke till you regain your balance. The wheel will move to the right in arcs and only a few inches at a time. You can't make very large side to side corrections all at once.

The whole concept of balancing on a unicycle is moving and controlling the wheel so the wheel stays under you. That is the exact opposite of trying to balance by moving your upper body to regain balance above the wheel.

This is key so I'll repeat it again. The whole concept of balancing on a unicycle is moving and controlling the wheel so the wheel stays under you. Do not think of it as trying to balance your body above the wheel.

So when you're idling you keep your balance by moving the wheel so it stays under you. It is difficult to move the wheel sideways so side to side balance while idling is a bit tricky at first. You use the hips to get the wheel to move in the direction you need it to.

Now still-stands are the opposite technique. A still-stand is where you stay in one place on the unicycle without moving the wheel. It is a very difficult and advanced skill. To balance while doing a still-stand you move your upper body to keep your body above the wheel. That is the exact opposite of how you balance while idling. The technique is that if you're falling to the right you throw your hips out further to the right and your upper body (chest and trunk) to the left. That gets your center of mass back over the wheel, but you're all kilted leaning sideways in a ">" kind of shape. Now you have to get yourself back upright while maintaining balance.

Don't do or attempt any of the still-stand balance techniques while idling. Still-stands are the exact opposite of how you maintain balance while idling.


also why did the rope-assist fail you? on pen and paper it seems like a not terrible idea, but i don't have the setup to see why it fails in practice.
The rope tightly strung across the garage doesn't work because the rope doesn't have enough support. A solid handrail would work. Or a solid rail like what they have along the wall in a dance studio. The rope idea is completely ineffective as a learning aid.

[mattsmith]

Hi Nubcake,
I'm not too much of an old hand to have forgotten the torture of learning and I know what you mean about not having the pitfalls explained in the usual guides, so I'm going to share a few gems that I learned on the way.

Firstly, forget idling. It comes naturally a few skills down the line. Riding will allow you to freemount without tilting violently to one side, freemounting will allow you to roll mount which leads easily to idling or backwards riding. There's a natural progression to these early skills that you'd do well to observe. Floating over the pedals when you're idling will wear your legs out in no time. Seated idling is harder to master but easier on your legs.

Ride first. By-a-wall way worked best for me, but the really important part was not the wall itself but the terrain. It's got to be smooth, I don't mean kinda smooth, I mean gym floor smooth. I started on a rubber tile floor that was horribly uneven and knackered a kneecap in the attempt (it still clicks).
Once I switched to the 5-a-side court the skill came in no time. The court had a slight incline that helped accustom me to the balance of the wheel, and appreciate the finer points of holding weight in the back foot on the decline versus applying front foot pressure on the uphill.

Do you ride a bike? If so, forget the way that you pedal a bike. It's not the same. There is very little forward pressure applied to the pedals. It's all guiding the force that your weight applies through the saddle. It clicked for me once I started concentrating on my back foot. It holds your balance while your front foot guides. Concentrate on keeping it smooth and slow as your foot goes past the lowest spot on the curve.

Don't wear heels. Your feet will probably slip forward on the pedals a lot while you're learning and the temptation (for me anyway) was to wear my DMs with a little heel to keep my feet in place. BAD IDEA. Another kneecap destroyer as it allows you to put pressure on the knee joint instead of the quads.

Most importantly, keep it cool. Your posts give the impression that you've been getting more than a little frustrated. Stay calm reset yourself before each attempt.

[nubcake]

cool post and thanks.

no i don't ride a bicycle anymore, it's been about 10 years. i do (or rather did) ride motorcycles though (and rollerblade). i know what you mean about the flat surface. just going from the smooth concrete under the house to the rough concrete outside the pool fence is a noted difference in how the tire responds, and then going to the soft grass is so far an impossible dream. i wear my sneakers... i wouldn't think of wearing my colorado boots as they'd be way too heavy and cumbersome. yes, i am finding that trying to mount has in the past given me terrible sideways tipping, but i'm trying to gradually tweak and tweak and find the sweet combination of things to get it all working right (i think maybe 1 in 20 time i get a good mount, but then there's the 19 tiring attempts to deal with) but i'm still in search of those key things that i don't know about or haven't realised that will kill whatever it is that is causing my failed attempts to get above the seat and instead has me falling to in whichever direction to the ground again.... step up, tip, step down, wash rinse repeat.

yes i am putting my weight on the seat, what i was noting was that i so far seem to have a calmer and more productive start to idling if i don't immediately put the weight down as it seems to take away the initial anti-tipping efforts and leaves me standing on the ground again. i guess it's a bit like getting into a canoe or kayak in that if you rush it all at once you end up in the water, but if you take it a bit more gently then you have a better chance of not getting wet.

yes i am getting frustrated because getting everything working together at the right time just seems infinitely fickle at the moment and it only takes the smallest mis-movement to ruin it. i am trying to reset each time, but it gets a bit soul destroying spending so much time trying to get on the seat as opposed to actually being on the seat.

your kneecap sounds fun... and they try to say that unicycling is safe :P i read it mentioned somewhere else about being careful about handles as people break fingers that way, and as i don't have a handle i hadn't even thought of that. now THAT would spoil your day :S

new question : does anyone find that your balance is shot at night time? i feel that i do far far better during the day when i can see things, but once it gets properly dark progress goes notably downhill. hmm, no i don't mean i'm trying to practice in pitch black, i mean streetlights etc where there is minimal light.

new question #2 : could the Original Poster report back and let us know how things are cruising? i seem to have hijacked this thread, but i don't feel too bad about not creating 'yet another' newbie thread. i wonder if any progress has been made on the OP's side of town.

[mattsmith]

...i'm still in search of those key things that i don't know about or haven't realised that will kill whatever it is that is causing my failed attempts to get above the seat and instead has me falling to in whichever direction to the ground again.... step up, tip, step down, wash rinse repeat.
It could be that you're too close to the wheel when you mount. If you stand right beside the cycle when you mount then you've got to find your centre in both directions (forward/backwards and sideways) when you get there, as well as getting a good motion into your idle. If you mount with your foot a pace behind the wheel then your forward/backward centre needs little adjustment. I know I'm banging on a bit, but if you learnt to mount to a ride first then you'd be halfway there already. I used to visualise it as stepping over the uni when I first started mounting, it really helped to get the propulsion of my weight onto the saddle rather than stepping up and then just dropping backwards again.

new question : does anyone find that your balance is shot at night time? i feel that i do far far better during the day when i can see things, but once it gets properly dark progress goes notably downhill. hmm, no i don't mean i'm trying to practice in pitch black, i mean streetlights etc where there is minimal light.
When it's too dark to see properly you have to respond to the flow of the ground as you reach it, knowing what's coming allows you to anticipate where your balance and pressure needs to be. In my first few weeks I'd ride the local streets (very badly surfaced) late at night and spend as much time mounting as riding. As a learner you're sure to find it harder but it's all good practice.
I don't do that so much since I got into muni. Finding my way over unseen tree roots and rocks has proven a whole new challenge!

[nubcake]

something i have noticed is how much an impact the seat height makes both in mounting and in idling. being on a 24" means that having the seat at a height so that my leg gets to extend comfortably also means that it's a noticeable 'climb' to get on top of the seat when trying to mount, but the legs are comfortable... but then having the seat a little lower so it's a minimal 'climb' makes mounting a completely easier task but the legs don't get to be as comfortable anymore.

watching video of guys on 20" trial uni's mounting looks like they are basically sliding forward onto the seat... so easy looking.

[Hazmat]

watching video of guys on 20" trial uni's mounting looks like they are basically sliding forward onto the seat... so easy looking.
It will become easy for you as well, it just takes time like they did. They didn't learn the 1st day either. :D

[nubcake]

i probably should have put a question in there.

q) as i haven't seen a 20"(19") uni and only have my 24" to play with... anyone who has had the chance to ride both a 20 and 24 want to comment on any differences experienced?

[Hazmat]

Going from 24" to a 20",
- The 1st thing you notice is the speed difference.
- I prefer using 20" for trials. For some reason, i find it alot better then 24".

[nubcake]

do you find the 20 easier or more comfortable than the 24, or are they "same same, just different"?

this dodgy 51 buck (including postage) ebay uni is already gettin creaky on occasion... i can definitely see myself hooking into a nimbus trial uni if i ever have money to splash around. why a nimbus? price. i'd just like something a little more appealing to the eye than what i have :)

[Hazmat]

Well my 1st unicycle was a 20" cheapo but traded it for the LX from my friend. L8R on i got a DX which is so freaky awesome. :D

So i think it's up to what is best for you or as you would say "same same, just different" :p

[mattsmith]

i probably should have put a question in there.

q) as i haven't seen a 20"(19") uni and only have my 24" to play with... anyone who has had the chance to ride both a 20 and 24 want to comment on any differences experienced?

20" is only just too high to have my feet on the deck. With my 24" muni I have to jump a little to get on it.

I was a bit afraid when I learnt to freemount in the first place. Even those few inches off the ground was a little scary when I'd only been riding a few days. It seemed like a quite a leap to lift myself over the top of the cycle and in the early days it would take a few moments for me to gather the courage. When I switched to the 24" (24" x 3" I must add, considerably bigger than 20" x 1.25") it felt enormous, I spent my few hours just practicing mounting because it was so different.
They're equally easy now, and I much prefer 24", but I'd hate to have started with it.
Just out of curiosity, how tall are you? I'm about 178cm (70" for you imperialists :)

[nubcake]

that's basically exactly what i was hoping to hear mattsmith. my driver's licence has me as 170cm... so i think that's something like 5 10 or whatever.

your comments about the 20 being just slightly too high to be able to put your foot on the ground is exactly what i thought i was seeing in the video's, and then to say how the 24 feel enourmous and is quite the jump is EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN FEELING!!! validation rocks!

i've lowered the seat for awhile to be closer to the ground at the sacrifice of proper leg extension and the better balance of a properly heightened seat. mounting is a completely different experience (easy) with it lowered, not that it means i have it nailed yet :)

it makes me wonder how many of you started on a 20" and have yet to experience what it's like on a 24. and yer i'm feeling that i would be doing at least a little better if i was on a 20 and not this 24 :P

[UniDudeDX]

i learned on a 20' and i really wish i had one now. i prefer them alot more. i have a 24" but i like 20"

[dudewithasock]

I know there's already been a lot of discussion in this thread, but I'll go ahead do something I haven't done in a while and put in a plug for my old unicycling journal. It details my first 35 days on my learner uni, from my first time on to riding, freemounting, and starting to learn to idle. Each entry is fairly well written, or so I've been told, and there are tips at the end of each that seem incredibly common sense to me and most riders now, but can really help beginners.

The link is in my signature. Spread it around to other beginners if you like it!

Happy riding! :)

[nubcake]

actually have ready quite a bit of it.... but then i realised the thread was quite long so i never read all of it :)

[beeper]

fine then. it still feels like y'all just want us noobs to suffer this rite of passage while holding the inner-secrets to yourselves and idly grinning :P

oh, and it's the 'trial and error' that you speak of that i was thinking would help us poor fools (learn from your mistakes, not your success). anyways, how bout that weather, huh!

I hadn't heard of this site until about a month or two after i learned how to consistently ride. All you have to do is mount the unicycle while holding onto a wall, car, fence, etc. and just go for it. over about an hour, you will learn to consistently ride for about 3 revs. Keep practising every day, and you will learn in 5 days like i did.

It helps if you dont hold onto the seat. One of my friends tried to learn, and it took him about a week and a half, and he can't ride with his hand off of the seat. He looks like he is always itching. :P

just have fun with it, and you can learn on your own. There is nothing more we can tell you when it comes down to it, then to practise.

[JohnnyReggae]

i probably should have put a question in there.

q) as i haven't seen a 20"(19") uni and only have my 24" to play with... anyone who has had the chance to ride both a 20 and 24 want to comment on any differences experienced?

I started to learn to ride in June this year. I have a no-name 24". Not knowing there was a difference between the different wheel sizes in terms of how they respond it didn't really bother me. After learning how to ride and free mount I felt really comfortable on my Uni.

Recently I had the opportunity of trying a friend's 20". I couldn't believe how stable it felt, solid as a rock so to speak. A notable difference was that I could feel every single little bump in the road, where my 24" simply glided over them. I can only wonder what it would have been like to learn on a 20", but I am glad that I did it on a 24".

This past weekend I did a 20km cycle race on my 24". 2hrs 45 minutes later I was quite buggered, but very happy. I shudder to think of attempting that on a 20" though.

[BurnerDave]

This is my first post and I got to say this forum is awesome.
I got my 24" uni last week and have about 2 hours under my belt! I'm just at the stage of rocking back and forth against a wall. I empathise with Nubcake.
I decided to record myself from the start (heck I even recorded the UPS guy delivering it and me opening the box!)...
After reading all the articles on how to ride I have to agree with the view that you have to just put in the time. I am making progress bit by bit. Winter will soon be here, and I've got a decent size basement to practice in. My goal is to be out there riding in the spring.
When I watch myself on the video I don't really learn much, it's just funny! What seems to work for me is remembering that the idea is to peddle the uni under you as you fall, not to try to balance on top of it. Sort of!

[BurnerDave]

Nut protectors. Anyone invent a nut protector yet.

[Hazmat]

Nut protectors. Anyone invent a nut protector yet.
Yep, 3 pairs of shorts. :D

[BurnerDave]

It was awesome! Last night I dreamt I was riding my unicycle! It was so vivid I can still remember the "feeling'.

Thanks for all the "learn to ride" postings that appear all over this forum. There can never be too many of them, so don't anyone apologize for posting one more 'how to learn' comment! I think I'm getting the main points ... Look forward, flail, for chis'sake SIT on the uni.

I'm into my 3rd or 4th hour of practice. I can only do about 20 minutes at a time, 2 or 3 times a day, before I get drenched in sweat. I can now do about 2 revolutions, once in a while, with one hand sliding along the wall but as I lose it, I add more and more weight to the pedals. Then, splat. I find I get stuck in the dead zone to often, then splat.

I'm glad I bought a helmet and wrist protectors a few days ago. I took a backwards fall yesterday, twisted my ankle a bit but not sprained, and landed on one wrist pretty hard. It was the first time I landed so hard. I still feel it today. I've been videotaping myself to study it and entertain my friends. If I put a chunk of it on my Youtube account maybe I'll get some critique and advice from you guys.

Burner Dave
Arguing with a stubborn person is like mud-wrestling with a pig. After a while, you realize that the pig likes it.

[gina]

The only mistake you made is in giving up. I started to try to ride at 50 without any help. I wanted to give up at times, but I am just too stubborn. I just knew I could ride. It took me four months of learning to feel I could even begin to claim I could ride a unicycle.
I learned by holding onto people, fences or anything else I could find. I have read that the people that take the longest to learn are those that learn by holding on and/or learn alone. That seems to be true in my case, but I have only had about five falls where I completely landed flat on the ground. At 50 that is a good thing.
I would watch any videos I could find of people riding unicycles such as on youtube, etc. I also like to watch tutorials on-line. Watch Leo Vandewoestijne at www.unicyclist.org/cont/levels.cfm.
I also strongly suggest safety gear. I wear elbow, knee and wrist protection. When I do fall I don't even feel it. My knee and elbow pads have gel inside them. I wear Kris Holm's gloves specifically designed for unicyclists.
Hope this encourages you to keep trying, and DON'T GIVE UP! If I can ride, anyone can ride!

[gina]

I started on a 26 inch Torker LX because I wanted to ride moderate distances and I am 70 inches tall (5"10"). I ride with the seat adjusted so my leg is almost completely extended when the pedal is at the bottom. I put the ball of my foot on the pedal.
When I rode with the Twin Cities Unicycle Club they suggested continuing my learning on a 20, especially for parades because they are more maneuverable. That is true. The 20 is lighter, more maneuverable, and I guess a little easier to ride, but boy do you have to pedal faster. I feel like a clown in an act sometimes.
The 26 is a little harder to mount. I have a heavy tire on my 26 so it takes some energy to ride distances.
I guess it would have been better to start to learn on a 20. Many people use a 24 in the Twin Cities Unicycle Club to go moderate distances and to ride in parades.
gina

[Tomahawk]

y'know, i'm mildly annoyed at you all in general. all of what i have read on how to unicycle is all fine and good, and telling people to just 'practice practice practice' and read the articles that all say virtually the same thing is all fine and good too, however, no one seems to get into the finer points of how to unicycle. perhaps you have all long-forgotten what it was like and the things you did wrong and right that got you to the point you are at now?

i'm a learner, and the problem with everything i have read is that nothing seems to touch on the WRONG things people do that upset the whole effort, despite doing everything else seemingly correct and doing all that are in the articles. it's often not obvious to someone what they ARE doing wrong as opposed to what they AREN'T doing correctly. practicing practicing practicing something unknowingly wrong until realising silly mistakes is such a painfully large amount of effort only to suddenly become enlightened when it needn't have come as such a surprise in the first place... if only someone had mentioned it beforehand.

i want to see more posts on the things people have done WRONG as opposed to what they aren't doing RIGHT. anyone can try to do all the things in the how-to articles but it's going to be a hard day on one wheel if the person is also trying to brush their teeth at the same time or put on a shirt... yes, silly examples.

i for one have only just noticed that while i'm trying to learn to idle i have been letting go of my support and moving that hand WAY TOO FAR away from it to try to be independent of it, and this has been drastically throwing my balance off and ruining my happy place. i hadn't even noticed i was doing this until just before. all i've had in my head the whole time were all the pointers on what to DO to be able to idle and ride etc and i was oblivious to my support arms actions.

something else that i've only seen mentioned once was that a person doesn't need to idle going only forward and backwards in a straight line. it's just too easy to see all the people who have mastered idling and riding having complete control and keeping things 'tight' and to then get it in your head that the correct way to do any of this is exactly as they do it which is without any side-ways deviations. trying to be so 'perfect' because you are trying to emulate someone who has mastered it can really ruin the whole learning curve and stunt your balance growth i would think.

so... we all have the links for what to do to successfully unicycle, but i think we need more pointers on the silly finer points of what NOT to do so as not to sabotage our efforts (more than just "sit on the seat"). maybe it's all just me and i'm just ranting.

anyways, apart from that little rant you guys all seem pretty cool, but i'm fairly sure that's a prerequisite to being able to ride on a unicycle anyways... so moot point. i've only had a dodgy 24" ebay uni for a couple of months. haven't progressed much. i'm focusing on idling atm for my own reasons, hence, the repeated mention of idling in this rant.

bye now.
Stop being a panzee and just sit on the damn thing and pedal. You're supposed to put forth a lot of effort.

