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#571 | |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Exeter
Age: 40
Posts: 13
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hi!
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#572 |
This space available
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Northridge, CA
Age: 65
Posts: 1,649
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Good work, Trevwin! I had a friend from work learn using the hiking pole method, and it worked for him. If you're at the point of going a couple revolutions unaided, I suggest now is the time to put the poles away and just go for it. Wear gloves and knee pads against the (almost) guaranteed abrasions from falls, and you'll be riding like an ace before you know it.
Cheers! ![]()
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"I'm a unicyclist. I make my own reality." |
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#573 | |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Between Paris, Grenoble, NY and NC
Age: 47
Posts: 1,067
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Yep the cons are simple: you become a pole rider! Been there done that, it took a while to convince my brain to ride without them. Anyone seen spinning woman lately? I miss her updates! |
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#574 |
Viva la revolucion!
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Aliso Viejo, California
Age: 49
Posts: 923
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I never used poles, and I already know how to ride, so I have no intention of using them in the future. However, I can't argue with what works. Thinking about the mechanics of the unicycle and of the poles...I assume when you are falling to the right, you put the right pole down. For unassisted riding, the remedy for falling to the right, same as on a bicycle, is to turn right, to turn into the fall. Is it possible to use the poles to facilitate turning into the fall, rather than just propping yourself back upright? One of the problems with most crutches (walls, fences, etc.) is that they keep you riding in a straight line, inhibiting the learning of left-right balance. It doesn't seem that's necessarily the case with poles.
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#575 |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Duiven, The Netherlands
Age: 42
Posts: 495
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Surely knee pads aren't needed. I've only hurt my knees twice every since I started learning in 2015. The last time half a year ago. Most times you land on your feet. I just bought the KH Shin/Knee pads, coz I wanna put some more time into hopping onto stuff. Im hoping that protection will make me less careful ^_^
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#576 | |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia
Age: 58
Posts: 790
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![]() I have been down the tarmac on my knee, elbow and palm sliders at over 20 kph. I certainly wouldn't want to see the grooves in my sliders on my flesh instead. It is surprising how the way we fall changes when we know there is protection. I have even slid to a stop in a kneeling position.
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Triton 36" + 29" | KH 29" | KH 26" | Nimbus eSport Race 24" | Torker LX 24" | Qu-Ax Luxus 20" | Qu-Ax Profi 20" | KH Onza 19" |
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#577 |
This space available
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Northridge, CA
Age: 65
Posts: 1,649
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Quite right. There are numerous variables involved. I almost never fall when riding around the neighborhood, or on the paved bike path. In fact, on occasion I ride those with no protective gear at all. (Although I'm pretty careful on those occasions.)
On the trail I fall all the time. I can't imagine what I would look like if I didn't wear gloves and knee pads. (Pretty scarred up, I can tell you that.) At any rate, protective gear is cheap insurance. Watch any Kris Holm video and you'll see he wears a full compliment, so it's good to wear even if you're an advanced rider. Cheers! ![]()
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"I'm a unicyclist. I make my own reality." |
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#578 | |
There can only be ONE!
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Wet West Canada, for now...
Posts: 297
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When I started out trying to learn unicycling, I had a big long list of all the things to do right so far as mounting body position cadence weight on the seat looking forward etc. etc. As soon as I got onto the unicycle, all those things were instantly forgotten, as the brain goes into overload just trying to deal with staying on top of the wheel of doom. As I get more used to it I am more and more able to consciously think about the details and make additional corrections and travel further without touching the rail or wall. The more it becomes internalized, the easier it is to do. In the beginning it is a huge amount of new stimulus and tasks for the brain, nervous system and muscles to all adapt to. I think that once it becomes internalized, it becomes harder to describe to people how to get there. The beginning stages of this reminds me of a few things. One is starting out in certain businesses, all the things you have to know was very overwhelming when just starting out, and a lot easier in the future. Another thing is when you coach a shy person to ask out that girl he has a crush on, all the things memorized to say and do and screws it up when he approaches. I suppose in martial arts, you learn all the moves and then in a fight under pressure you forget and can't appy anything. After a lot of hands on experience in matches and street fighting plus the training, it becomes possible to apply more and more of it relaxed. Probably the same with playing poker for play money is one thing, but when you put up significant amounts of real cash on the line, it is another matter entirely. So I guess to challenge and push the brain once many unicycle skills are mastered, would be to take up other balance arts and juggling. I remember seeing a video of someone who solved rubiks cubes while unicycling. Is mastership is the ability to do a challenging task skillfully while relaxed?
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Human gyroscope in training. |
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#579 | |
Viva la revolucion!
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Aliso Viejo, California
Age: 49
Posts: 923
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BTW, solving a Rubik's Cube while unicycling does not impress me (any more than unicycling or solving a Rubik's Cube), and could, I think, be done by a near beginner. Juggling and unicycling, on the other hand... There is something to be said for beginners giving the best advice. However, for the sake of argument, we're all beginners to the extent that we learn new skills. I am in the humbling process of learning wheel walking. I remind myself that part of my best technique right now is to flail my arms madly for balance. This reminds me a lot of learning to ride in the first place, when my arms were also flailing madly. Trying to relax is not going to help right now. My advice is: Don't worry about being relaxed. Just keep practicing hard stuff, and the easier stuff will get easier. |
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#580 |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Burns Lake, BC, Canada
Posts: 161
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I think mastership is the ability to do a challenging task skillfully while looking relaxed.
