Falling down in public.

[Motogoon112]

no crashes in public but today i was trying to ride over this seesaw thing and i slamed onto my hands but i did like a twist into a backwards summersalt!

[bluehighways]

there can be worse things than UPD's on your uni. Sure, its a bit embarassing, but the skate kids do it all the time and think nothing of it, so just roll with it and if anyone says anything, emplore them to get on the uni and show how its really done. I'm quite sure that most of them can't. Hey, at least you didn't take a corner too hot and wreck your $15,000 superbike in front of a bunch of veteran moto racers. I did. That's embarassing. They won't even call me anymore. No one gives me crap about wiping out on my uni, though. I think most people think I'm just an old skater who won't grow up. All good.

[hugo]

A UPD isn't bad at all, as long as you land on your feet - and people will not really notice. But if you fall, it is indeed embarrassing. Someone already wrote that we do not want to give the impression that unicycling is dangerous or difficult, but that's what happens when you fall.

The worst crash I had so far, was on my 29" Schlumpf in high gear, when it was brand new. I was not very fast, maybe 23 km/h, but did not yet have any experience with UPDs while riding faster than 18 km/h or so. I landed on my feet but did not run fast enough and fell over immediately. I slided on my shoulder and elbow (although I was wearing protection) but fortunately did not hurt myself very much. There were some pedestrians around, and one guy who was jogging. He stopped and came to ask if I was OK. I replied that I need to check and count my bones, he smiled and when I was convinced that I was able to continue my ride, he moved on too.

[The.Mars.Volta]

fuckin hope my partner or i don't stack it when we we ride in for my grad...

[Crazy Stares]

If I replaced my backpack with a messenger bag and only brought the things I was going to use in that class to keep it as light as possible, would it help prevent this phenomenon of falling forwards uncontrollably?

If so, would the shift of left-right balance be more bad-habit-forming than the shift of front-back balance of using a backpack? Like, riding with a backpack is kind of like riding uphill proportionally to the amount of weight in the backpack, but riding with a messenger bag would mean I have to lean right or left to balance depending on which side I use. Would that form bad habits of riding when I go to use it without the messenger bag?

[saskatchewanian]

I would go with a backpack over a messenger bag any-day.


I don't think that backpacks make you fall so much but make the landing that much worse. I would think the messenger bag would be all floppy and be much more likely to cause an accident.

[Shug]

When I fall I want someone watching ..... why waste a good ass laugh. Even if I am slightly wounded I soldier up, get on and ride off like a stoic and foolhardy fellow hail.
In my mind the spectators think I am a clumsy but adventuresome bad-ass and that they think that unicyclists ... like skaters are tough and cool. Even 51 year old ones.
Skiddin' Shug

[jerome]

whenever i upd or faceplant, which seems to happen alot when im muni ing,my first reaction is to look around to see if anyone watched me splat(not a clue why),the second is to check out injuries ,if any , never had pedal bite on my shin ,always seems to get me in the back of my calf ,bugger

[munirocks]

I've had several public upds too, some more and some less embarrassing.
The other day I went down at a traffic light when I was shifting up on my Schlumpf at a too high cadence. It just sent me flying but I could easily run it out. Many of my upds are shifting related, now that I think about it.
Otherwise it is usually when trying something new or difficult. But then I don't feel as embarrassed as when it just happens out of the blue...

[hugo]

Originally Posted by munirocks

Many of my upds are shifting related, now that I think about it.

Right, that's true, me too. But in 99% you won't fall, because you are not so fast while you shift gears.

[skrobo]

generally i find that upds on a unicycle are more entertaining to people than tricks, and people are more understanding of a solid wipeout on a unicycle than any other "common" means of transportation/fun