[nubcake]

wow suddenly i feel energized and confident as hell after that.

I DO (/ did. distracted with other forms of entertainment atm)! but there's no point doing all the right things, but also doing something extra that thwarts all your efforts and you don't realise it; hence my question.

so in not being a pansy (notice the spelling. you're welcome) does that mean i shouldn't wear my dress when i ride?

[gina]

Kilts are good

[nubcake]

next you'll be saying bagpipes are great :/

[Hazmat]

next you'll be saying bagpipes are great :/
Hmmmm......bagpipes while unicycling in kilts. That could work. :D


:D I should try that someday. :D

[BurnerDave]

HAHAHAHA,
Unicycle are great! Jeez, I'm getting there slowly but surely. I'm even calling in sick at work once in a while so I can get more practice in.

Damn thing is I can only practice indoors now because it's cold outside, 3 degrees celcius (that's about 32 F). So I'm stuck learning in the basement which isn't too bad. I've got one wall that I've cleared away that is about 35 feet long. It just gets a bit iffy as I approach the wall. I did learn two things though. First, never end a practice session on a low note like after getting mad after too many falls. I take a minute to compose myself, and get on again and get at least one more 'good' roll done so I can end on a high note. Second, you have to face forward but your eyes need "stuff" to see to balance. My walls were bare so I was looking straight at a big blank wall with just a small window near the top. So I hung some junk on it, and some stuff jutting out from the wall for depth. I think that may helped a lot in improving my balance over the last few days.

[nubcake]

probably a similar thing to what i have experienced at night.

[gina]

check this out:http://www.bagpipeweb.com/?p=1046

[gina]

Or, check this out: http://www.utilikilts.com/index.php?page_id=46utilikilts.

[nubcake]

you....... you scare me now.

the guy on the uni : such a mixed bag. cool and uncool at the same time. guess that makes him just another average person when you add them together :P

[Qweld]

try pushign off going down on a slight incline. A lot of the people I've "taught" seemed to learn faster trying while headed down a slight incline.

[BurnerDave]

Any ideas on how to become less dependent on the wall? I can zoom along with my hand dragging on the wall for about 20 feet or so, shaky but getting it. I'm wondering if I'm learning lopsided because I tend to tilt in a bit toward the wall like I'm cycling at 88 degrees, not totally vertical. Without a wall on the otherside I can't really keep centered vertically. I suppose I'll get it sooner or later, but I hope I don't get into some irreversable bad habit. As it is, I'm better at going along with the wall on my right side rather than the left, so now I'm making sure I do both directions 50/50. I still can't let go of the wall and go more than 2 revolutions in a semi controlled fall though.

[gina]

you....... you scare me now.

the guy on the uni : such a mixed bag. cool and uncool at the same time. guess that makes him just another average person when you add them together :P


Yes, but oh so talented. The only thing he is missing is the kilt.
Gina

[gina]

Any ideas on how to become less dependent on the wall? I can zoom along with my hand dragging on the wall for about 20 feet or so, shaky but getting it. I'm wondering if I'm learning lopsided because I tend to tilt in a bit toward the wall like I'm cycling at 88 degrees, not totally vertical. Without a wall on the otherside I can't really keep centered vertically. I suppose I'll get it sooner or later, but I hope I don't get into some irreversable bad habit. As it is, I'm better at going along with the wall on my right side rather than the left, so now I'm making sure I do both directions 50/50. I still can't let go of the wall and go more than 2 revolutions in a semi controlled fall though.


You may not be ready to go it alone. Sounds as if you just haven't quite figured how to completely balance yet. Continue to move away from the wall a little at time. Soon you will go two controlled revolutions, then four then six and so on. You will feel more and more in control as you practice. Soon you'll just ride near it, but won't have to touch it. Try riding in other places, maybe near a railing.
Yes, depending on a support can pull you slightly to one side. Try to sit upright as much as possible and don't lean toward the wall. Riding each direction is good.
Keep trying and don't give up. You are progressing in the right direction. Give it more time. You'll get it.
Gina

[mattsmith]

Any ideas on how to become less dependent on the wall? I can zoom along with my hand dragging on the wall for about 20 feet or so, shaky but getting it. I'm wondering if I'm learning lopsided because I tend to tilt in a bit toward the wall like I'm cycling at 88 degrees, not totally vertical. Without a wall on the otherside I can't really keep centered vertically. I suppose I'll get it sooner or later, but I hope I don't get into some irreversable bad habit. As it is, I'm better at going along with the wall on my right side rather than the left, so now I'm making sure I do both directions 50/50. I still can't let go of the wall and go more than 2 revolutions in a semi controlled fall though.
I think you have reached the point where it's time to lose the wall altogether.
When I reached that moment you're at (also easier w/ wall on the right), I'd stop using the wall to keep balance and instead I'd reach out to shove myself away from the wall and go off in the other direction. I didn't get too far at first but the wall dependency was gone inside of 20 minutes. Just make sure you've got a big space to head into because your directional control will be totally non-existant. Once you've been away from the wall a few times, you'll never want to go back to it and you'll feel so free.

[Unibugg]

Once you've been away from the wall a few times, you'll never want to go back to it and you'll feel so free.

Unless you need an assisted mount. :)

[Hazmat]

Unless you need an assisted mount. :)
Like what
- Stilts
- Ski stilts
- Poles
- tennis court wall
- etc

[BurnerDave]

OK, this is amazing. Yesterday I got a 20" trials uni (from Bedford) for my kid, who want to learn to ride. I can't believe the difference after being on the 24! It is a lot easier to control the 20" and I am able to go some distance (still out of control though) witout using the wall to support me. It's also a shorter distance to fall off!
Would you suggest I try to nail it on the 20" then go back to the 24", or stick with the 24? One good thing about the 20" is that I can get a lot more revolutions before running out of space! I like the 24" because of the distance I'll be able to cover ... eventually.
Thanks for the advice Gina and Matt. I think for now I'm more inclined to follow Gina's advice and take it a bit slower rather than push off into the unknown. It's just more my style to take it slower!
Thanks.

[gina]

[QUOTE=BurnerDave]
Would you suggest I try to nail it on the 20" then go back to the 24", or stick with the 24?

You are in the same postion I was in a short time ago. I learned on a 26" because I wanted to ride distances. I was difficult for me to learn. When I went to St. Paul, Mn. the riders in the Twin Cities Unicycle Club suggested I try to learn on a 20" since it would be easier to ride and more maneuverable to ride in the parades I wanted to ride in with the club while I was there.
20" was easier for me to ride than a 24" or 26". You must peddle faster, but a 20" is faster to respond, easier to maneuver and less effort to peddle and there is less weight near the ground, so you may feel a little top-heavy. I would suggest you stick with the 20" until you feel more confident. You will know when you are ready to try the 24" again. You will find the 20" too easy after a while and you will be ready for more of a challange. Yes, a 24" is a little smoother than a 20".
So far as the wall goes, yes, I could have left the wall earlier, but I would have fallen much, much more. It may have taken me longer to learn, but I did not fall very often. You will become steadier as your brain , inner ear and muscles learn coordinate together and learn to balance. You will start with a few revolutions that seem like controlled falls, but as I said before it will improve. You will go farther and farther without touching the wall and you will gain control. After a while the wall will seem to be in the way and you won't need it any longer. Keep at it and let us know how it is going.

[hungry4uni@unicyclist.com]

hey bill, i started learning at 11.
heres what to do.


1. take hold of a mailbox or stop sign.
2. mount
3. ride as far as you can
4. repeat 1-3 one million times.

that's what i did and it took me two days

[Hazmat]

hey bill, i started learning at 11.
heres what to do.


1. take hold of a mailbox or stop sign.
2. mount
3. ride as far as you can
4. repeat 1-3 one million times.

that's what i did and it took me two days
I held onto the side of a tennis court fence and when i was confident enough, i would do No2 - 4 alot as well. :D

[hungry4uni]

most of all unicycling is just building up the courage

[BurnerDave]

In the last week I was only able to get about 2 hours of practice in 15 minute chunks. But it is going really well. I see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. I've been able to get many glorious moments of "off the wall" travel for about 10 feet, in a meandering line. One thing I notice is that I get the most distance by doing what looks like a Chubby Checker twist, with the wheel kind of going side to side with each pedal. That keeps me from falling sideways. And flailing like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz helps too. I still have to concentrate on keeping my weight on the seat. I have had one problem with my right heel turning in and catching on the crank, knocking me off balance. I have to consciously set my foot straight or else, ker-plat. Besides that, I'm counting down the days until I'm rolling 50 feet without the wall (ok 30 feet diagonally across my basement). Unfortunately we have 10 cm of snow coming tonight and it looks like I'm going to be spending the next 4 months practicing indoors. Did I already say I love unicycles!

[nubcake]

i hate it when the heel hits the crank. just go out in the snow ya sook. i've seen ppl do it on youtube. i havent touched my unicycle in a month. i've been meaning to the last few days, but i've been way too tired to do anything. meh.

[BurnerDave]

Yippee!
As of last night's practice, I can now get on my unicycle, using the wall for support, only using one hand on the wall, not two.
I know, I know, ... it's a small thing, but I just had to tell someone!
Unicycling is definitely a cult. Nobody I know gets it.
I thought about trying to uni on the sidewalk in the snow but it's cold (-7, -11 with the wind chill, that's 12 on the F scale) and besides, the salt they put down will surely wreck thu uni.

[gina]

You're doing well. You are still following the same pattern I did. You will gain more and more control as your body and brain learn what to do. That will help the flailing and wobbling issue. Concentrate on a smooth ride.
If you want to ride outside in the cold just layer clothes and wear a hat and gloves. Long underwear is good, especially silk which is the thinnest and warmest. I avoid wearing a coat, though at times I have been tempted to wear a snowmobile suit.
Gina

[Unibugg]

I know, I know, ... it's a small thing, but I just had to tell someone!
Unicycling is definitely a cult. Nobody I know gets it.

No brag is too small for a unicyclist. We definately "get it" and love to hear about it. Congrats!

[gina]

How long have you been riding?

[Unibugg]

How long have you been riding?

I learned when I was 13ish. Rode off and on for a year or so. Then began again last March. So after 25+ years some things came back easier than others but EVERY success feels great. I still remember getting crazy because I could finally ride with an open coke can and not spill a drop. (I don't even drink soda but practiced that anyway :D )

You've been at it 18 months, right?

[gina]

[QUOTE=Unibugg]

You've been at it 18 months, right?

It's been 20 months now. I'm counting Nov. and I started a different month than I first thought.

[BurnerDave]

This has been my best day ever! It just came together.
I did about 45 minutes of practice in the basement tonight and was able to do about 25 feet in semi-control, sometimes in a straight line, sometimes curves, before falling! Yi-haa! I managed to do it about 5 or 6 times.
It was awesome. I checked my notes and so far, I have a total of 8 hours of practice since getting the uni in October. The first 3 hours were on a 24", and the last 5 hours have been on a 20".
Practicing outside in the cold and snow is out of the question, so I'm going to clear as much space as I can and I'll have to try to learn turns earlier than I planned, because I have to jump off when I get near the wall. Also, I found that I seem to accelerate as I get going! Yikes!

[gina]

[QUOTE=BurnerDave]
I Also, I found that I seem to accelerate as I get going! Yikes!

You accelerate because you are leaning forward just a little too far.
Sounds like you are improving quickly. Keep at it.

[xtor]

Practicing outside in the cold and snow is out of the question, so I'm going to clear as much space as I can and I'll have to try to learn turns earlier than I planned, because I have to jump off when I get near the wall.

If you have a support pole Practicing going around it in both directions. I am sure that will help.

Also, I see you are 54, I started last year at 54 too. Keep at it, you can do it:)

[BurnerDave]

Thanks for the encouragement! Yup, It's coming together. I found an indoor spot to practice; an indoor parking garage near my office! Over 300 feet long and plenty of pillars to help with mounting whereever I fall off and not much traffic on weekends. I don't think I'll get kicked out. It's perfect. So this Saturday and Sunday I'll be there for a few hours each day. I'm hoping to be able to do 50 meters by the end of Sunday.

[mattsmith]

I'm smiling just reading of your progress BurnerDave. I'm sure it's familiar (and happy) territory for most of us, the uncontrolable bursts speed, the Chubby Checker twist (wait until you start deliberately turning) the wide arcing unintentional drift, the ultimate goal of going as far forward as your practice area will allow.
Happy days :)

Once you get 50 metres you're just a freemount away from being unstoppable.

You can't hear it, but we're all cheering you on.

[gina]

[QUOTE=BurnerDave] I found an indoor spot to practice; an indoor parking garage near my office!

I forgot about that. When I was in Minnesota I purchased a new uni. I practiced in an underground parking garage. I used the pillars, walls and the back end of my car to get started. No one asked me to quit. Everyone was friendly and encouraging. A few people even stopped to ask me about the unicycle. Everyone that lived in that building was elderly so they were really shocked to see me there.

[BurnerDave]

:) Yihaa! The weekend is almost here. Two days of indoor practice inside a parking garage. I was down there today for a lookaround and measure the height... I noticed there are lots of pipes but the height is 80 inches at the lowest point which is enough and a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l 275 feet of uninterrupted concrete and 25 feet wide!! I even convinced my girlfriend to come along and videotape some of it.
Next posting, Sunday night!:)

[BurnerDave]

What a weekend! I had an entire floor of a 6 floor parking garage to myself! Mine was the only car on the floor and there was barely any other traffic. (anyone in Ottawa need a big place to practice on weekends?) For the next time I'll have to remember to bring a water bottle, a book to read during rest breaks, and stuff to wash the soot off my hand from touching the garage walls! Yuk.
It was great to have 275 feet of open space in front of me, like the great wild west. However, as I found out, I was more thankful for the 30 or 40 feet of width! I never did make that single long trip down the length of the garage but I sure did a lot of meandering side to side! It's coming together bit by bit! Next weekend I'll be there again.

[nubcake]

summer motorbike gloves are good for that and makes it less painful on the fingers after grabbing the seat a million times for whatever reason (mounting and so on), or some cheap thin garden gloves.

[BurnerDave]

Good idea, gloves next week!

[Unibugg]

Good idea, gloves next week!

You're not wearing risk guards? Um... I mean wrist guards. :p

[BurnerDave]

I sure am wearing wrist guards! [Wrist guards, helmet, elbow pads, plastic knee pads, plastic shin pads, though I don't bother with the shin pads most of the time.] The only thing I don't have are ankle supports which is probably what I need most considering some of the goofy dismounts I've taken.
The wrist guards don't cover my thumbs and fingers and they got dirty as heck, not to mention the goo that I scraped off the wall as I rode along!! I think a pair of thin gardening gloves will fit under the wrist guards.
Last night I just had to do a midnight practice in the basement. It was fantastic. It's the first time I was able to go back and forth and stop at the opposite wall without falling off, spin around and go back! I was also able to consistently control my pedalling, slowing down, and not just accelerate into the far wall. According to my notes I'm at my 11th hour of practice.

[gina]

[QUOTE=BurnerDave]I sure am wearing wrist guards! [Wrist guards, helmet, elbow pads, plastic knee pads, plastic shin pads, though I don't bother with the shin pads most of the time.] The only thing I don't have are ankle supports which is probably what I need most considering some of the goofy dismounts I've taken.
The wrist guards don't cover my thumbs and fingers and they got dirty as heck, not to mention the goo that I scraped off the wall as I rode along!! I think a pair of thin gardening gloves will fit under the wrist guards.

Bicycling gloves are good or Kris Holms has special gloves for unicyclists. Read about them at unicycle.com.They are $36.00 plus shipping, but they are well worth it.
You will feel like you need all types of protection, but as you improve you will probably not need more than what you listed.
Knee and elbow pads with gel inside are great. When you fall you won't even feel it.

[BurnerDave]

HAHAHAHA... I am actually zipping around my basement 4 out of 5 times in a respectable, modified straight line ~. I think I've got it! I can't wait to get back into that parking garage again.

