Learning the 36 Inch Wheel

[NotSoYoungOne]

Originally Posted by monocyclism

Here is a practice video when I was first learning the mount that might be useful as it shows a beginners efforts

Thanks for the video Monocyclism. I am right handed but mount the same way with you do, with my left foot first then stepping up with my right. I think they call this "goofy foot" in surfing/skateboarding/snowboarding. Are you the same, or are you left handed? I also noticed that you had a pronounced upper body twist to the right. I am struggling with the exact same thing and was wondering if it was just me... I am making some progress, but it is still there. I don't know how new of a rider you were when you made this video, but I would love to hear how the torso twist is now, how long it took you to overcome it, and if there was anything specific that you did. I am currently riding a 26" muni, and am just focusing on keeping my shoulders square. Sometimes I even force myself to twist hard to the left to see if I can get my body/brain to stop going so hard to the right. I just ordered a 36er and will start riding it later this month as the weather allows, and then just keep checking back on this great learning thread!

Thanks everyone for the excellent posts

[bb23]

I have to say that, as mounts go, this thread has done me wonders. In my very short time on a 36er, I've been doing a static mount with reasonable success on flat or slight downslope, but pathetic on upslope. Today, I read John Foss' comment a couple of times, then went for it on the rolling mount. 3 of 10 on the first go round, then 8 of 10 on the second, including a couple times on slight uphill grades. I was surprised at how natural it felt after getting past the mental hurdle of just going for it. For me, the rolling mount is going to be a serious game changer when it comes to overall confidence on the 36er.

[juggleaddict]

Originally Posted by naturequack

36" unicyclists (I'm referring to wheel size here, not unicyclist size ) have a tendency to ride with shorter cranks in order to maximize their ability to spin fast. I see no problem with that, but don't let this "shorter-is-better" crank culture interfere with your finding the crank size that best fits your riding and your terrain. Try out a pair of 165 mm cranks and see how you ride. It's not a big investment compared to the time you've spent learning to mount. With all of the steep hills you have around you, you'll benefit from having some long cranks in you quiver. Speaking from experience, a 36" guni with long cranks and a brake is a very versatile and capable vehicle. Maximize your potential and maximize your fun.

Hope this helps.

Geoff

c( = got some 170s for my 36er this Christmas, can't wait to try them out. I had it down to 114s, but I'd really like to try some single track on it, I have tried some offroad with the 150s and I wasn't very confident. I can't wait to idle and ride backwards easier on it : )

[Flyjeffva]

Got my new Nimbus Impulse today. I assembled it this evening and could not wait to go ride.

My riding environment was not the best. It was my gravel drivway. It has a circle about 150 feet in diameter. There is what I would have described as a slight hill.

Initially, I could not make it up the hill. The first 5 or 6 attempts at going around the circle resulted in UPD's on the uphill slope.

I will say that my static mounts have become quite reliable on the downgrade when I would turn around and go the other way after a UPD.

Then I completed a loop YEA!! Never was able to complete 2 loops. After completing one, I would UPD on the next uphill. At that point, I was panting for breath - after just 1 1/2 loops around the driveway. I run and ride regularly, so I am not out of shape, but 1 1/2 loops around my driveway was kicking my butt!

I did get enough courage to pull the brake on 2 of the down hills. It worked great - absolutely no balance problem and the drag was a "welcome addition" on the downhill. I think I am really going to enjoy having that disc brake.

Then when I was done - Only 1.2 miles on the computer - it ocurred to me to wonder exactly how steep that little hill was. I went out with a 6 foot level and yard stick to measure. The rise over 6 feet was 8 inches. That works out to just over 11% grade - no wonder I was having trouble - and that was on an inconsistant gravel surface.

Oh, forgot to mention that I got KH 135/165 cranks with the Impulse. Have them on 165 which probably helped with the 11% grade. At some point further down the learning curve, I will go to 135 and report on the difference.

Tomorrow will hopefully allow for some road time. Will advise how that goes.

[mbalmer]

Originally Posted by Flyjeffva

Oh, forgot to mention that I got KH 135/165 cranks with the Impulse. Have them on 165 which probably helped with the 11% grade. At some point further down the learning curve, I will go to 135 and report on the difference.

Tomorrow will hopefully allow for some road time. Will advise how that goes.

Today, I finally braved cutting my 36" frame. I'm now able to ride with the 165s. I also removed the handle and brakes. It's like riding a toy. I've sacrificed the "dreamier" feel of the 125s, but have much more control when I need to turn sharply, climb over bumps in the road, or start from a dead stop (holding onto a pole at a traffic light). I can even see going off road as long as it isn't technical. Now I need to take it to a hill to see how that goes. I still can only freemount on the downhill, even if it's the downward slope of the road crown. I feel like the 165s are more work physically, but the 125s are more work mentally.

