cocky riding bet

[erike]

A fellow grad student in math who is a real blowhard said to me that unicycling can't be that hard and said he could probably ride within one hour. I'm fixing 'ride' as passing level 1. I'm level 4 and have been riding for a few years.

As a statistician I think a guy who has never riden before in his early 20s has a probability very close to zero of pulling this off. So I put a large sum of money on it. He hasn't yet decided if he's going to follow though on his arrogance.

I'm most interested in who the type of person is who could pull this off, namely, level 1 within 1 hour of touching a uni. For fun I'm going to ask him to try the 'balance on one foot with eyes closed for 2 minutes' challenge that we had recently. I was able to do this with both feet, bare, on a crooked floor, but realize it is not easy. So I'm interested to test his confidence with just this relatively simple exercise.

Thanks,
-Erik

[krl1]

I'm just bummed I'm one year past a decade into the 26-infinity age group.

[Mikefule]

Originally posted by erike
For fun I'm going to ask him to try the 'balance on one foot with eyes closed for 2 minutes' challenge that we had recently. I was able to do this with both feet, bare, on a crooked floor, but realize it is not easy.

I know it's completely against forum etiquette to point out spelling, typing and punctuation errors, but I hope you'll forgive me...

Those commas around bare mean you were naked. Please! No! This is a family forum!

"I was able to do this, with both feet bare, on a crooked floor..." means you had no shoes or socks on, which I hope is what you meant.

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 19:40:53 -0600, "erike" wrote:

>I'm most interested in who the type of person is who could pull this
>off, namely, level 1 within 1 hour of touching a uni.

In my database (original dataset only) of 66 people, only one claimed
to be able to ride (50 metres) within one hour. See the table in
<www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil\agelearn.htm>. A full level 1 (including the
freemount and graceful dismount) is even more challenging. Not
impossible but I would bet on a failure. Just make sure he has no
prior experience.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
I think profile should make some stronger 145mm cranks - Ryan Atkins

[daino149]

Originally posted by Mikefule


I know it's completely against forum etiquette to point out spelling, typing and punctuation errors, but I hope you'll forgive me...

Those commas around bare mean you were naked. Please! No! This is a family forum!

Maybe that's what he meant and it's not a mistake...

Oh, nevermind

[treepotato]

i'd say 9-12 yrs

[GILD]

i've relayed the story before of running into some poi swingers in a park we like to go juggle/uni
the younger brother of one of the guys wanted to have a go on the uni and decided he liked the 24 better
within 45 minutes and despite my attempts to help him, he taught himself a static mount and rode off
it was on bumpy grass so the riding wasn't quite as gracefull as level 1 might demand
i dont think he quite got to 50m but that was a function of the terrain
if he was on a smooth gym floor, i'm quite sure he would had a good go at passing level one in an hour

he had no previous uni experience but did have an active backround in skateboarding and flatland BMX
i'm not suggesting those skills transfer directly to the uni but they help my above-average-learning-time ego cope with what he managed to achieve that afternoon
he later bought himself a uni but i've lost touch with him
i'm not sure if he still rides

[johnfoss]

I don't understand the poll. Are you asking us to guess what age is *most* likely for people to learn fast? Because any age could learn. I've seen a few of those super-fast learners in my time.

I think you're not being fair on the level 1 thing. If they can ride a full 50m you should both be happy. Adding the freemount should at least double the learning time.

So what's the stakes in the bet?

[erike]

The stakes are equivalent to a new Hunter with Profile hub/cranks and carbon-fiber seat, so the stakes are high. This guy thinks he's better than everyone at everything. He claimed he could do it, so I'm holding him to it.

I understand that anyone can learn, but I suspect those who can do level 1 in an hour are most likely to be young. So, yes, the poll as to do with expected age, rather than what is possible. The younger a person, the quicker they adapt to new situations, usually. Actually, I'd be very happy for him to be able to do this, IF he wasn't such a jerk to others all the time.

Klaas, your link didn't work, and I'm very interested in seeing your information.

Thanks you all for your feedback.

-Erik

[johnfoss]

For stakes like that, I'd definitely go for the full level 1. Wow, powerful bet! Does he have to buy *you* one if he doesn't make it?

Also, is it possible he's cheated, either by having practiced in the past, or possibly now while you're not looking?

I think the most powerful age for learning to unicycle is the teen years, maybe 14-20. Younger than that, and the curve drops off, as kids have less body awareness, and less accumulated time of learning skills. As we get older, we tend to get more cautious and more analytical.

[erike]

Thanks, John, for your perspective on the years for learning. I always enjoy reading your comments.

We haven't bet a unicycle, but I was just giving a ball-park dollar figure in unicycle terms.

It's possible he's cheated, but I think it is pretty clear when someone tries to get on a uni whether they've touched one before. Muscle memory will give him away, even if he's a good actor. Because there are those gripping-the-fence-for-dear-life manouvers that someone with any experience at all would have trouble acting out.

-Erik

[fluffinator007]

If the stakes are of this level...I'd most definitly suspect some foul play on his part. A man like himself isn't gonna let himself lose his pride and that amount of money without a fight. Just be sure he's not takin you for a ride. - No pun intended.

[James_Potter]

It completely depends on the person rather than the age. I've seen someone my age learn in twenty minutes, whereas it took me about a week.
Also, I find that if this person is active in sports with wheels, such as biking or skateboarding, it's easier for them to learn.

[gpickett00]

i would say the 13-16 age group. because in that bracket, they can still learn fast, and they can spot their flaws easily. under 13 kids dont like to realize that they are doing it wrong, and dont like to change bad habits. i was a pretty fast learner and im 16.

On Fri, 2 Apr 2004 12:27:52 -0600, "erike" wrote:

>Klaas, your link didn't work, and I'm very interested in seeing your
>information.

Sorry, I copied part of the url from local, and a slash got reversed
to a backslash. Stupid thing.

Corrected link:
<http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/agelearn.htm>

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
I think profile should make some stronger 145mm cranks - Ryan Atkins