This is so much fun. It's still an incredible workout though. I'm in good shape overall, but after 15 minutes on the uni, I'm sweating like Pamela Anderson in a spelling bee.

Question: I'm reading almost everything on the forum. There is a lot of talk about maintenance, removing cranks, hubs, spokes, isis, splines, etc. How much technical stuff do you really have to know about your unicycle to be able to maintain it? Like what you need to know rather what's nice to know. The 80/20 rule. Mine must have fallen about 500 times and it still seems fine.

Dave

[Spoonthumb]

I'm sweating like Pamela Anderson in a spelling bee.


haha thats a good one

[BurnerDave]

James Brown said "I feel good." Hey, hey hey, me too!
I have finally, finally, finally, got some travelling under my belt! Today I managed to do just over 90 feet in a reasonably straight line, over and over. I think I could have continued further on a few of the runs, if not for the wall. My best day ever! I even managed to do a semi-controlled 45 degree turn once. Yahoo, feellin' so fine!

[BurnerDave]

Hey, hey hey! Last night was THE night!
I did it..... 300 feet in a (sort of) straight line on my 20" Bedford. Over and over.
Drinks all around. I'm buyin'!
I'm going to get the video onto Youtube any day now.

[t-square]

cool post and thanks.

no i don't ride a bicycle anymore, it's been about 10 years. i do (or rather did) ride motorcycles though (and rollerblade). i know what you mean about the flat surface. just going from the smooth concrete under the house to the rough concrete outside the pool fence is a noted difference in how the tire responds, and then going to the soft grass is so far an impossible dream. i wear my sneakers... i wouldn't think of wearing my colorado boots as they'd be way too heavy and cumbersome. yes, i am finding that trying to mount has in the past given me terrible sideways tipping, but i'm trying to gradually tweak and tweak and find the sweet combination of things to get it all working right (i think maybe 1 in 20 time i get a good mount, but then there's the 19 tiring attempts to deal with) but i'm still in search of those key things that i don't know about or haven't realised that will kill whatever it is that is causing my failed attempts to get above the seat and instead has me falling to in whichever direction to the ground again.... step up, tip, step down, wash rinse repeat.

yes i am putting my weight on the seat, what i was noting was that i so far seem to have a calmer and more productive start to idling if i don't immediately put the weight down as it seems to take away the initial anti-tipping efforts and leaves me standing on the ground again. i guess it's a bit like getting into a canoe or kayak in that if you rush it all at once you end up in the water, but if you take it a bit more gently then you have a better chance of not getting wet.

yes i am getting frustrated because getting everything working together at the right time just seems infinitely fickle at the moment and it only takes the smallest mis-movement to ruin it. i am trying to reset each time, but it gets a bit soul destroying spending so much time trying to get on the seat as opposed to actually being on the seat.

your kneecap sounds fun... and they try to say that unicycling is safe :P i read it mentioned somewhere else about being careful about handles as people break fingers that way, and as i don't have a handle i hadn't even thought of that. now THAT would spoil your day :S

new question : does anyone find that your balance is shot at night time? i feel that i do far far better during the day when i can see things, but once it gets properly dark progress goes notably downhill. hmm, no i don't mean i'm trying to practice in pitch black, i mean streetlights etc where there is minimal light.

new question #2 : could the Original Poster report back and let us know how things are cruising? i seem to have hijacked this thread, but i don't feel too bad about not creating 'yet another' newbie thread. i wonder if any progress has been made on the OP's side of town.

Watch this vid. Might shed some light on why balance is effected by lack of sight/light.

http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/play.cfm?pi=w320240Discovery_MoreThanHuman

[Unibugg]

[QUOTE=BurnerDave]Drinks all around. I'm buyin'!
QUOTE]

Congrats on your 300 feet in a "sort of straight" line. :)
You are official now.
So about that drink.......

[BurnerDave]

About 12 hours compressed into 3:30 minutes!

This should link to my uni learning experience.... from the first step onto it to my 300 foot ride! Yi-haa!
I still haven't ridden outdoors yet!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cz62gzgdGos

[t-square]

Awsome!

[Unibugg]

Wow! Seeing it really is so much better than reading about it! I can't wait to show my class this vid. They keep asking me to show them someone who is just learning to ride. They will be so amazed and probably sing "sha la la la" to the music. :)

You are right. The only thing stopping you is the wall. Time for some outside riding when the weather cooperates. Please keep the camera on now and then.

[BurnerDave]

Oh yeah... at about the 2 minute mark in my video you can see the black cover plate on the electrical wall outlet (lower left) becomes a white cover plate. That's because I smashed into the outlet on a fall, broke the outlet and had to have it fixed!

[Unibugg]

Oh yeah... at about the 2 minute mark in my video you can see the black cover plate on the electrical wall outlet (lower left) becomes a white cover plate. That's because I smashed into the outlet on a fall, broke the outlet and had to have it fixed!

I knew there was a reason for the helmet, writst guards, and kneepads. 3 essential pieces I try not to be without.

My favorite part though is at 0:51. When you turn around and face the uni. Priceless! :D

[gina]

About 12 hours compressed into 3:30 minutes!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cz62gzgdGos

You look great!!!:)
You have good form for a beginner.
I agree with unibugg, at .51 on your video is priceless.
What type of gloves did you get?

[BurnerDave]

Hey! I'm so glad you like the video!

My girlfriend already pointed out that I misspelled the word 'girlfriend' on her cameo appearance. S-o-r-r-y.

Gina: I'm wearing a set of rollerblade wrist protectors. They cover almost the whole palm and the wrist. The make is rollerblade4. I still haven't bought "real" uni protective gear. The duty cost of bringing it in from the USA is high, and I'll have to look around here in Canada before I start going into the hills!
You can see on the back wall of my basement that I had to lean stuff on the wall because the wall was bare and I'm sure my eyes/brain had nothing to work with when I looked straight at it.

I agree about the video at .51 secs. That was my "WTF" moment, where I thought the uni had a mind of its own. At absolutely no time did I ever consider giving up!
I owe a great thanks to everyone on this site for all the great pointers!
Next: idling, turning, mounting, etc.....

[gina]

Hey! I'm so glad you like the video!


I thought it was well done. I love your enthusiasum!!!

[Unibugg]

I thought it was well done. I love your enthusiasum!!!

Fall off.. smile and run back to the wall.. not walk.. run! :D

[nubcake]

hahaha, hahahahaha... you look like the right kind of crazy.

thanks for the kris holme vid too, interesting.

[gina]

[QUOTE=BurnerDave]Hey!
My girlfriend already pointed out that I misspelled the word 'girlfriend' on her cameo appearance. QUOTE]

I looked it up in the dictionary. Girlfriend can be spelled as one word or two. I assume that is what you mean since it is spelled with the correct letters.

Gina

[BurnerDave]

Gina - It turns out that 'Girlfriend' was spelled (spelt?) right (write?) on the video that got linked. Lucky for me I have a 19 year old son who is more computer savvy than me and fixed that title and the link to the video before I (OK, he helped me) linked it on this forum. I think it said 'gilrfriend' for a while originally. I though the old version was linked. Sorry for the confusion! Now, back to shovelling the 3 foot snow drifts that fell last night!

[hungry4uni]

If the other 101 posts don't help, just remember,

lean forward, pedal to the speed where your not having the fall-forward sensation and soon, it will become second nature. :o

[Hazmat]

If the other 101 posts don't help, just remember,

lean forward, pedal to the speed where your not having the fall-forward sensation and soon, it will become second nature. :o
That's some good advice there Hungry. :D

[BurnerDave]

First things first, Merry Christmas to everybody!

Next...
Tell me o great wise men.... I see that some unicycles are sold with stands. Is one really necessary or can I continue to leave mine lying one the floor or leaning in a corner as I usually do? Will the wheel go out of line leaving it on the ground? I wouldn't think so, since they take such a beating when you ride them. (I tried searching the forum for an answer but the word 'stand' kicks out too many hits.)

Dave

[nubcake]

i think you answered your own question. mine has a stand, and as far as i can gather it really only makes for less tripping over it when it's not in use etc. how the hell did you manage to get one without a stand? you got jipped.

[BurnerDave]

Quote:"how the hell did you manage to get one without a stand? you got jipped."
Seriously? I got my 24" Nimbus from Unicycledotcom and my 20" from Bedford. Neither came with a stand. Oh well. Not that I would use one unless it served a purpose.

[gina]

Tell me o great wise men or women.... I see that some unicycles are sold with stands. Is one really necessary or can I continue to leave mine lying one the floor or leaning in a corner as I usually do?
Dave

I am surprised those companies sold unicycles without stands. I know companies advertise unicycles that come with a stands as a plus and the better stands as a bigger plus.
I think it is mainly for convenience and care of storage. I know my stands will scrape the paint on my unicycles if I am not careful placing the unicycles on the stand or taking them off.
My Torkers both came with stands, even my used one. The unicycles I've seen in bike shops all come with stands.
You could get a hook sold in hardware stores to hang bicycles and hang it from the wall or a ceiling. Hang it on the wall and you will have a work of art.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[BurnerDave]

Quoting Gina: "Tell me o great wise men or women."
Touché! Ya got me!
Hmmm. I hereby claim I was using the word 'men' in the anthropological sense!
yeah, that's it. That's what I was doin' in my original statement. Using it in the anthropological sense. yeah

[Jerrick]

Stands dont matter. I prefer not to get a stand when I order a unicycle.

[Triball]

I got one with my first nonamer. I don't use it anymore, though. I hang them on some pipes in the house or something.

[skilewis74]

Burnerdave - What size cranks are on your 24? Looks like they may be 125's, good for speed and some tricks, but 150's (or even 170's) will give you more control, and down the road better for Muni and climbing hills.

I wouldn't necessarily get your heart set on learning certain skills. Some people learn certain skills easier than others. For example, I still can't freemount, yet I can do figure 8's riding seat in front w/ either hand (level 6) and ride backwards a bit (L-4) and a couple of weeks ago I did 9.5 miles of moderately technical Muni. The skill levels are just a general guide.

[BurnerDave]

Yup, I Know what you mean, now that I can ride! The cranks on my Nimbus X 24" are 125. That's what they came with. I guess you saw the pic of it on the "post your uni pic" page. The cranks on my 20" Bedford are also 125. I was thinking of changing the cranks on the 24" to a longer size. The 125s feel great on the 20", and the 24" is fast with the 125s but there is a lot less control. If I could run out to the store and buy longer cranks I would, but the cost of importing them would be as much as the cost of the cranks. And they are ISIS and it seems like I'd need a special tool to change them. (I don't ride a 2 wheeler (yuk) so don't know about bike techie stuff at all.)

I'd love to be able to do a basic freemount but I'm going to wait until I get solid and stop all the flailing first. I can't wait to do that mount where you step on the pedal then flick up the seat with your other foot. That is so cool.

[gina]

If I could run out to the store and buy longer cranks I would, but the cost of importing them would be as much as the cost of the cranks.

Unicycling seems to be popular in Canada. Are there no stores or suppliers for unicycles in Canada?

[Hazmat]

Unicycling seems to be popular in Canada. Are there no stores or suppliers for unicycles in Canada?
:D Have you tried this one (http://www.bedfordunicycles.ca/)??? :D

[Hazmat]

HERE ARE HAZMATS 8 TIPS TO LEARNING THE WONDERS OF UNICYCLING.

1) Buy a unicycle, even if its a dodgey piece of s*it.
2) Make the pedals face the 7 - 8:00am/pm position.
3) Place your dominant foot/leg on the pedal closest to you.
4) Believe in yourself and always visualize yourself succeeding by saying to yourself "I can do this and nothing will stop me and/or try to stop me"
5) At this point DON'T EVER LET YOUR FEAR OR NEGATIVITY GET TO YOU.
6) As you put your weight on the first pedal, tilt your body forward to get your center of gravity more directly over the seat. Remembering to keep the unicycle still so it doesn't move under you.
7) Ride away!!!
8) Lots of practice and perseverance will give you the sweeeet rewards of unicycling and your confidence and happiness will reach new levels that you thought would never be possible on a 1 wheeled machine. :D

[BurnerDave]

Unicycling seems to be popular in Canada. Are there no stores or suppliers for unicycles in Canada?

There is Bedford in Toronto. I got my 20" uni from him and it is a great one, really happy with it. And I'm going to try to go to the Toronto uni event on the January 18th weekend and check out his shop. (I'm 550KM away, in Ottawa). The darn thing is Bedford's website doesn't have any pics and I like to see what I'm going to buy because I don't know what all the parts look like yet. Bedford should put some pics up!
I'm still learning all about unis. Fr'instance, I want to get a 29" for the summer. There are Qu-ax's, Koxx's, Holm's, Bedford's, street saddles, fusion saddles, air saddles, this pedal and that pedal, this tire and that tire, these cranks and those cranks,etc! It's a zoo out there! I don't want to open a box one day and say..." shoot, that's not quite what I meant." You guys (and gals) who know your stuff can put together the uni you want. On the UDC site I can see what their inventory is and what every component looks like.

[skilewis74]

There is Bedford in Toronto. I got my 20" uni from him and it is a great one, really happy with it. And I'm going to try to go to the Toronto uni event on the January 18th weekend and check out his shop. (I'm 550KM away, in Ottawa). The darn thing is Bedford's website doesn't have any pics and I like to see what I'm going to buy because I don't know what all the parts look like yet. Bedford should put some pics up!
I'm still learning all about unis. Fr'instance, I want to get a 29" for the summer. There are Qu-ax's, Koxx's, Holm's, Bedford's, street saddles, fusion saddles, air saddles, this pedal and that pedal, this tire and that tire, these cranks and those cranks,etc! It's a zoo out there! I don't want to open a box one day and say..." shoot, that's not quite what I meant." You guys (and gals) who know your stuff can put together the uni you want. On the UDC site I can see what their inventory is and what every component looks like.
Well, if your cranks are ISIS, that's great, no worries of the hub ever breaking. Any bike or uni cranks should fit that have ISIS splines, except Koxx-one. Your LBS should be able to at least order two left crank arms then you'd need to drill one out and install an insert for a right hand pedal. To get your cranks off get a "crank puller" from your LBS.

Bedford does have a lot of pics on another website (I don't remember where and as of a couple of months ago it hadn't been updated in a couple of years, e-mail him).

There are several other online uni stores. (I can't think of any off the top of my head that carry true ISIS and are in Canada).

Brian Mckenzie is opening up a uni store in Canada, I'm not sure when it will be up and running though.

[BurnerDave]

Thanks. I searched around and found a few other uni sites.

But re your comment "Your LBS should be able to at least order two left crank arms then you'd need to drill one out and install an insert for a right hand pedal." I don't understand what you mean. I read on the forums that lots of people customize and tweak their unis but why the dickens would I order two left cranks and then machine one into a right hand crank??

[tomkarches]

my plan of attack is to learn to idle. learn to mount. then learn to ride like all of you folk who are out there having fun... this is the plan simply because i don't particularly have anywhere with support to practice riding, and then mount, and then idle as seems to be the normal progression.

I've been riding for about 1.5 years, acquired 2 unicycles (24,29) and have not yet learned to idle :-(

So... ride->mount->idle (someday)

I've been meaning to work on it.

To learn to ride, I used the side of my minivan as support. If you don't have a van, perhaps your car has a roof rack which you can use for support.

If you don't have a vehicle, perhaps you can attach something to the side of your house or build some sort of freestanding structure.

Learn to ride first.

Cheers,
Tom

[BurnerDave]

Building on tomkarches comment, I know I should get better at riding before I try to freemount but I can't resist having a go at it. It was a disaster not having something to grab, so I attached a 2"x2" x 5' piece of wood to my basement wall with a few metal bannister brackets. You can probably attach something like that to the outside of the house. It only cost a few bucks for the brackets.
If it's your parents house, tell them it's a new municipal code requirement.

[gina]

There is Bedford in Toronto. I got my 20" uni from him and it is a great one, really happy with it and I'm going to try to go to the Toronto uni event on the January 18th weekend and check out his shop.

How did it go? Did you make it to the uni. shop?

Gina

[BurnerDave]

Yes, I got to the Toronto event, but could only stay for Day1. It was fantastic meeting other uni people from all over, even some who drove up from the USA! It was also cool to hang around the Bedford uni shop for a few hours on Friday night. Unicycles all over the place! Drool, drool. I got myself a 29'' for the summer. (You can't have too many unicycles...that's my theory.)

I am still just able to practice indoors due to the winter weather (I won't bore you by repeating what I posted on another thread!). After a month and a half, I have yet to ride outdoors! I'm gonna go nuts when I finally get outside!

I tried freemounting today again. What a disaster! I know I should get my riding more solid first but I can't resist having a go at it. I want to be able to freemount by March.
The good news is that my girlfriend decided to try riding (if you can beat 'em, join 'em).

And I bought my tickets for Burning Man 2008 in August. I'll be unicycling all over the salt flats! Yi-Haa!

[UniKid2]

And I bought my tickets for Burning Man 2008 in August. I'll be unicycling all over the salt flats! Yi-Haa!


me and my family will probaly go in 2010 or something... It looks Awesome!!!(the burning man) se you there:p

[BurnerDave]

Burning Man definitely needs more unicyclists! Maybe even a uni camp!

[UniKid2]

Burning Man definitely needs more unicyclists! Maybe even a uni camp!
that would rock...