Otherwise known as making it "look easy". |
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#581 | ||
North Shore ridin'
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: El Dorado Hills, CA
Age: 56
Posts: 16,694
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In my own shows I would usually start with some sort of a parody of how to get going on the thing, followed by some out-of-control riding. But then I would usually snap into a relaxed, smooth-flowing series of swoopy moves, and go on from there. After all, I was generally billed as a unicycle expert, so I couldn't fake it too much... In Freestyle competition, Mastery is defined along with some other scorable qualities, into a pretty long and detailed description: -------------- 7D.2.2 Mastery And Quality of Execution Mastery is the amount of control shown by the rider(s) during their execution of the skills and transitions. The body form should demonstrate good control and Mastery of the unicycle. If a rider is showing good style during difficult skills, the Mastery score should be high. Mastery of the unicycling skills is also required to perform the “additional non-unicycling skills”, such as juggling, dancing, and acrobatics. There are several viewpoints to check the Quality of Execution, such as Stability, Duration, Speed, Synchronization, and Fluidity of Transition. These viewpoints don’t have to be evenly weighted, but required to check. Duration: Holding a skill for a longer amount of time and distance also indicates a higher level of mastery and difficulty for that skill. Stability: High scores should not be given if unintentional jerky body movement, or a wandering spin or pirouette is shown occasionally. Speed: High score is given when the rider controls the speed (faster or slower) of turns, spins, and transitions excellently. Synchronization: Being synchronized with the rhythm of the music and timing accuracy should be judged. High scores are awarded for a routine if timing of the skills is well planned and accurate. Fluidity of Transition: High scores are given for transitions when the rider performs a skill straight into another skill quickly. Low scores are given for transitions if several revolutions, idles, hops (or other setup-type skill) need to be performed before performing the more difficult skill - unless it is obvious that these are used to increase the overall choreography and timing of the routine. ----------------- So there is a lot to it, but in general, it's performing a skill neatly, in "proper" form (which can depend on many factors in Freestyle), in a way that indicates you are comfortable performing it. Duration shows mastery; 10 revolutions of coasting is a lot harder than half a revolution. It's quite a lot to explain!
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John Foss www.unicycling.com "I was younger then, but it felt at the time like it was going like poo off a spade. Great fun." -- Mikefule (he's British) |
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#582 |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Duiven, The Netherlands
Age: 42
Posts: 495
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Mastery makes riding uni waaay too stressful. Competitions are not for me and I ride only for fun and the nice feeling it gives to ride. Along the journey I will focus on different abilities so I can ride in a more relaxed way.
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#583 |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Between Paris, Grenoble, NY and NC
Age: 47
Posts: 1,067
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Totally!
If you're not a performer, as John pointed out with a very valid point, and you're riding for yourself, then it's some kind of ultimate goal. Because it means you're soooo in control... that you don't have to be in control anymore! In other words, it's second nature. It still can have an effect on your audience. I can make riding look easy when I'm just circling on the square behind our block. Sometimes some of the kids playing there ask me if they can try. And after a few fails at even mounting the thing, I always get that comment from them "but it looked so easy when we were watching you!!!". Side note, what happened to Spinning Woman? Still riding? Mastering so well that she doesn't feel the need to visit us here? |
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#584 |
Unicyclist
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia
Age: 58
Posts: 790
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Making it look difficult comes too close to being a clown for me. I prefer to see mastery. But all entertainers must judge their audience. If you are looking to make them laugh a bit then why not?
It does bring to mind something in a similar vein that I find really annoying. Guitarists who pull agonising faces in complex pieces completely distract from the music. There is no entertainment in a grimace. I once had a conversation with an acrobatic performer about such matters. Despite highly challenging physical poses, it was expected that they smile through it. The obvious physicality speaks for itself. The smile adds to the incredulity.
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Triton 36" + 29" | KH 29" | KH 26" | Nimbus eSport Race 24" | Torker LX 24" | Qu-Ax Luxus 20" | Qu-Ax Profi 20" | KH Onza 19" |
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#585 |
Finally freemounting unicyclist
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Devon U.K.
Age: 62
Posts: 479
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Here I am! My husband decided to take an early retirement and so now I have a new job, half time instead of full-time, which involved a move to a different area. So life has been busy and unicycling has been pushed out for a while. I haven’t yet found a comfortable place to practice locally, but I am now a lot nearer Bristol so the Severn Wheelers becomes a possibility. I’m not really sure I will ever get into hockey though!
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Heading for the outskirts of Awesome, one fall at a time. Arrived at Outer Awesome city limits 26/10/2016, Day 86 of practicing! |
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beginner, devon, learner, learning journal, slow progress |
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