[davidp]

As another new 36er rider, I think longer cranks are great. I got my first 36er put together last night and now have about 10 miles on it, mostly on-road but have also ridden some easy trails. I'm running 160mm cranks which give good control even on rough terrain and I'm getting around 80% of my free mounts. Riding strictly on pavement I can see the desire for shorter cranks but really like the versatility the 160s give me - some 165/137s could be in my future as well.

[Dantheunicycleman]

this may be bad advice, but i've sort of gotten down the 36" after only about 2 weeks of riding and i've found that, when freemounting, it is a lot of help to actually grab the wheel and then pull it towards we when i jump.

[hugo]

I started with 150/125 dual cranks and still only use the 150 mm holes.
I tried the 125 mm once or twice and I simply can't mount (or after 20 tries).
And with the Schlumpf hub, I really need the 150 mm to ride without the risk of UPDs at speeds above 13 mph .....

Although I must say that all my UPDs so far happened at lower speeds. Running in high gear with high speed (I reached 15.5 mph) also gives the 36er a high stability. I hope I can improve to 18 mph this summer.

165 mm cranks would be too long when riding long distance. I think that the 150 mm are optimal (for me).

[Simplyalpine]

Cheers on getting your first high wheel. Ironically, the day I got my thirtysixer there was half a foot of snow on the ground; didn't stop me for a second

I'll see if i can't post a vid tomorrow, but i'm off to Asheville to go on a uni bar crawl with my buddy Donno.

[JohnC]

I use 24 inch for 3 months now and I see a 36 inch .... 3 feet wheel....wow!

[bungeejoe]

Originally Posted by Dantheunicycleman

this may be bad advice, but i've sort of gotten down the 36" after only about 2 weeks of riding and i've found that, when freemounting, it is a lot of help to actually grab the wheel and then pull it towards we when i jump.

Here is a video to show how you can do this. It's the same with or without clipless pedals.

YouTube - Unicycle - Clipless SPD Mounting

[danechka]

I know this will look pathetic, but it's my best ride yet on my new 36". I've only had it a week..

http://www.facebook.com/v/1804061418484

[Flyjeffva]

I started this thread after getting a 36er for Christmas. On January 18, I broke my wrist during a botched mount. The next time I mounted the 36er was April 11. I was scared for the first mount. I did it on a moderate down slope and rode away on my 4th try. Since then, I have put about 90 miles on my Nimbus. During this time, I have mounted on the down slope and have had zero UPD's.

I am extremely dissapointed that since April 11, I have not been able to mount on level ground. I have tried quite a few times, but it just will not click.

I posted a video on YouTube showing me nailing a high percentage mounts on a level surface. That was taken on my first day on the 36er.

YouTube - Mounting the Coker 36 Inch...

I am hoping you can share suggestions to help me get over this barrier. Thanks in advance.

[uniShark]

Early in my unicycling I badly sprained a wrist - it would have broken for sure if I hadn't been wearing a wrist brace. I now have better ones, and always wear them. After that injury, it took me a long time to get my confidence back up.

Freemounting has been by far the most challenging thing for me with my Coker. I'm decent at it now, but still get very nervous and tend to miss mounts when people are watching me. However, I have noticed that the more comfortable I've gotten with riding it, the easier the mounting has become, because I'm more able to relax, and have a better feel for the balance of the wheel. Same is true during a ride - it's easier to mount after I've been riding for a while, than the first mount of the day.

One thing that helped me feel OK about this was getting together for a ride with a number of much more experienced riders. But several of them still had some problems with freemounting their 36ers! It's just not a very easy thing to do, so don't beat yourself up over it.

I suggest you just enjoy the riding. The more you ride, and the more fun you have doing it, the more comfortable you'll feel on the uni. Then, one day, you'll be ready to freemount under any conditions. If you don't worry about it and just have fun, this might not take long at all.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to start on downhills or grab a pole (you're much more talented than anyone who's watching, regardless of how you mount) . . . and wear those wrist braces.

[Dane M]

Well it's always tough getting back into something that you recently injured yourself doing. There is always a form of a mental block that you must get past, get your confidence back.

I am just learning the big wheel myself! I can ride the wheel pretty well now, but still the mounting is hard for me, and I'm on 125mm cranks.

At first I found a rolling jump mount easiest, but today I finally got down the static mount and that is my go-to. But I still have to rolling mount on uphill slopes.

If the weather is good tomorrow, I will try to make a video of the way I am doing it. Maybe that will help you since I am just learning myself