Mabey a stoner camp too... all tho i think there is... Oh well... :D

[gina]

Yes, I got to the Toronto event, but could only stay for Day1. It was fantastic meeting other uni people from all over, even some who drove up from the USA! It was also cool to hang around the Bedford uni shop for a few hours on Friday night. Unicycles all over the place! Drool, drool. I got myself a 29'' for the summer.

Did you get any of your questions answered?

Gina

[BurnerDave]

Did you get any of your questions answered?

Gina
Yes, I sure did! And the best was being able to watch all the guys and gals riding...seeing all the styles. More than a hundred unicyclists rolling around! It's like a science fiction movie... Where did they all come from .... Where do they all go after the event..... then, when I get back home I'm the lone uni guy in my area....never seeing another.... no-one else of my species around ... no-one understands me!
HAhahaha! I gotta get out more.

[gina]

Yes, I sure did! And the best was being able to watch all the guys and gals riding...seeing all the styles. More than a hundred unicyclists rolling around! It's like a science fiction movie... Where did they all come from .... Where do they all go after the event..... then, when I get back home I'm the lone uni guy in my area....never seeing another.... no-one else of my species around ... no-one understands me!
HAhahaha! I gotta get out more.

Boy, do I know that feeling. There may be more riders in your area than you realize.
Were you able to get the info. you needed about equipment, especially cranks?

[BurnerDave]

Yup, I am totally up to date! There is nothing better than being allowed to run amok in a unicycle shop... being able to handle all the stuff, pedals, cranks, hubs, etc. Sometimes you have to get your hands on it to understand it!
So now I'm working on freemounting my 20" .... I got it twice last night. Tomorrow I expect I'll nail it.
Today I watched the DVD Defect... it's so darn inspirational!
So much to learn!

[blot]

Hello everyone.

The last time I posted, which was actually the first time I posted, I was lamenting my knee injury - see here: http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?p=957848#post957848

Well, two weeks have passed and my knee was feeling better, so I climbed back in the saddle tonight. I was tentative, to be sure, but it's interesting how well muscle memory persists. After about 40 minutes, I was close to where I was before the fall/injury. I decided to quit there for the night.

That's the good news.

Here's the better news: On the way back home, I decided to take a shot. I made two rides, one about 75 yards and one about a 100.

Folks, I think I've become uni-fied!

Let's see how the knee feels tomorrow and if I can do a repeat performance. I'm only at about 8-9 hours with this stuff; I know I have a long way to go. And I know you all have been through this before, but I have to say, I'm rather excited. I had a hard time quitting tonight.

Thanks for reading.

[BurnerDave]

I've been practicing freemounting for total of about 2 hours over the last few days. In that time I only managed to mount and pedal away about 3 or 4 times. I'm able to get on the uni but I get "stuck" and can't get moving.

I'm using my 20". I'm trying to get the mount where you start with the pedals horizontal, hop on, and go forward, without rolling back at all. I get up 100 % of the time, but am glued to the spot! I know the problem is that I have too much weight on my right (back) foot but I can't seem to fix it. So when I get on and try to push down with my left foot I think there is too much pressure on my right and I end up perched on top for a few seconds, then plop.
Any suggestions.
I really want to be able to get freemount nailed today or tomorrow.

Also, if anyone can clue me in on how to use the search function maybe I can find the answer in the forums....When I type freemounting in the search, the results show the threads that have freemounting in it and you have to scroll through the thread to find the particular entry, right? There could be dozens of irrelevant postings. It takes quite a while and since I sometimes am on the forums when I'm at work, speed is essential!!!!!! Is there a way to search and only have the entries with the search item show? 'Scuse my computer illiteracy!

edited: Punctuation

[davidb]

Sorry I can't help with any advice, but I can commiserate, because I've been beating my brains out trying to learn freemounting, and while I can sort of do it, it seems like I've hit a plateau and aren't improving.

I've been trying to learn both the rollback mount and the static mount, and am about equal at each. If I'm fresh, I can sometimes mount first try, but if I'm tired after an hour of general practice, I can stand there trying 30 or 40 times before I get on.

Had some great riding yesterday. We have a lot of paved bike paths around my area, mostly flat, but there is one really steep ridge with a paved bike path going straight up the hill, and I had to try it. Whoa! To go uphill, I had to lean way forward and basically sort of jog on the pedals. Tough! I lasted about 10 seconds. And then going downhill was also a whole new experience, because the pedals would whip around the vertical position, so I had to lay on the pressure every revolution on the backstroke. At first the odd rhythm would throw me off and I'd UPD, so I walked up the hill and unicycled down over and over until finally I was able to make it all the way down.

It seems to me that freemounting is basically required, because otherwise you'd get stuck out on the road if there wasn't a post around. So my stategy is on EVERY start, to ALWAYS freemount, no matter how many tries it takes. Do NOT use a crutch. (unless it's late and all you want to do is get home). I guess it's helping, because a month ago I couldn't freemount at all, but like I said, progress does seem to be really slow.

David

[BurnerDave]

Davidb, you are definitely miles ahead of me. With it still being winter here and lots of snow and cold, I have yet to ride a unicycle outdoors!!! And it would be tough to ride with snow boots on. Yeah I'm a wus...I'm not about to go outside in running shoes in winter!
So for another month and a half, I'm stuck indoors, working on free-mounting and also on turns in my basement and at the local uni club. At least until the next thaw.

[davidb]

Ah, the snow! Thanks for reminding me why I moved away from Boston.

Dave, when I saw your video practicing in the parking garage, I was wondering if it had ramps going up and down different levels? That might be a great place to try some different varieties of riding. In fact, it was thinking about parking garage ramps that motivated me to try the bike trail hill yesterday.

I forgot to add that Saturday I had another first - I drove to a part of a bike trail I wanted to try, went to get my uniciycle out of the trunk only to find I'd gotten my first flat tire! So exciting.

[BurnerDave]

Yup, there are ramps. At one end of the garage the ramp is nice and shallow, it's about 12-15 degrees angle I think (a half storey rise), and I am able to go up on my 20" and my 24". But I can't go downhill at all!! I speed up right away and go out of control and bail. I try going down at an angle but it doesn't work either. Now I'm curious ... I'll measure the angles tomorrow.
The other end of the garage is a full storey rise, probably twice as steep as the other and I can't get more than 2 or 3 feet up it. I don't have the control yet or the strength.

I envy all you uni-ers out West and down south who can ride all year long!

[nubcake]

from someone who can't uni, can't mount, can't idle..... my achievements are just a few (from many attempts) successful mounts to an idle of only a few seconds... but i'll add my 2c anyway because it might help.

if you are finding you are getting jammed on the spot, then that suggests to me that you are probably not sitting on the seat. it's a whole different game from getting on the seat with an aid and then riding off, compared to mounting and then getting something happening. because the whole deal with a mount usually involves (unless you are really fancy / tricky) having all your weight on one or both pedals for at least a moment until you get seated properly.

now that you are able to ride and are working on the mount and are able to at least get on top... now focus on the next step which is to take your weight off the pedals back onto the seat, and then be prepared to twist yourself in whichever direction your balance starts to tip you (unless backward, in which case pedal backwards and kind-of mini-idle).

to get a feeling and separation between the extremes try a few mounts just as you have been and get an idea of how it feels, then find something to hold onto (a pole) and actually stand up on the pedals horizontal... if you are keen then try grabbin with the free hand and doing a little jump with the uni (don't you jump off, make the uni leave the ground). you can really feel how the uni just digs into the ground when all your weight is on the pedals.

now you can focus on moving away from that feeling and getting the rhythm of sitting on the seat properly, and then you can focus on twisting in your fall-direction and trying to ride it out.

[blot]

BurnerDave: Been meaning to tell you how much I've enjoyed the details of your learning progress and video in this thread.

My progress is tracking pretty much along with yours with respect to time. I don't know if you appreciate it or not, but your video is more than documentation - it inspires and motivates. It really says, "Stay with it and you will do it." I must have watched that thing 20 times or so, just to remind myself that I'll get there someday. Good stuff!

Hey, how about a freemount video?!!

blot

[BurnerDave]

Hi Blot,
I am glad my video is of use to you. I think I intended it to be a testament to my own stubborness. When I started I knew I was going to learn to ride the darn thing no matter what and I wanted to have a record of my progress.

I am so "going nowhere' with freemounting. I have been taping my freemount practices for my own study but I'm learning nothing by watching it. I know I have too much weight on the pedal but can't seem to fix that. My timeline is to be able to freemount by the time the snow is gone so I can ride outside without needing to lean on stuff to mount. That gives me about 45 more days! I know I'll get it by then but based on comments in the forums I thought I'd get it within an hour or two. Grrr! And after I get it on my 20" I've got to learn on the 24" and 29" .

If I don't nail it tonight, I will have to put up a short video of my attempts and hope for some feedback.

edit: I measured the angle of the inclines in the garage where I practice with my compass inclinometer. I can't believe it... the small incline is only 8 degrees and I can't even go down it under control. The steeper one is only 11 degrees and I can't go up or down. Depressing!

[davidb]

I noticed the same thing - I'd be riding around my neighborhood on flat sidewalks, but a short section of downhill would throw me off every time, even though it was only the tiniest slope.

Last weekend I practiced riding down quite a large hill, and did ok, but now I'm wondering if the problem is in changing from flat to downhill, because it seems like downhill coordination is completely different from flat riding in the way that it switches from your feet driving the cycle to the cycle driving your feet.

I'll bet this is just another skill to be picked up - take an hour or two and ride from flat to a downhill over and over, and my guess is it will come pretty quickly. Probably this weekend I'll try that stretch of sidewalk that keeps on throwing me, and see if my advice is worth anything.

[unibob]

Dave, looking back at the start of this thread with Nubcake saying how he wants more info on what he's doing wrong I think you proved what he needs to do.

I did pretty much what you (and loads of other I suspect) did to learn. 1-Lean on the wall, 2-ride forward, 3-let go of the wall, 4-fall off, 5-repeat steps 1-4.

It's not gonna be helpful following word for word other peoples hints and tips, you know when your body needs to do a reaction to counteract a balance issue. To learn this way is to train your body and mind to habitually do what it needs to do to stay on the uni. If you fall off, think what you may have done wrong, if it keeps happening maybe tape it and have a lok from outside your body.

Some people must fall off a few times and scrap the idea but I could see in your vid exactly what I felt. As soon as you had a taste of doing well, you ran back to the start to do it again. Same for me!

To quote Alfred from Batman Begins "we fall, so that we might learn how to pick ourselves up again" this was my motto for learning the basic riding forward and freemount.

Now I just watch YouTube vids of Xavier, Shaun, Kris et al and try and copy what they do. I still can't even perform a 180 Unispin yet, but I think it's just down to belief and stopping worrying about snapping my ankle like a carrot!

Good vid Dave, wish I'd done one of my early weeks learning.

Keep doing it!

[mattsmith]

Hi BurnerDave,
When you're freemounting, do you have your hand on the saddle?

I recall that when I started trying to freemount I'd hold the saddle as I launched onto it, but it discouraged me from letting my weight go into the saddle and it got a lot easier once I stopped holding on. My memory of it has faded somewhat, but I also recall that my early mounts were usually followed by a brief period of moving forward faster than I could control because it takes a good deal of momentum to shove yourself onto the top of the uni. So I'm thinking, perhaps you're stopping dead because you're taking the term "static mount" too literally. You only need to hold for a tiny fraction of a second while your trailing foot finds the pedal. It should be an effort to catch the pedal without coming off the front of the uni, rather than a step up and an effort not to fall right off the back again.

[BurnerDave]

Thanks for all the good advice. I went to my local juggling/uni club last night and they confirmed what I thought (& what you are saying too). I am hopping on but not forward enough so I get 'stuck' perched on top and can't move forward! I did what one of the guys suggested... deliberately hop over without even trying to mount, just to get used to the feeling of going forward (and realizing I wouldn't faceplant by going over the front of the uni.) After a few of these I felt better going forward more on my mount. I had about 5 successful mounts after that exercise. Of course, on the ride-out I was all over the place but it was a hoot.
Being stubborn really helps learning to ride.

It's neat how things are coming together slowly. i.e. I can't idle or pedal backwards yet, but as I'm getting more practice I find I can slow to a crawl and momentarily stop under control and even go back a quarter turn. I know that as time goes on it will all come together. I can't wait to go over curbs and hop and all the rest of it, in addition to Muni.
So much to do, so little time. Work interferes with my life.

edit: I keep both hands in the air when I mount. I kind of swing them forward for added momentum as I hop up.

[gina]

I did what one of the guys suggested... deliberately hop over without even trying to mount, just to get used to the feeling of going forward.

I do this too and it does help. If you find yourself getting stuck again just repeat the jumping over the uni. exercise.
You can also practice trying to freemount the uni. and try to balance on top. Don't concentrate on riding forward. I find when I do this it makes the mount simpler since I am not tense about trying to make sure I can ride forward. I usually find when I do this I end up in the perfect spot to ride forward and I realize, hey, I'm there, I can go forward and I take off.


I keep both hands in the air when I mount. I kind of swing them forward for added momentum as I hop up.

I tried this when I could not find a way to freemount, but I don't think it is the best way to mount in the long run. I don't remember seeing the good riders doing this. What do you other guys out there think?

[blot]

I have about 11 hours in the saddle. I've been having some good success in riding, but I feel like I'm missing something in the balancing. I lean forward quite a bit when I ride - I don't sit straight up. I'm not too good at flailing; I usually have my arms out like wings or at about 45 degrees. When I feel like I'm straight up and down, which feels - pardon the expression - like the seat post is up by bum, I wind up cranking like crazy and I feel out of control. When I lean forward and stick my behind out back, I slow down, but I don't feel as efficient. I've seen video of people riding with the seat post straight up but I've also seen people with a slight backward tilt as well.

Am I making sense, and what do you suggest?

On the plus side, I'm riding around my parking lot, making as many as four right turns, onto the driveway, and a good 300 yard trip before dismounting. Oh, and having a lot of fun.

BurnerDave: keep posting about the freemounting progress. I'm counting on following your lead!

[CircusPassion]

Its threads like this that push me to practice more :) .
I currently only do about 30 minutes a day, but I am noticing an improvement over time.
I just can't wait to see the look on my friend's faces when they see me unicycling to work or to meet them in town.
Still passionate about :D .

Ride safe.

[Hazmat]

Its threads like this that push me to practice more :) .
I currently only do about 30 minutes a day, but I am noticing an improvement over time.
I just can't wait to see the look on my friend's faces when they see me unicycling to work or to meet them in town.
Still passionate about :D .

Ride safe.
1stly) Welcome to the forums CircusPassion. My name is Harry a.k.a Hazmat. :p
2ndly) I say take it 1 step at a time but congrats on your motivation and perseverance towards unicycling. :D
3rdly) Your friends, workmates or people who want to ride a unicycle might want you to teach them how to ride one someday. Which would be awesome.
4thly) Also if you believe, then you will achieve, If you achieve then you are destined to succeed so keep it up and never give up.


Your new friend. :D
HAZMAT

[blot]

Made about a dozen "curb" mounts tonight. It's nice to be off the fence for a change. Long way to go before freemounting though.

[saskatchewanian]

Hey Blot, Good to hear you got the curb mounts. Free-mounting really isn't much harder.

And you mentioned not sitting upright, don't worry about it. when you develop your unicycling balance your posture in the saddle slowly gets better, (and your posture in general) at least it did for me.

Tilting the seat back as far as it can go on the regular seatpost might make it a bit more comfortable though.

[BurnerDave]

What's a curb mount?

[gina]

I have about 11 hours in the saddle. I've been having some good success in riding, but I feel like I'm missing something in the balancing. I lean forward quite a bit when I ride - I don't sit straight up. I'm not too good at flailing; I usually have my arms out like wings or at about 45 degrees. When I feel like I'm straight up and down, which feels - pardon the expression - like the seat post is up by bum, I wind up cranking like crazy and I feel out of control. When I lean forward and stick my behind out back, I slow down, but I don't feel as efficient. I've seen video of people riding with the seat post straight up but I've also seen people with a slight backward tilt as well.

Am I making sense, and what do you suggest?

On the plus side, I'm riding around my parking lot, making as many as four right turns, onto the driveway, and a good 300 yard trip before dismounting. Oh, and having a lot of fun.

BurnerDave: keep posting about the freemounting progress. I'm counting on following your lead!


When you hold your arms at a 45 degree angle you are just doing the most you can to balance. As you learn your arms will come down and you will feel like you are in control. Watch good unicyclists ride in precarious places and they will do the same thing.
When you pedal like crazy you may be leaning forward a little too much. When you stick your behind out back that is your correction and it slows you down, the same as if you lean back a little.
I wouldn't worry about the seat post too much right now. I asked the same thing when I started. Just keep practicing and you will get it. It sounds as if you are doing well for just 11 hours. You're already turning circles.

[Hazmat]

:D Well here are some different types of mounts if you're interested peoples. (http://www.unicycling.org/unicycling/mounts/) :D

[saskatchewanian]

What's a curb mount?
It is a standard mount done with the wheel against a curb to prevent it from rolling back. It can be easier to do this if you are having trouble being "light on the pedals" or have an inconsistent jump.

[BurnerDave]

Wow. That would be me. I'll try it as soon as the snow melts and we have curbs, if I haven't got it nailed by then.
Hey ... wait a sec, it seems you'd be heading off right into traffic unless you can do a 90 degree turn.... intentionally! Good thing I live in the burbs. Not too many cars!

[blot]

Hey ... wait a sec, it seems you'd be heading off right into traffic unless you can do a 90 degree turn.... intentionally!

Dang! So that's why I keep hearing all those horns!

[BurnerDave]

Since our curbs here are snowcovered until mid-MArch, I'm setting up an artificial curb to use in my basement, basically a pallet/skid butted against the wall. It should work. ... that's the theory anyway! Anyone ever try it?

[davidb]

No, I've been just trying to do the plain old flat road freemount.

But I've been doing lots of practice riding where the road is slightly uphill or downhill, and I've noticed that it's way easier to freemount on a very slight downhill, maybe because it helps get the forward motion started.

[blot]

I've also read about nailing a couple, three 2 x 8s together or using a cinder block for a "curb." I haven't tried either, but I'd like to. Reason: my concern is that when I'm on the curb I'm 4-6" higher than I would if I could do a real freemount, I don't have to jump up as high. It makes the mount easier, but someday I'm going to have to freemount starting from ground level. Using a block or piece of wood (maybe a rock?) would allow me to stand on ground level rather than the curb.

I'm fortunate that the parking lot where I live has lots of curbs, some of them are peninsulas with small trees, so I can start roughly parallel to the road as opposed to having to make a quick 90 as Dave says.

I tried freemounting on a decline, but it rattles me - I think I'm going to spin out of control going downhill.

Speaking of downhill, I have some steep ones in my parking lot/driveways. I'm trying to ride down them to practice control, but I'm chicken about it. I'm not looking for advice - I know the answer is "stop whining and just do it," but I'm just reporting. Curiously, I rather like going uphill - I can really lean into it and go.

Still having fun and achy knees though!

[TattooedBandit]

Hey guys, I'm a similar level rider to yourselves. I wanted also to learn to freemount but everytime i tried the uni just flew out from under me. I watched every video on the internet i could find, but i still couldn't work it out. I found that the best way (for me) to learn to was to place a small house brick on the ground and use that to stop the wheel rolling back. This allows you to put extra pressure on the back pedal. Once you get the feeling of launching yourself up there then just try to do it with less weight on the pedal. Perhaps replace the brick with a plank of wood (thinner than the brick) so that you have to use less pedal pressure or you will roll back over it, but still allows for a tiny bit extra. I did this for about 1 hour and pretty much got the hang of it so i then went to no wheel chocks and almost straight away was able to mount. Now i am just practicing it heaps to get the consistency.

[BurnerDave]

Well, I was practicing freemounting today and I decided it is too early to be learning it. I figure I haven't got enough time riding on the uni yet and until my balance is better (and I flail a lot less!), and I get more weight onto the seat and off my legs, I'm better off spending my time just riding and concentrating on getting my weight onto the seat. Also I think practicing turning would be more useful. My theory is that as these improve, when I decide to freemount it will be easier once my basics are sound. Things will gradually fall into place. That's the theory, anyway! I'll still try the odd freemount here and there but I won't dedicate an hour at a time to it.

[blot]

Been kind of quiet here, so I thought I'd post something.

TattooedBandit: Thanks for the info on the "brick" mount! I tried it tonight. It took me a while but I managed to do a dozen or so. The brick gives just enough resistance to get aboard and spin. Okay, so my mounts are not pretty, but I'm riding them out. I feel much better about standing flat on the ground, that is, on the same level as the wheel. No doubt this will help with the transition to freemounting.

As I'm sure you all know, I find that the more I practice the more intuitive the balance is becoming. I did some pretty horrible curb mounts tonight but I was able to salvage myself and ride away. My hips and legs are working better together as well. Turning is getting a little better, but still has a long way to go. Steep downhills are getting better, not quite as scary.

Over the weekend I went over to the local high school around dawn to ride in the parking lot. It's a big one, giving me lots of room to work on turning and riding longer distances. Lots of little bumps and cracks to challenge the control too. A guy was walking his big black lab - poor doggie didn't know what to make of me!

Regards to all,

[nubcake]

something to think about...

If you mount and plant all your weight on the pedal and then try to sit on the seat the wheel and pedals will move quite freely and quickly in a small area as you try to get some type of balance going (and probably throwing you off in contempt)...

but, if you try to drop your weight onto the seat as you mount then this slows all movement right down and gives you much more opportunity to correct your balance and whatnot and everything is much more relaxed and smooth.

I originally thought that perhaps trying to do the equivalent of standing on one leg when mounting (putting all weight on one pedal and standing tall to then sit down and go) was the most 'profitable' technique, but I've now come to realise that I fair far better to imagine I'm sitting down INTO the seat as I roll the wheel back and under. It's like I imagine moving myself towards the ground about a meter in front. Of course this is contradictory to the actual movement occurring which is that of your body moving upwards... but having the mindset of going down towards the ground has helped myself to gently sink into the seat at the same time as mounting, which as noted above slows everything right down and smoothens it all out making things much more nice and manageable and far more successful.

food for thought.

(oh, and yes... I've finally managed to get out into some space, and freemount to actually going some distance (bad guess of about 5 or more car lengths?))

[blot]

nubcake,

I'd have to agree with you. I find that rather than balancing on one leg I rely on three points of contact: my foot on the ground, the tire on the ground, and the saddle against my, um, body. No weight on the foot that's on the pedal. All this gives me something to brace against as I push up and forward.

I agree with you that there is definitely a forward component to mounting - it's not just moving up onto the saddle. I read in another thread abut bending forward at the waist to that your head is over or in front of the axle. Last night I practiced this way with the brick and had good success. So, yes, I am sort of moving down low towards the ground.

Just curious nubcake - are you learning to mount and ride at the same time or are you learning them as separate skills?

[Hammertong]

When I learned to freemount, my friend was trying and failing, but I saw what he did wrong and got it on my third try. I had been riding by mounting next to a wall for about a month before I tried, so I guess my experience doing that helped with freemounting. Now I do it without thinking, and I hate when I ride near a wall, I want to use it for balance and end up falling.

[nubcake]

blot : I've just moved house, so this all started back at the old place where the only area to unicycle was downstairs on a small patch of concrete with a pole available for mounting assistance, but not actually having any room to do any real moving around (except the couple times i went out front on the road at night, teheh)... so it was a lot of hours of trying to learn to idle using the pole to get up on the uni, and a portion of that time was also trying to get an unassisted mount happening. I had a little bit of success at both. I could on occasion idle for quite a few seconds before bailing, and a few times i was able to mount to a short idle without assistance.

now that we've moved house there is a better patch of concrete (in the garage) but no pole, so it's been a case of straight-up trying to mount. I spent a bit of time with the uni in the garage when the car wasnt there but the trailer was in the second carspace, and had a bit of success with getting up and then even going forward a little bit (before running out of space). Then the other weekend i had the entire garage (2 carspaces) to take advantage of, and discovered that I wasn't having too (emphasised) much difficulty mounting and going as many revolutions as the still relatively small area allowed me... which then lead to saying "f it" and taking the uni to the local boat club carpark which is huuuuge and open and plenty of space. spent a few hours there. too many times was just bailing on the mount, but had all in all a handful or two of successful mounts to actually making some considerable distance before losing control and bailing.

This was before I discovered that my mounting, although not completely crappy, wasn't as potentially successful as I've now mentioned in the last post.

So basically I started trying to learn to idle, and also a bit of time spent trying to mount... all that effort then came to the move of address where I had a better area to play in and found it reasonably comfortable to get up and go forward a little bit, which lead to going to the carpark and mounting and actually covering a notable distance... to now. This is all on a 24" cheaponasty uni i got on ebay for 50 bux including postage \o/. it's slowly falling apart but i'm ok with that since it's my first one and meant to take a beating until it dies.

You asked a short question, and I gave a long answer... but that's me, and now you have pretty much my whole uni story up to now :)

[BurnerDave]

Wow, I'm soaking up all your juicy info! I think I'll try freemounting again in the basement. I'm going nutso stuck indoors like a hamster on a wheel. It's still too cold and snowy and salty to try to ride outdoors. I'm dying to ride with the wind in my hair, etc.

[nubcake]

i know that feeling all too well, but your vid shows-off a kickin space in that carpark you were in. slalom through the carpark pillars anyone?? :)

[BurnerDave]

Yup Nubcake! I still do the parking garage thing when I can! Unfortunately after it snows outside the floor stays wet for days, even on the lower levels where I practice. And it's not just melted water! It's water, and salt, and car oil! It's dark and dingy down there and I'm getting to know every oil stain on the floor! It's a heck of a contrast to when I watch the videos from all the riders in sunny Califor-nie-aie! :( Those guys vids really give me motivation. I am getting sooooo ansy to be outdoors! On the bright side, I probably hold the world's record for having the most indoor riding hours and less than an hour outdoors! Does that earn me a trophy in my signature!!

[nubcake]

haha yer i think it does earn you something for your efforts.

last weekend at the carpark i earned myself a nice bruise on each leg which i only really noticed yesterday. slightly green patches. i remember one of them, but the other one is a mystery. probably wasn't paying attention since i come from a kickboxing background... being flogged around the legs doesn't phase me much. the one i remember actually left a red scrape mark down the back of my leg from the pedal, and to think this was through jeans :o

so how's the freemounting going? if at all? i think the biggest problem with instructions on freemounting is that it gives the impression that pedal needs to be back around the 3-4 o'clock position which only serves for smashed shins for newbies on 24"ers (like me) when they push down on the pedal for the first time and take out their other leg a microsecond later... when in reality the pedal just needs to be wherever it needs to be to cause the wheel to move a little bit whilst you sit up on the seat comfortably, and this can be different for everyone depending on seat height and wheel size etc. Combination of a few small smooth movements into one graceful action.

not that i've mastered anything, but just my observation.

[BurnerDave]

The freemounting is really a problem! I just can't seem to get it but I'm less obsessed about it now. I'm trying to take the mature approach and figure I'll get it in due time as my forward riding gets totally stable once I can get outdoors and ride, ride, ride! It's a nice day today and the snow is off the wide sidewalks downtown. If I get my parental chores out of the way soon enough, I may be able to go for an outdoor ride! I have some footage of me freemounting but I haven't had a chance to load it onto the computer yet. I'm sure I know what the problem is ... I'm not committing to it by leaning forward enough and for the life of me, I have trouble planting my foot on the pedal when I hop on! It reminds me of learning to water ski on one ski and not finding the back slot!

[BurnerDave]

Yi-haaa! I finally did it! I rode my unicycle outside, downtown this afternoon. After finishing my usual indoor parking garage practice, I drove through downtown and there was no snow on some of the sidewalks around the office towers so I did a once around one large block. That's all I could do! My legs were like jelly! THat was an hour ago and I still feel it. Holy Jeepers. I still have wa-a-a-a-y to much weight on my legs. I have to work on that. My seat is as high as it can be so it isn't a seat height problem. I think it's just lack of practice. I didn't have to freemound because there is building everywhere to hold onto.

[blot]

Got a little saddle time in today after a few days off. I was sick for three days. Then we had five inches of snow. Nothing like the Great White North, mind you, but I wasn't able to ride. This morning I went to the high school. It was a brisk 19 degrees which wasn't that bad, but there was a student driver using the parking lot. That made me nervous - I once had $3500 damage to my car from a student driver! There must have been something going on at the school because other cars started arriving too. After half an hour, I gave up - too many potential hazards.

BurnerDave: good to hear you got outside. I find my legs get tired too even though I do a fair amount of stationary cycling. Just goes to show that the legs get used a lot differently in unicycling. Were you riding the 20" or the 29"?

nubcake: I agree with you that you have to find your own pedal position for freemounting. There's a freemounting video on youtube from duckaxe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ZEsAokx3k that shows the rear pedal in line with the frame. I tried it and though I haven't succeeded, I noticed that my wheel barely moves. It's an individual thing. Meanwhile, the "brick" mounting has been going quite nicely for me. I'll do a couple of curbs first to warm up then move to the brick. I know I'll get there so I'm just taking my time, plugging away at it.

[BurnerDave]

Blot: I was using my 24". That's what I'm practicing on mostly now (except that I use the 20" for freemounting practice.) I gave up trying to use my 29" until Spring because there isn't enough distance in my basement to get rolling, and in the parking garage I go to, there are pipes and other suspended devices that are at head height on the 29"!!!
I also have a stationary bike I use as part of my exercise regimen and often do long sessions on it ( 45 minutes at considerable tension) to keep up my endurance for sea kayaking. But, man oh man!!, I must have a heck of a lot of weight on the pedals when uni-ing because I got exhausted after 15-20 minutes, and my legs were jelly. I really have to search these forums and the web for "How to get the weight onto the seat." I suppose it's just a matter of spending more time in the saddle.

BUT IT WAS AWESOME riding outside finally!!! It was only -4 celcius (24 F).
I kept falling on some of the goofier sidewalks bumps and cracks, but it was great!!! It feels like summer.

[davidb]

I think I'm getting freemounting at long last. Most of the tutorials say to start with a pedal at the 3 o'clock position, but for some reason, I tried one day with the initial pedal almost right at the bottom, about 5:30, and it seemed easier, so I kept learning that way, and it works for me. I didn't find any single trick to get better except practice and more practice.

You're right about the California climate, it's been great! I've taken my plain old street Torker down dirt fire trails 5 or 6 weekends now! It's surprisingly easy to ride over bumps and ruts; stuff I used to avoid on pavement I just laugh at now. But I have no hill climbing strength at all; the slightest uphill wears me out after just a few minutes.

What's also tough are downhills. I assumed that like bike riding, uphills would be hard and downhills easy, but it turned out that while uphills are sort of hard, downhills are way harder. I guess the trouble was I'd never developed those muscles that hold back the unicycle while going downhill, so now I'm getting sore thighs after every downhill run.

Weight on seat is another thing I'm slowly picking up. I'm learning to relax onto the seat. But it seems like on dirt, when you hit a rut, you've gotta throw your weight onto the pedals to keep control, but then you've gotta learn to relax and rest weight back on the seat fast or else your legs turn to jelly. So it's not as simple as just weight on seat; it's going back and forth as the terrain demands.

Teenagers on their mountain bikes get a real kick out of seeing me uni'ing along the fire trails! Their eyes bug out of their heads and they cheer me on! It's a real kick!

[TattooedBandit]

OK so here's an update. Gave up learning on my 24", it was too tiring, and changed to my 26" (which including tyre circumference is actually 29"). I can now freemount most of the time (around 7 or 8 out of 10 times) and ride around the streets when weather permits. The last few weeks have been either too hot, or cold windy days. Have only ridden 4 or 5 times since my last post in this thread. I have been riding to the sports club about 1 mile away. It's not far, but its far enough for my fitness level. I usually ride about 3/4 of the way there with small walk breaks every so often. I found it quite difficult at first because of road camber, but my balance seems to have improved rather quickly to counter it.

Some other tips they may or may not be useful for freemounting.
I use my left (weaker) foot for the first pedal and use my right (dominant) foot to mount as this gives me a much more controlled push-up and landing on the second pedal. Pedal in 3-4 o'clock position. Lean forward pushing your weight into the seat and rolling the uni ever so fractionally forward (like a inch or two). This seems to give me a little more time to become settled in the saddle and gain stability to position my second foot.

Well that's what works for me anyway. If you can make sense of that and it helps out then great. If not, well .......

[BurnerDave]

Well, I'm back to trying to freemount

I just put this 1:22 minute short on my youtube. No sound, no special effects. Just freemount attempts (I get it on the last one.)
I'd appreciate your comments on what I am doing wrong. I've spent over 2 hours at it and got rolling away about 4 times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHoSFtThXH4


I'm sure I'll get this freemounting without anyones input but it may speed things up if there is something obvious you can point out. I think I just have to committ to jumping forward more. I also may be trying to freemount before I am able to ride well enough.

edit: friggin typos!

[gina]

Well, I'm back to trying to freemount.
I'm sure I'll get this freemounting without anyones input but it may speed things up if there is something obvious you can point out. I think I just have to committ to jumping forward more. I also may be trying to freemount before I am able to ride well enough.

I'll say one thing for you. You are very consistant, which can be a good thing. I see exactly what you are doing that is making free mounting hard for you. You are doing a cross between a roll back mount and a static mount.
You consistantly push the right pedal down into the 6 o'clock position. That position is very hard to pedal out of.
Choose a mount to practice. Do you want to do a roll back mount or a static mount?

[BurnerDave]

Hey Gina!
I'm trying to do the static mount. Yes, I think I do have too much weight on my right foot. I think it's still my newbie-ness, because I still have too much weight on the pedals even when I'm riding. It was suggested to try using a curb to prevent the wheel from going backwards but until the snow melts, there isn't a curb for miles and 4 more inches of snow coming tonight!!

[gina]

BurnerDave
I never could master a mount using a curb or a board or a brick. The curb was the hardest for me and I gave up very quickly.
When I tried a static mount I always pushed down on my right, dominate foot and ended up with the pedals vertical.
I can't say for sure when it clicked and I no longer did that.

[nubcake]

i'd also add that not only do you do a rotation starting with your pedals horizontal to the ground (3 o'clock relative to the floor), you on occasion actually end up rotating the wheel a bit making the pedal rise even higher to about 2 o'clock... and then cranking it with your right foot far too much and fast which makes it extremely hit-and-miss at to whether you can gain control after such abrupt movements. you were basically jumping up in the air while throwing the uni under you and hoping to land on it balanced. like my previous post, i'd recommend starting with the pedals fairly vertical with maybe just a little bit of room for backward rotation, then just ease yourself up onto the seat, but if you can start with it at 3 o'clock and float yourself onto the seat smoothly then go for it because although i don't find it comfortable lots of people seem to have no issue with mounting like that.

personally, i find that i'm not really paying enough attention to getting myself as directly above the seatpost as possible when I try to mount, which makes my attempts tend to veer too much off to either side and useless / frustrating.

No matter how you mount it seems the most drastic thing that will make it easier or harder is if you can manage to get yourself vertical / balanced enough above the uni to put your weight on the seat, as every moment spent not on the seat is just rapidly bringing you towards getting dumped to the ground again.

[augustdreamt]

I am so proud of myself! Yesterday during my lunch break at work I went for a mile-long ride with a coworker around the business park. We were both on 20" wheels, and I UPD'd fairly frequently due to the INCREDIBLE BURNING in my legs! My freemounting success rate was about 75% (yay!), which was even better than my coworker (she's out of practice). Afterwards my legs were like jelly and I could barely walk for the next 20 minutes.

Then, later, I attended the Congress of Jugglers and got to ride around on a gym floor for the very first time. It was awesome being in an open space! I've been restricted to narrow paths for the past few months, so I had no idea that I was actually capable of turning at will until I did it last night! I also managed to mount, hop in place 3 times, and ride off; and I pulled off a few rolling hops too. And I FINALLY attempted a jump mount and LANDED it (and then, shocked at my achievement, promptly fell off).

My legs are very angry at me right now, but it was all totally worth it.

[BurnerDave]

No matter how you mount it seems the most drastic thing that will make it easier or harder is if you can manage to get yourself vertical / balanced enough above the uni to put your weight on the seat, as every moment spent not on the seat is just rapidly bringing you towards getting dumped to the ground again.

Yeah, I agree with everything you say, especially your last comment above about getting vertically balanced. I'm going to try mouting with the pedals more vertical and see what happens.

[blot]

Freemounted today. First time ever.

In fact, did it about 25 times. Don't know how many times I missed as I wasn't counting, but If I had to guess I'd say my success rate is was the 30-40% range. Hey, I'll take it - it's 30-40% better than I ever did before!

I performed this rather mundane feat at the local park. I'd brought along my brick with the idea that I'd concentrate on riding. Unfortunately, there aren't any curbs so once I started off the brick I'd have to walk all the way back to the brick to remount. Got tired of that so I started fooling around on the grass. (Yes, we have visible grass here - was supposed to snow last night but didn't.) Anyway, I got a couple of freemounts on the grass, then went to the pavement. Started hitting them on the pavement too.

I wish I could say that I had a "eureka moment" where I figured it all out but I didn't. All I can say is that I kept my cranks at 9 and 3 o'clock, bent forward at the waist, stayed low, and launched. It'll be interesting to see if I can do it again tomorrow.

The best thing about the whole practice session was toward the end. There were a couple of walkers craning around and looking at "the guy with the unicycle." I lined up, launched and nailed it. Rode off just like I knew what I was doing.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[BurnerDave]

Blot, that's inspiring, that's bloody inspiring. That's it. I'm going to keep at this 3:00 o'clock position mount until I get it. I think I'll try to consciously lean forward at the waist much more. My mission,is to nail it on my 20", then on my 24" and my 29" so I can get out in the Spring..... 5 weeks away.... and travel on my 29".
My dream is to be able to do a kick-up mount on my 20" and 24". I think that the kick-up mount is the coolest thing around!

[BurnerDave]

I am so proud of myself! Yesterday during my lunch break at work I went for a mile-long ride with a coworker around the business park. We were both on 20" wheels, and I UPD'd fairly frequently due to the INCREDIBLE BURNING in my legs! My freemounting success rate was about 75% (yay!), which was even better than my coworker (she's out of practice). Afterwards my legs were like jelly and I could barely walk for the next 20 minutes.

Then, later, I attended the Congress of Jugglers and got to ride around on a gym floor for the very first time. It was awesome being in an open space! I've been restricted to narrow paths for the past few months, so I had no idea that I was actually capable of turning at will until I did it last night! I also managed to mount, hop in place 3 times, and ride off; and I pulled off a few rolling hops too. And I FINALLY attempted a jump mount and LANDED it (and then, shocked at my achievement, promptly fell off).

My legs are very angry at me right now, but it was all totally worth it.

I'm amazed that anyone can ride a mile on a 20" on a lunch break! How long have you been riding for? I'm still flailing quite a bit when I ride and still UPD more than I dismount by choice. So I'm wondering if I'm trying to freemount too soon. Was your riding pretty solid before you tried all those freemounts?

[A.Bontrager]

Let me start by saying I've only been riding for about a week, so not that much experience hehe. Anyway, I really want to get rolling so I started practicing freemounting. The way I'm able to freemount is by starting almost in a stalled position. I cut the seat post down so that i can put the left pedal at 4 o'clock when positioning the saddle under me, put my weight on the left pedal so that it sits at the 6 o'clock spot then quickly bring my right foot up to the right pedal. I am not putting any weight on the saddle but instead holding onto the front of the seat when first getting up and letting go and putting all my weight on the pedals when I bring up my right foot. Balancing on the pedals I then lean forward and push down with my right foot to get out of the stalled position and once I'm rolling I settle down onto the seat. This works alright for me and I'm able to mount without any real backwards motion. The success rate is lower than I would like though (around 1:4).

[augustdreamt]

I'm amazed that anyone can ride a mile on a 20" on a lunch break! How long have you been riding for? I'm still flailing quite a bit when I ride and still UPD more than I dismount by choice. So I'm wondering if I'm trying to freemount too soon. Was your riding pretty solid before you tried all those freemounts?

I've been riding for three months and I am pretty solid with the static and rollback mounts, have successfully pulled off a side mount a handful of times, and have tried the jump mount just once (I landed it but then fell off immediately because I hadn't expected to land it). I started practicing my freemount two weeks before I could actually ride (it took me about a month to learn to ride, but I've been working on freemounting for the past two and a half months). At some point a couple weeks ago, something finally just clicked. My body suddenly figured out, after all that practice, what it needed to do; and at that point, all I had to work on was identifying and eliminating my bad habits (continuing to look down after mounting, too much weight on the pedals, not lunging forward enough), which required - of course - even more practice. After struggling hopelessly for two months, my freemounting success went from 5% to 10% to 20% and finally to about 80% in just the past couple of weeks. The improvement has been exponential.

One of the exercises I put myself through was to identify a path through the neighborhood (in my case it was only about 1/10 of a mile long), and to force myself to ride the entire length of the path and back. There were two rules: I could not use anything to help myself onto the unicycle, and I couldn't walk forward. If I reached a difficult spot, I could walk backwards to mount someplace easier (flatter) and then ride from there - but walking forwards was absolutely forbidden. I timed myself each time, and eventually my time on the path shortened as my freemounting and riding improved.

I also practice other mounts and skills just because I've found that if I focus too long on trying to do one particular thing, it stagnates my general progress. I've been practicing hopping, the side mount, and idling in very short (usually no more than 15 minutes a few times a week) sessions rather than just picking one and fixating on it - and I've been making a little bit of progress in all three that way. I also believe that practicing a variety of skills - even if you can't really do them for a long while - helps train your body to balance in different ways, which contributes to your overall skill (and therefore helps when you try new skills). I can't do the kickup mount at all, but I do occasionally practice just standing with one foot on the pedal and the other foot under the saddle, and just bringing the saddle up an inch or two off the ground - I don't try to do any more than that. I'm just trying to allow my body to feel out a different form of balance and control.

If you can find any other unicyclists, I highly suggest that you ride with them. I never would have attempted a mile-long ride at my skill level (barely Level 1) without a more experienced cyclist to accompany me; and at the Congress of Jugglers, I found that riding with more experienced cyclists yesterday inspired me to try new things (the jump mount and rolling hop) that I'd never tried before, and probably never would have if I hadn't seen them done live before me. I also played unicycle hockey today for the first time, and focusing on the game and the puck forced me to exercise control in riding and turning in ways that I didn't know I could. Just yesterday, I couldn't manage any 90-degree turns in any space smaller than about 5 meters. But today instead of thinking "I have to make a 90 degree turn to the right in a 1 meter circle," (level 2 skill) my thought was "BLOCK THE SHOT!" which allowed me to occasionally make even tighter turns than that - something that I'd before thought impossible and had never even attempted until I did it this very afternoon. Of course, I UPD'd a ton too, but it was awesome anyway.

I don't think that there's really any such thing as trying to freemount "too soon" - you have to realize that every "failed" attempt to freemount is one more necessary practice motion for your mind and body; every attempt, whether successful or not, is one more step towards proficiency, and is absolutely essential to your learning - even if it doesn't feel that way now.

I am in no way an athletic person. I was the kid that was ALWAYS picked last for sports, and I've never found a sport that I liked (until now). If I can do it, you definitely can. :)

Wow, that was a much longer response than I intended to make. Sorry for the essay!

[BurnerDave]

Augustdreamt, thanks for your insights. And nope, it's not too long an essay. Quite the contrary, thanks for taking the time to write down your thoughts.
One thing you said stikes home with me is your comment about 'not lunging forward enough'. I definintely have to to that.
I will have to sit back and re-read your comments a few times.

[blot]

Had fun riding at the high school this morning. It appears yesterday's freemounting was not a fluke. I used the curb twice to get warmed up, then I freemounted from there. No more brick! Today I was hitting about 40%, maybe more. I have noticed that it seems like on the ones I miss, I am not leaning forward enough. Once I do, I have a much better chance of riding off.

BurnerDave: I don't know if 9 and 3 o'clock is the way to go or not. I can only say that it's working for me. I tend to agree with nubcake - everyone has a different "sweet spot" for the pedals where the balance comes together. I can say this: the feeling is a lot like when you learn to ride more than a couple of revolutions - you feel it and you just know it's going to come together. I hope it stays together for me!

The riding was productive too. My balance feels better and I don't feel like I'm laboring so much. Mind you, it's still hard work for me, but it's getting better. I practiced some turns too. I even rode a lap on the track - UPDd a few times but I made it around. The track is cinder and pretty much covered with goose poop. (Canada goose poop - what's up with that, Dave?) I tried riding on the grass, which is frozen, with varying success. I see video of a lot of people riding on grass and I thought it was easy. It wasn't, at least for me.

I guess the biggest part of the day was that it was less practice and more just plain having fun!

One thing is for sure: I want to go faster and farther, so a big wheel is in my future. Suggestions anyone?

[vanpaun]

try to just get on and ride, or think about somthing else

[augustdreamt]

One thing is for sure: I want to go faster and farther, so a big wheel is in my future. Suggestions anyone?

I bought a Nimbus 29er last week and took it out for a spin for the first time today. I love it! Downhills are MUCH easier on a big wheel (for me) because I don't have to pedal as furiously. I actually comfortably sped down a few hills that, on the 20", I'd have to been terrified of even attempting slowly, let alone quickly.

I have no desire for a 36" because I want something I can comfortably ride on the sidewalk with pedestriations as well as on non-busy roads. The 29er also fits comfortably in the back of the car; I'm pretty sure that with a Coker, I'd have to use a bike rack to transport it.

Once I replaced the stock 125mm cranks with 150mm cranks, the difference between riding the 20" and the 29" was minimal. I feel like a Coker would have had a much greater learning curve, but even though today was only my first day, I managed to ride 3 miles (with multiple UPDs due to my legs getting tired) and had a freemount success rate of about 20%.

And now, a short (and corny) video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=z7eAb4bocJ8) of part of today's ride.

I highly recommend a 29er. It's significantly faster than a 20" but not too intimidating for a beginner like me.

[augustdreamt]

Augustdreamt, thanks for your insights. And nope, it's not too long an essay. Quite the contrary, thanks for taking the time to write down your thoughts.
One thing you said stikes home with me is your comment about 'not lunging forward enough'. I definintely have to to that.
I will have to sit back and re-read your comments a few times.

I'm glad to help. Good luck! :)

[BurnerDave]

The track is cinder and pretty much covered with goose poop. (Canada goose poop - what's up with that, Dave?)

Shhh! We were aiming for the White House.

[nubcake]

August watchin that vid is like watching myself... with a lot less padding... like zero padding, but i'm awesome so it's ok :P (no really i am just ask me heh). The first hop up and then FAIL, to the 'oh ffs cmon man', to the successful and slightly stalled and shaky and veering start, to the riding it out and getting a bit of a sloppy groove goin... to the eventual grounding again. You also look like you covered in that vid about as far as I have only ever managed to go except for the few occasional significantly further flukes I have somehow made happen. I challenge you to a race up the road, and the first to do it in under 10 hours wins :)

All I can say is that for me doing a successful mount goes like this... pedal at about 5 o'clock so that if i was to put my weight on the pedal it would move a little backwards, hands free of the uni (no seat grabbing), think about applying the lightest possible energy onto the pedal (which equates to more than a little, but trying for as little as possible so as not to actually overdo the pressure on it) so that the seat has slight pressure and the wheel has a slight rollback whilst attempting to lightly hop upwards directly above the hub and onto the seat, a slight pull back on the top pedal to actually bring it under and behind me a bit, to then rolling it out in whichever (basically always a right-hand) direction i start to tip.

I use my left foot as my initial foot on pedal, and i find that if i dont try to spread my energy across both trying to be really light on the pedal and floating directly over the hub in my hop then the uni twists to the left too far to the left and it's far to difficult to straighten and also keep balance and ride out... whereas a light pressure on the pedal and floating onto the seat seems to keep things much neater, with maybe a slight twist but nothing major. If i don't literally go through the process of deliberately being light on the pedal and hopping just enough to float above the hub then I 99.9% fail, whereas if I do it like this then for a couple of minutes before I was landing it everytime and was in the zone and not even really thinking about it because I was too busy trying to get from one side of the carpark to the other.

I think something to keep in mind is to keep things SLOW. Don't attempt to get on and go. Try to deliberately spread your mount over 2 seconds to force yourself to smooth things out and be light. The first second spent floating up onto the seat and getting settled, and the second second (second....second? heh woot!) spent starting to pedal it out.

My thought for the day : trying to learn to ride a uni on even mildly uneven ground is like trying to learn how to drive a car with someone constantly grabbing at the wheel... CONSTANTLY. A bit difficult to learn the core feeling and process of control when you are asked from the start to deal with an unforgiving handicap like that.

It's been over two weeks and my leg still has a bruise on the calf, not that it hurts, but it's still there very lightly. Damn that was a good hit.

[blot]

BurnerDave says: Shhh! We were aiming for the White House.

Geez...with all the poop already at the White House, how will you know when you hit it?

nubcake says: August watchin that vid is like watching myself... with a lot less padding...

Well now, that could be taken more than one way...



Augustdreamt: right now my mount looks about like yours, except I'm on a smaller wheel. Looks like I'm on the right track. Question for you - did you get the Nimbus with the ISIS hubs? That's one of the bigger wheel unis I'm looking at. Did you consider anything else (29er, I mean)? I'd like to know your impressions.

Also augustdreamt: when you master unicycling skills - which at the rate you're going that ought to be in about 20 minutes - how about writing some tutorials for this forum? You write so well and I think new riders like myself would enjoy well-written, concise guides.

Apropos of nothing: I decided to celebrate my recent successes with a new helmet. Got a wicked deal on a Bell Metropolis at REI. On clearance for $19.83! Woo-hoo!!

[BurnerDave]

What we need ... no, what the world needs, is a video of newbie riding! Enough of those hotshots doing 360s, 720s, grinding and whateva. What unicyclist.com needs is a montage (is that what you call it?) of us newbies wobbling and flailing! Hmmm. I can edit it, if I can get the footage.

[augustdreamt]

What we need ... no, what the world needs, is a video of newbie riding! Enough of those hotshots doing 360s, 720s, grinding and whateva. What unicyclist.com needs is a montage (is that what you call it?) of us newbies wobbling and flailing! Hmmm. I can edit it, if I can get the footage.

I'd gladly contribute to that! I need to get the original file from my friend (the videography wench).

[augustdreamt]

Augustdreamt: right now my mount looks about like yours, except I'm on a smaller wheel. Looks like I'm on the right track. Question for you - did you get the Nimbus with the ISIS hubs? That's one of the bigger wheel unis I'm looking at. Did you consider anything else (29er, I mean)? I'd like to know your impressions.

Also augustdreamt: when you master unicycling skills - which at the rate you're going that ought to be in about 20 minutes - how about writing some tutorials for this forum? You write so well and I think new riders like myself would enjoy well-written, concise guides.

Apropos of nothing: I decided to celebrate my recent successes with a new helmet. Got a wicked deal on a Bell Metropolis at REI. On clearance for $19.83! Woo-hoo!!

I picked up the Nimbus that's on sale (http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=791=) at UDC. I considered the Nimbus ISIS, but since I wasn't really sure whether or not a big wheel would be right for me, I didn't want to spend too much money right off the bat. Also, the ISIS cranks are kind of expensive, and as a novice, I wanted the option for cheap experimentation with varying crank lengths. As time goes on and my skills improve, I'll likely upgrade Babar (yeah, I'm lame enough to name my uni) to an ISIS hub and a stronger rim. For now I'm sticking to the road, sidewalks, and easy singletrack, but I have no doubt that eventually I'm going to want to try something more challenging. I definitely see myself buying a KH 29" someday, if I ever get skilled enough to be that serious about Muni.

I briefly considered a 28" Sun, but quickly dismissed the idea, since I didn't think that buying a unicycle of considerably lower quality for the sake of saving just $50 (approximately) would be worth it.

If the 29er you choose happens to come with 125mm cranks, I suggest that you also order 150mm cranks too. I found that with the shorter cranks, I had serious difficulty getting the big wheel to start rolling after mounting. The longer cranks are easier to mount with, easier to ride up and down hills with, and just in general give you much more control. You can't go as fast, but for a novice, I think that control is a wise substitute for speed. Once I'm more comfortable on my 29er, I plan on putting the short cranks back on to see what the difference in speed will be.

I also bought a Kenda Klaw tire for snow/ice and off-road riding, although I have yet to try it out. Basically, I've considered it more important for me to have the ability to easily and cheaply experiment with different setups rather than focusing on having the best of the best. Once I really know what I'm looking for (and as a beginner, I don't think that I do, although I have an idea), then I will spend the big bucks.

Also, I'd love to write some stuff up if you think it would do some good. What sort of topics do you think would be helpful? I'm actually pretty surprised myself at how well I'm progressing (although I'm as slow as molasses compared to the teenagers around here!). After decades of athletic failure, I think I've finally found my niche. :)

I love REI! Congrats on the deal and let me know which 29er you decide to bring home!

[augustdreamt]

August watchin that vid is like watching myself... with a lot less padding... like zero padding, but i'm awesome so it's ok :P (no really i am just ask me heh). The first hop up and then FAIL, to the 'oh ffs cmon man', to the successful and slightly stalled and shaky and veering start, to the riding it out and getting a bit of a sloppy groove goin... to the eventual grounding again. You also look like you covered in that vid about as far as I have only ever managed to go except for the few occasional significantly further flukes I have somehow made happen. I challenge you to a race up the road, and the first to do it in under 10 hours wins :)


Actually, the vid was taken right after my 3 mile ride (which took about 90 minutes, since I had several breaks to catch my breath and rest my legs). My legs were so weak that I could barely walk! I'm also still working on that "graceful dismount" thing, so while it looks like a UPD, I actually dismounted on purpose. ;)

I wish I knew how long my furthest uninterrupted ride is. My record on the 20" is 476 feet, and I know I've done better than that on the 29er, but I've no idea by how much. I may get a bike computer soon so that I don't have to wonder.

What size wheel are you on? As strange as it is, it's actually much easier to stay balanced on top of a bigger wheel. I have no idea why that might be, but it is!

[BurnerDave]

Quoting Augustdreamt 'If the 29er you choose happens to come with 125mm cranks, I suggest that you also order 150mm cranks too. '

I have the Kris Holm 125-150 (2 in 1) cranks on my 29''. I'll just move the pedals instead of putting cranks on and off. Maybe you should consider getting those. I haven't got my 29'' outside yet because of the snow. I can go about 20 feet in my basment on it (about 3 rotations!!)

[augustdreamt]

Quoting Augustdreamt 'If the 29er you choose happens to come with 125mm cranks, I suggest that you also order 150mm cranks too. '

I have the Kris Holm 125-150 (2 in 1) cranks on my 29''. I'll just move the pedals instead of putting cranks on and off. Maybe you should consider getting those. I haven't got my 29'' outside yet because of the snow. I can go about 20 feet in my basment on it (about 3 rotations!!)

Actually, I was just daydreaming about building another wheelset for my 29er. I'd get the KH rim, spokes, and KH ISIS hub and moment cranks and build my wheel at home. I'm talking myself out of buying it right now!

[blot]

A little update on the freemounting business: I'm having better luck with the cranks at 8 and 2. I'm better at riding it out when I do that. I still do 9 and 3 though, just to practice control if nothing else.

I'm also working on turning. Tuesday I went to the park. There's a picnic area with two pavilions, about 20' x 40' on concrete slab. They're nice and level and I was riding around them clockwise, then counterclockwise. My left turns are better than my rights at this point, but I made it all the way around both ways. Then I did a crank grab on a picnic table bench and hopped up, moving from table to table. Not. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Anyway, last night, in my parking lot, I almost rode a figure eight, about 98%. My movements are jerky, with a lot of hip action but I suppose that will settle down with practice. I haven't been too successful turning by moving the arms and shoulders. How's turning for everybody else? Do you think it's just balance and practice?

[BurnerDave]

A little update on the freemounting business: I'm having better luck with the cranks at 8 and 2. I'm better at riding it out when I do that. I still do 9 and 3 though, just to practice control if nothing else.

I'm also working on turning. Tuesday I went to the park. There's a picnic area with two pavilions, about 20' x 40' on concrete slab. They're nice and level and I was riding around them clockwise, then counterclockwise. My left turns are better than my rights at this point, but I made it all the way around both ways. Then I did a crank grab on a picnic table bench and hopped up, moving from table to table. Not. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Anyway, last night, in my parking lot, I almost rode a figure eight, about 98%. My movements are jerky, with a lot of hip action but I suppose that will settle down with practice. I haven't been too successful turning by moving the arms and shoulders. How's turning for everybody else? Do you think it's just balance and practice?

My turning is very Zen. I think about turning then I turn, grasshopper. I can only make very wide turns in control, and mostly to the left (I'm left-handed). I don't know what mechanics are at work, but as long as it happens I'm a happy boy. My wide right turns feel a bit shakey. I cleaned a pathway in my basement (still snowbound here) and I practice riding in a counterclockwise square, trying to make tight 90 degree turns. The pathway is only about 4 feet wide. I can do it about 1/3 of the time but still haven't been able to do all 4 corners without a UPD. I do it using a jerky, twitchy rotation at the waist (the unicycling that is). I can't do any tight turns to the right at all yet.
On my freemounting, I'm now trying all sorts of pedal positions to start 9/3, 8/2 etc.

[gina]

My turning is very Zen. I think about turning then I turn, grasshopper. I can only make very wide turns in control, and mostly to the left (I'm left-handed). I don't know what mechanics are at work, but as long as it happens I'm a happy boy. My wide right turns feel a bit shakey. I cleaned a pathway in my basement (still snowbound here) and I practice riding in a counterclockwise square, trying to make tight 90 degree turns. The pathway is only about 4 feet wide. I can do it about 1/3 of the time but still haven't been able to do all 4 corners without a UPD. I do it using a jerky, twitchy rotation at the waist (the unicycling that is). I can't do any tight turns to the right at all yet.
On my freemounting, I'm now trying all sorts of pedal positions to start 9/3, 8/2 etc.

Did you look at any of this? http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/levels.cfm

[BurnerDave]

Yup, Gina. I do have that link. Those guys make it look so easy! I think I'll get it by trying different positions rather than fixating on starting in 9/3 o'clock.
By the way, when y'all refer to the clockface, which side are you looking at the uni from? When the pedal is horizontal it doesn't matter but then from one side it's 8 o'clock/2 o'clock, and from the other side it's 4 o'clock/ 10 o'clock.

[nubcake]

i suspect that turning is a case of counter-steering like on a motorcycle, only less drastic. basically steer in the opposite direction which drops your weight over to the direction you actually want to go which then lets you start to arc the wheel in towards where you wanted to go. basically instead of trying to lean yourself in a direction, force the bike (or in this case uni) to lean you in the correct direction by steering it in the opposite direction. imagine if you would that you wanted to go left, then try to make a curve that starts arcing to the right and cuts back towards the left.

well, the mechanics and dynamics of it makes sense to me... even if only me.

still not sure if this relates to uni's or not, but since the main premise behind controlling a uni is 'keeping it under you' i suspect i might be on the money here.

[blot]

By the way, when y'all refer to the clockface, which side are you looking at the uni from? When the pedal is horizontal it doesn't matter but then from one side it's 8 o'clock/2 o'clock, and from the other side it's 4 o'clock/ 10 o'clock.

That's an excellent question! I find descriptions of "o'clocks" relative to the unicycle confusing too. Not only that, the "dominant foot" business is a little hazy as well.

Anyway, here's what I've been referring to in my description: looking at the uni from the right side, I am mounting with the left pedal at 9 o'clock. (The left pedal would also be the rear pedal when looking at the uni from the right, and also the rear pedal when sitting on it.) The other right pedal is a 3 o'clock. (The right pedal is the front pedal when looking at the uni from the right, and also the front pedal when sitting on it.) This might not be standard terminology, but it works for me.

I don't really know what my dominant foot is. I put my left foot on the uni when I start a freemount, then jump up and hit the other pedal with my right. I consider this "left-footed." It's comfortable to me, probably because I'm left-handed as well. Whether or not this is my dominant foot, I don't know.

I hope I haven't confused matters.

[BurnerDave]

i suspect that turning is a case of counter-steering like on a motorcycle, only less drastic.

Funny you should refer to motorcycling. I'm going to take a motorcycle course in May with my girlfriend who never rode one. I haven't ridden (rode?) one in almost 40 years! I see they got rid of that kickstart thingy.

[Hazmat]

Funny you should refer to motorcycling. I'm going to take a motorcycle course in May with my girlfriend who never rode one. I haven't ridden (rode?) one in almost 40 years! I see they got rid of that kickstart thingy.
Do you mean like this when you say motorcycling (http://www.kk.org/streetuse/1435963911_bbfc11f89a.jpg)??? :p

[BurnerDave]

Do you mean like this when you say motorcycling (http://www.kk.org/streetuse/1435963911_bbfc11f89a.jpg)??? :p


Holy moly!!! I love it!!
That's my new screensaver!

[augustdreamt]

I went back to try the 3-mile ride again. I didn't do nearly as well as I would have liked. I started out doing really well, but then got stuck on a hill towards the end of the path and couldn't freemount for the life of me. I must have tried 50 times, I just could not get on the stupid thing.

It actually started raining (it was a dreary day anyway, wet and foggy) while I was struggling, so after 20 infuriating minutes of not making any progress (and being too stubborn to turn back), I was soaked from head to foot. Fortunately (or maybe not), I'd dressed rather lightly despite the weather; besides my gear, I was only wearing a t-shirt and bike shorts. I turned back, ridiculously angry at myself, and still couldn't freemount, so I had to walk down to the bottom of the hill where it was flat...and still couldn't freemount.

At this point I was just pissed, but I eventually managed a freemount, and I was back in business. Unfortunately, halfway back, I noticed that one of my cranks was loose, so I was resigned to pushing my poor Nimbus back to the car.

Tomorrow I'm going back, and I hope to do better. It will be colder, but it won't be pouring, so that will be nice. Despite the frustration and disappointment of my performance today, I do have a couple good things to note:

- My legs are significantly stronger than they were even 6 days ago. I could hardly ride 100 meters last week without enduring searing pain in my calves and quads, and after a ride like this, my legs were so weak I could barely even walk. Today, I did not once feel a burn, even though I managed a couple of quarter-mile long spurts; and I've had no weakness in the muscle either. My endurance has increased exponentially in a very short period of time.
- My gear has paid for itself yet again! On one occassion, my foot slipped off the pedal (thanks to the rain) and the metal pedal slammed into my right shin - painlessly, since I wear KH leg armor. I also UPD'd at speed for the very first time; I don't know exactly how fast I was going, but I was unable to run out of it. It happened because I leaned forward a little too much. Normally I'm able to correct this by speeding up and bringing the uni under me - and I attempted to do this - but my shoes slipped on the pedals. Suddenly I was flying forward through the air. I landed hard on the pavement on my right forearm, elbow, and hip - and after a second's pause, I jumped up again, without a scratch on me! Thank you, 661 arm gear!

I wish I'd brought a camera with me today. The view of the fog rolling over the water was absolutely gorgeous. I can also now brag that I've ridden a unicycle over a bridge through fog; I couldn't see the water over the sides, where I was going, or where I'd been. Just fog. The bridge just seemed to exist perfectly independant of anything else. It was absolutely beautiful.

[BurnerDave]

August ...
That is a great report! 50 freemount attempts!!
I'd be surprised if any of the Ottawa uni-ers are outside to day...if they are, pics would be great. I took this pic a few minutes ago from my upstairs window. That snowbank in front of the house is 7-8 feet high. And from the looks of the road, not even a Kenda Klaw, with chains, will get through that stuff!

So I've been working on freemounting on the 20" in my basement today. I finally am getting it by keeping the rear pedal high, at about 10 o'clock, not 9:00. I'm gettting it in about 1 out of 3 attempts. I tried to freemount my 24" and that's going to be a whole new thing! It flew out from under me at the speed of light!

And yes, take a camera with you!!!

edit: what does "Of whom did August dream?" mean? It's driving me nuts!

[augustdreamt]

Wow, that is INSANE. Here's hoping that spring shows up for you guys sooner rather than later!

The story behind my sig is kind of sad, actually. I was due to give birth in August to me and my husband's first child, but I miscarried early on. While I was still pregnant I referred to him (her?) as my little dream. So the answer to the question "Of whom did August dream?" is my son, who died before he was born.

It's the reason I started unicycling, actually. It allowed me to feel like I had some control during a time that I felt like I had very little and it was something positive that I could focus on and use to physically express my anger and pent-up energy. It's been a terrific form of therapy and just a really very positive element in my life during what was a very rough time.

[BurnerDave]

Thanks for sharing that. Background like that 'humanizes' people on these forums. I'm glad to hear that the plan to use unicycling as a form of therapy is working. I can see that. I hope you won't ever quit riding though.

[BurnerDave]

Yahoo!!
Being snowed in for the weekend paid off in one way... Besides getting a great workout shovelling snow, I finally can freemount my 20" uni most of the time!!! Drinks all around! Next, feemounting my unforgiving 24".

[augustdreamt]

Yaaaay!!! Congratulations on your new skill! :D

Sunday was a bust. It was freezing outside, the wind was ridiculous, and I just wasn't into it at all. After about 40 uncomfortable minutes, my husband (he was out with me practicing Tai Chi or something - he's a martial artist) and I decided to rent The Producers and spend a cozy afternoon inside.

Today after work, however, I went for a ride through the park near my house on the 20". It's about a mile-long circuit and I did pretty well; I managed my way down last month's intimidating downhills, and got to make pleasant conversation with a lot of very curious dog-walkers. Spring is finally coming, and I am ecstatic!

[blot]

Yee-ha! Way to go BurnerDave!

I don't know about you, but I find a great feeling of independence when you can just hop on and go.

Isn't it interesting, how, when you get it, you know you get it? Now, when I'm freemounting, I think, "what was the big deal with this?" How quickly I forget! Not that I'm an expert by any means; today in the park I had plenty of misses. And it's still humbling when I step up and shoot the uni out back behind me. I don't care, the people in the park think I'm a wacko anyway.

BurnerDave, what are your impressions about mounting the 20" versus the 24"? Someday I want a bigger wheel and I'd like to know what to expect. Perhaps someone cough- augustdreamt - cough. could write a nice summary comparing and contrasting mounting different wheel sizes.

Augustdreamt, I know what you mean about yesterday. I had sun but the winds were wicked - gusts up to 40 mph. At one point I was having a tough ride against the wind, hit a dip in the road and took a nasty spill. The bump and the wind stopped me cold. I even rolled over a couple of times. Thank goodness for helmets and padding!

BurnerDave, I hope the Great White North starts getting green for you real soon so you can get outside. You deserve some burning legs like the rest of us!

[BurnerDave]

Thanks. Yup, it will be great to be able to just mount-up wherever I UPD. I still have to learn to mount the 24 and 29 but I'll do that outdoors in a few weeks. I know what you mean by "what was the big deal with this?" It's obvious, isn't it, after 200 trys!
Even when I'm just riding the uni, I'm still amazed and wonder, "How the heck am I staying on this thing!?"

The snowstorm is over here. Temperatures will start to rise above freezing point this week. Ya-hoo!

But URGENT>>>>>
Check out Divebomber's thread in the other rec. forum. I think it's title thinking about quitting. We have to work on him (or her?)

edit: Typos (NowthatIknowAugustdreamtisaproofreader,Ifindmyselfgoingbacktocheckthesp elling!)

[blueharmony]

I learned on a 24" so got used to it, then went to a 20". Yikes, I just about killed everyone around me!:eek:

The way I think of mounting a larger wheel is you have to man-handle them a little more, i.e., ya gotta be more aggressive (jump higher, push harder, etc). Then, when you go back to a smaller wheel, you have to back off and be gentle or you will destroy your shins when the pedal comes around and smacks you good.:p

[skilewis74]

I haven't read most of the posts, but if you are getting discouraged I think Divebomber's trhead (http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68322) would be helpful.

Sorry if already posted.

One thing I've done and still do when learning to ride or do something new is find some small way to make it a teeny bit harder or just different. (I listed a bunch of them in that thread. Posts 19 and 63).

[augustdreamt]

...because I've been riding everywhere and tiring my little butt out! I've been riding the paved loop in the park near my house, riding around the business park during my lunch at work, and yesterday just rode around my parents' neighborhood (their area has very little traffic) for a couple of hours. I can now proudly say that I can: ride a mile on the 20" in fifteen minutes; ride long steep hills up or down without UPD; ride in the grass as long as I can maintain a certain momentum; adjust the way I'm perched on the saddle to aid discomfort without having to stop or dismount; ride with minimal arm-flailing (in fact, I can now fairly comfortably ride with one hand holding the saddle). I won't bore you with the details of all my other tiny victories of the past five days, but I will say that I am quite proud of myself. I've put in maybe 5-6 miles so far this week.

I'm feeling quite ambitious, and I think I'm going to pick up a 24" from my local bike shop today and try some Muni on a lightly technical trail near my house. I'm also making plans for She Got Bike (http://www.shegotbike.com/), a local women's cycling event that I first attended last year on a bike. I want to do it again this year on a unicycle; but I'm torn between riding the 29er, which would definitely have difficultly keeping up with everyone, or investing the $300+ in a coker (http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=2169). I also wonder if I'm being a bit too ambitious; while the ride I want to participate in this year is entry-level and only ten miles long, it's all on roads that do have some traffic and either narrow or nonexistant shoulders. The thought of cars whizzing by me on hills is a rather frightening one, but if the other cyclists can do it, surely I can as well? I'm so undecided!

The ride is not until September, so that gives me six months to train for it, which I think is plenty of time. It's not the distance that concerns me, so much as the hills (the route is VERY hilly) and the traffic. I just don't know!

[augustdreamt]

Typos (NowthatIknowAugustdreamtisaproofreader,Ifindmyselfgoingbacktocheckthesp elling!)

Haha! No worries, Dave. I'm off-duty when I'm here. :D

[augustdreamt]

Someday I want a bigger wheel and I'd like to know what to expect. Perhaps someone cough- augustdreamt - cough. could write a nice summary comparing and contrasting mounting different wheel sizes.

As soon as I pick up a good 24", I'm on it! :) I'm not sure when I'll get one now, though. I ordered a Sun FT 24" through my LBS, assuming that it would cost about the same as it does elsewhere ($80-100), but they want $150 for it! If I'd wanted to spend that much money, I'd just spend the extra fifty dollars and get an entry-level Nimbus Muni from UDC. In fact, I may do that.

[BurnerDave]

Jeez, I love this thread! Everyone is so neat!:)
It's the weekend and I'll be able to spend extra time working on freemounting my 20". I'm improving rapidly and I won't be happy until I nail itmost of the time....just because. It's funny because I don't think learning to mount is as hard as was learning to ride, which seems soooo long ago. In 1 or 2 weeks I'll be able to ride outdoors all the time as the snow melts away and it warms up. I can't wait to get out there!
Augustdreamt, it is great to read about your experiences. And no flailing!! I still flail like a lunatic, but less than before! I tried put one hand on the seat but I still need way more miles to go before I'm there.

[augustdreamt]

Bah! I caved (http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1050)!

[BurnerDave]

No, you did the right thing!

[augustdreamt]

No, you did the right thing!

I think so too! :) I just feel so guilty ordering a fourth when I already own three unicycles (although to be fair, my original learner is a POS). I mean, this completes my collection (for a little while, at least). I have the Sun 20" for freestyle, the 29" Nimbus for touring, and now the 24" Nimbus on the way for going off-road. Eventually I'm going to end up with a coker for serious distance, I know it, but I'd like to be more comfortable on the 29er first.

Today didn't go at all as I'd planned. I've just been really tired all day. I did manage a 2.5K ride first thing in the morning, but I've spent the rest of the day in the house. I have practiced hopping and idling a little bit today, as well as a good bit of time clutching the walls trying to walk the wheel. While I was at the park, I did try my wheel on a lightly technical trail, but was stopped pretty quickly by a mess of trees that had fallen onto the trail. It was pretty exhilarating though, even with the small wheel and slick tire. I can't wait for my new Nimbus to arrive!

I've decided to forgo the IUF/USA levels altogether. At first I wanted to progress using them as a checklist, but I really have no interest in knowing how to do most of those skills/tricks, though I can certainly see the advantage in developing my balance and proficiency using those skills. I've picked the few skills that have piqued my interest and I'm sticking to those, at least for now.

My husband and I have made a deal: we're going to exchange hours. I'm going to match every hour he puts into learning how to unicycle with an hour of learning martial arts. I hope that once he gets the hang of it, he gets really excited about it and gets totally carried away, like I have. Naturally, that's what he's hoping for me with the martial arts. We'll see how that goes.

[blot]

I'm going to match every hour he puts into learning how to unicycle with an hour of learning martial arts.

Hmm...kung-funicycling. Interesting.

[nubcake]

crouching tiger, hidden uni!

YOUR UNI-FU IS WEAK! :P

[BurnerDave]

I just feel so guilty ordering a fourth when I already own three unicycles (although to be fair, my original learner is a POS). I mean, this completes my collection (for a little while, at least).


Yeah, right , guilty about having another unicycle!
I read this somewhere. "Thou canst never acquire too many unicycles. Firstly, thou shalt acquirest a 20" and then thou shall acquirest a 24" and then thou shall acquirest a 29". Onst thoust can ride these unis thou shall acquirest a coker (or a reasonable facsimile). When this quest is complete you will be content...for a while." Martha Stewart I think it was.

[blot]

Yeah, right , guilty about having another unicycle!
I read this somewhere. "Thou canst never acquire too many unicycles. Firstly, thou shalt acquirest a 20" and then thou shall acquirest a 24" and then thou shall acquirest a 29". Onst thoust can ride these unis thou shall acquirest a coker (or a reasonable facsimile). When this quest is complete you will be content...for a while." Martha Stewart I think it was.

Okay BurnerDave, just what are you "burning?" (Martha Stewart? - funny!)

Not related to that, I've found that I've lost the ability to turn left! Left turns were better for me initially but now I can't do one worth a darn. (Right turns are going pretty well; I'm starting to feel the smoothness of leaning into the turn instead of jerking the wheel around.) So today I worked on turning left and which was quite frustrating. I'm going to keep at it until I get it back though. Other than that, I'm just working on distance, uphills, downhills, and riding over uneven surfaces. That last thing throws me off the uni occasionally, but at least it keeps things interesting.

[BurnerDave]

Yeah, Martha (and Moses) would insist on a uni for every day of the week ... with accessories! I was working on freemounting this weekend and I am happy with it now on my 20"! I'm getting it most of the time. It's time to start practicing on the 24". This is just killing time until I can get outdoors and ride and accumulate some miles, and cut down the flailing. Like you, Blot, I can only turn to one side, my left. The problem is that I'm getting stir crazy riding indoors in little bitzy lines. I know I'll be turning all over the place once I get out on the streets! Yi-haa!

[BurnerDave]

:( Last night I couldn't freemount if my life depended on it. Weird. I think I was getting 1 out of 5 tries. Very annoying. Maybe I was over confident, after doing so well up to the weekend, and didn't take the time to set up. I also notice that I can't freemount 'cold'. First, I have to mount using the wall and ride a bit, a minute or two, to get my balance I guess. Anyone else have this need to warm up first?

I think I'm getting cabin fever, waiting for the snow to melt in my area!

[augustdreamt]

:( Last night I couldn't freemount if my life depended on it. Weird. I think I was getting 1 out of 5 tries. Very annoying. Maybe I was over confident, after doing so well up to the weekend, and didn't take the time to set up. I also notice that I can't freemount 'cold'. First, I have to mount using the wall and ride a bit, a minute or two, to get my balance I guess. Anyone else have this need to warm up first?

I think I'm getting cabin fever, waiting for the snow to melt in my area!

When I first started to get freemounting down, I definitely needed about five minutes to warm up first. I am happy to report that this need does seem to go away after a while. Every once in a while I have difficulty starting cold, but for the most part, I can do it without issue.

I've contacted the organizers of the women's bike ride and they're going to send me a copy of last year's cue sheet. They were very excited about the prospect of having a unicyclist participate and were more than happy to help. I'm going to start training for the 10-mile ride on the 29er. There are some ridiculous hills that I need to prepare for! I'm probably going to buy a T7 handle next month too. I have six months to train for this ride, which I think is more than enough time.

Babar has been neglected for the past week in favor of the 20" simply because I can freemount it without any trouble. Pulling out Babar means struggling to mount it and getting seriously frustrated every time I have to dismount, because I know it means taking 5 or 10 minutes and countless tries to get back on again. It's way more tiring and I feel like I accomplish much less. Of course, the only cure is to KEEP PRACTICING, so I'm forcing myself to stick to the bigger wheel by lending the 20" to a friend. Last night I changed the Big Apple tire to a Kenda Klaw and I'm going to see how it handles in the park near my house tonight (if I can ever get on the thing, of course).

[BurnerDave]

When I first started to get freemounting down, I definitely needed about five minutes to warm up first. I am happy to report that this need does seem to go away after a while. Every once in a while I have difficulty starting cold, but for the most part, I can do it without issue.

Good, it's not just me!

That's a heck of a 'to do' list in your signature, augustdreamt! How about taking some video of your learning them and posting it. It would be useful (for me anyway!) Right now I'm mostly looking forward to getting outdoors and riding on the miles and miles of great bike paths we have here, some pavement, some gravel, then working my way into the hills.

[blot]

Oh no, it's definitely not you. I usually can't get going right away and I think it's due to one or more of these things:

1. Not concentrating on the mount.
2. Still being tentative about my balance.
3. Concern about how "the boys" will land on the saddle.

And what the heck, we might as well throw age in there too - it just takes a few tries to get started. I think, though, that over time my brain will recognize when I'm going to ride and help me out a little more.

Yesterday I practiced my left turns. I decided I that I didn't care; I would ride in circles 'til I puked if I had to. (Gee that's a lovely thought, isn't it?) Then last night I watched this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezo_JkLdYl4

So today I resolved to just relax and flow. And it worked! Turns are getting much better now, although I think I'm getting addicted to centrifugal force. (One thing that's helped me a lot is to make sure I keep my head up and not look toward the ground.)

Have I mentioned lately how much fun this is?

[augustdreamt]

Good, it's not just me!

That's a heck of a 'to do' list in your signature, augustdreamt! How about taking some video of your learning them and posting it. It would be useful (for me anyway!) Right now I'm mostly looking forward to getting outdoors and riding on the miles and miles of great bike paths we have here, some pavement, some gravel, then working my way into the hills.

Yes, I'm hoping to take a few of those skills off the list by the end of the year. I'm going to a state park this weekend to break in the new MUni (it should arrive tomorrow afternoon!). My little brother has agreed to come with me, so hopefully we'll get some good footage.

How is the snow looking, Dave? Are you still completely buried in it?

[augustdreamt]

Instead of taking Babar to the park, I decided to just practice freemounting in the garage. I should have just gone out, because I did really very well. Even though I haven't touched the big uni in over a week, it seems that all the riding around I did on the 20" added to my overall skill level. I still can't mount as well on the 29er as I can on the 20", but I did well enough that I got rather bored after 20 minutes. By then it was too dark to take it outside, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I can't wait!

Tonight's practice has reaffirmed my belief that everything I do on one wheel, no matter the wheel size or which skill I practice, helps me become a better rider in general. My time on the 20" has noticeably increased my ability on the 29er.

[BurnerDave]

Oh no, it's definitely not you. I usually can't get going right away and I think it's due to one or more of these things:

1. Not concentrating on the mount.
2. Still being tentative about my balance.
3. Concern about how "the boys" will land on the saddle.

I have to agree with all 3. My main problem is #2, then #3 and #1 last. I still have to put in the saddle hours to take care of #2; #3 is a ... pain. Duct tape may be the only sure fire answer.
And what the heck, we might as well throw age in there too - it just takes a few tries to get started. I think, though, that over time my brain will recognize when I'm going to ride and help me out a little more. When I commit to the mount and lean forward enough, I usually get it. Most of my failed mounts are due to either not leaning forward enough, or missing the pedal when I hop on.

Yesterday I practiced my left turns. I decided I that I didn't care; I would ride in circles 'til I puked if I had to. (Gee that's a lovely thought, isn't it?) Then last night I watched this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezo_JkLdYl4

So today I resolved to just relax and flow. And it worked! Turns are getting much better now, although I think I'm getting addicted to centrifugal force. (One thing that's helped me a lot is to make sure I keep my head up and not look toward the ground.)

Have I mentioned lately how much fun this is? I'm addicted to uni. I love riding. I have to remind myself to stop talking 'unicycling' to everyone because not everybody I know cares about it or wants to watch my uni dvds!

Darn, it's snowing tonight again, but there is rain in the forcast this week and that means the snow will be gone real soon, at least enough to see the sidewalks and be able to get outside!

edit: typos

[nubcake]

:( Last night I couldn't freemount if my life depended on it. Weird. I think I was getting 1 out of 5 tries. Very annoying. Maybe I was over confident, after doing so well up to the weekend, and didn't take the time to set up. I also notice that I can't freemount 'cold'. First, I have to mount using the wall and ride a bit, a minute or two, to get my balance I guess. Anyone else have this need to warm up first?

I think I'm getting cabin fever, waiting for the snow to melt in my area!

Sounds to me like you aren't so much freemounting as more-so jumping on and riding it out... more like the freemount for you is really just cutting half-way through already being on it riding forward. For me a freemount involves going nowhere for a short time, and actually the wheel first goes backwards before i start to go anywhere.

[BurnerDave]

Sounds to me like you aren't so much freemounting as more-so jumping on and riding it out... more like the freemount for you is really just cutting half-way through already being on it riding forward. For me a freemount involves going nowhere for a short time, and actually the wheel first goes backwards before i start to go anywhere.

I don't rollback at all when I get on, I just hop on and go forward. It seems to be working. As my balance improves I'm sure it will be easier learning more stuff.

[augustdreamt]

My Nimbus MUni arrived and it is beautiful! Freemounting the 24" feels much the same as mounting the 20" if I use the static mount; the rollback mount is much more awkward. I went for a quick spin around the park and it was delightful! I rolled over bumps much more gracefully and enjoyed the ability to ride through the park at a significantly higher speed. The 165mm cranks feel kind of strange, but hopefully they'll serve me well when I get to steeper and more technical terrain. I have a feeling that I'll be changing them to 150mm cranks eventually, though.

This weekend I'm taking a trip to a nearby state park to tackle one of the trails. My brother and his girlfriend will be riding with me (on bikes), so I hope to get some footage for another vid. Yay!

[BurnerDave]

Congrats on the new uni!!! Wow, going for a ride in a state park on the first day of Spring! So nice. Can't wait to see some video cuz until the thaw here, I live through everyone's outdoor vids.

[markwatson]

Hi there,

Can I ask - is it a bad thing to be slouching forward when riding normally?

I mean, I know it is bad posture and needs correcting, but will that happen eventually or do i need to consciously work on it?

Many thanks

Mark Watson

[blot]

Mark,

Well if you've read any of this thread you know that I have little expertise, but I'll give you my opinion. I think as you ride more and get more comfortable, you will start sitting up straighter. I was told that by someone on this very thread and it's true - at least that's what's happening to me. Mind you, I still lean forward a lot, and particularly when turning, but for straight riding I find myself sitting straight up. So, to answer your question, I think your posture will take care of itself.

Now, when you say "slouch," is it a real slouch or are you just leaning forward? When leaning, I try to bend at the waist rather than the spine because my back starts aching in short order.

By the way, I am traveling to the U.K. this weekend. Please wave as my plane flies over.

Regards,

[nubcake]

was just in the carpark again before and picked-up from where i left-off last time... was freemounting and riding it out.

dilemna - seem to be stuck turning to the right all the time and it's a fight to keep it straight, and to turn left is next to impossible. thinking it's how the seat is under me after i mount, but maybe it's just a quirk i'll iron out eventually. (maybe it's the cheapass uni pos).

even managed to stop and idle and then go off again.

*points and stares at burnerdave stuck inside :P

[augustdreamt]

I think that ordering the 165mm cranks for the MUni was a mistake. Of course, I haven't REALLY taken it off-road yet, so I haven't had an opportunity to judge fairly. But as of right now, they feel clownishly long and awkward to ride.

I see a pair of KH double-holed moment cranks in my future.

[BurnerDave]

I think that ordering the 165mm cranks for the MUni was a mistake. Of course, I haven't REALLY taken it off-road yet, so I haven't had an opportunity to judge fairly. But as of right now, they feel clownishly long and awkward to ride.

I see a pair of KH double-holed moment cranks in my future.

The good news is: I have the double holed 125/150 KH cranks on my 29" and I highly recommend them.
The bad news is: I haven't ridden it outside yet (Nubcake snickers) and my recommendation is based on the 3 rotations of the wheel I can do in my basement before the far wall gets too close! But it is a lovely 20 foot ride!

edit: Is it just me, or is that question mark in the thread title open to interpretation. I.e. How to learn unicycling ? - from these guys, as if!

[blot]

edit: Is it just me, or is that question mark in the thread title open to interpretation. I.e. How to learn unicycling ? - from these guys, as if!

Do you mean it's like the blind leading the blind? Maybe, but I find the exchange of information among us newbies helpful and encouraging. It's fun to share in everyone's successes.

I'm traveling to the U.K. tomorrow, so I there will be no unicycling for a week - yikes! I hope I don't forget everything!

[nubcake]

i think the winning part of this thread is that we are all kind of in it together at the same time, and it's not pro's smashing noobs with tech talk and elitism. we are just bouncing off each other as we all progress and get closer to the end-goal.