36er...OW!

[Aillaragis]

I haven't had any issues running out relatively slow 36er UPD's, but at cruising speed I'm 0 for 2 the second being much more painful than the first. I'm riding with 110's. Is there a trick to jumping off the beast? I've tried practicing UPD's, but when I get up to speed I'm too scared to jump off. The first time was much faster than the second. I took two steps then realized I couldn't run that fast and tucked and rolled out of it unscathed. The second time my feet never touched the ground. I pretty much got owned even though I was going slower. Also I feel like I'm inadvertently "ankling". I bicycle with my toes pointed down at a relatively extreme angle. I don't feel comfortable doing this on a uni without clipless pedals, but I don't think going clipless would solve my UPD issues. So how do you pedal, and how do you transfer from riding to running swiftly?

[tholub]

Originally Posted by Aillaragis

I haven't had any issues running out relatively slow 36er UPD's, but at cruising speed I'm 0 for 2 the second being much more painful than the first. I'm riding with 110's. Is there a trick to jumping off the beast? I've tried practicing UPD's, but when I get up to speed I'm too scared to jump off. The first time was much faster than the second. I took two steps then realized I couldn't run that fast and tucked and rolled out of it unscathed. The second time my feet never touched the ground. I pretty much got owned even though I was going slower. Also I feel like I'm inadvertently "ankling". I bicycle with my toes pointed down at a relatively extreme angle. I don't feel comfortable doing this on a uni without clipless pedals, but I don't think going clipless would solve my UPD issues. So how do you pedal, and how do you transfer from riding to running swiftly?

Don't crash.

[Aillaragis]

It's not my fault I'm a clumsy bastard. I fall off my bike even pretty routinely. And yes I also tend to fall while walking.

[Max_Dingemans]

I try to roll out of my falls rather than run them out. I usually come out unscathed, except that occasionally I'll tear out the palm of my gloves.

[Aillaragis]

Do you use any gear specific to the roll out strategy? I typically wear a helmet, KH percussion legs with blue jeans, and standard wristguards with cycling gloves.

[siafirede]

Use longer cranks until you have more control.

[johnfoss]

You're definitely not ready for clipless. To prepare for future crashes, the best thing to do is practice them. Not necessarily at full speed, but work your way up to as much as you feel comfortable coming off at. As you build dismount reflexes, you'll be better prepared to react instantly in a crash.

[bungeejoe]

Originally Posted by siafirede

Use longer cranks until you have more control.

Having started that way (long cranks), it may just slow down the learning process.

Sometimes we just want to trade practice for a crutch. I recommend working with-in ability and increasing ability with short cranks. When we decide to go back to short cranks after learning on long cranks the same problems comes back again.

[Aillaragis]

Apparently I sprained my wrist yesterday when I fell. I couldn't comfortably wear my wristguards because of it. I switched to 125's and rode much more relaxed knowing I have to land on my feet. I think I just need to ditch the rode bike mentality for a while. I always ride as hard and fast as I can on my bike. The relatively relaxed 36er ride today was surprisingly enjoyable. I think I may actually just stick with 125's for a while. I may try some low cadence rides on the 110's, but I'm not exactly a low cadence kind of guy.

[aarons]

Ever tried muni? Maybe difficult terrain that forces you to slow down would actually be safer for you..

[Aillaragis]

I live at about a foot above sealevel on completely flat ground. There is a trail that is about an hour and a half away. I went there once and had a blast. It's not something I could do on a regular basis though.

[juggleaddict]

as with anything- KNOW YOUR LIMIT!

110s are really small, if you're still having problems with UPDs, you probably shouldn't be running those cranks.

It sounds like you're leaning too far forward when you're at full speed, and then you can't give it any more juice to pull the uni under you, so you just fall out of control. You should run off long before that happens.

[scott ttocs]

No Guts, No Glory = fewer doctor's bills

125 mm cranks are a ince compromise for street riding on a 36. I have ridden 110, 125 and 150 and prefer 125 for most situations. 110's are fun but they take getting used to and I try to ride more cautiously because recovering from an unbalanced situation is more difficult.

Scott

[Flyjeffva]

Well, this seems like the best place to post this.

On Tuesday I was taking my Nimbus 36 inch Impulse out for a ride. When I attempted my freemount, I got forward over center but for some reason I was not able to pedal the wheel forward so I went off the front. Because I was trying to pedal, I didn't get my feet under me and went down on my hands. Busted my left wrist. Had surgery today to install a plate and 7 screws. Here is a before surgery picture.

It will be 6 to 10 weeks before I am able to ride again. : (

Can anyone recommend good wrist guards that would protect against this typr of injury?

[johnfoss]

Originally Posted by juggleaddict

It sounds like you're leaning too far forward when you're at full speed, and then you can't give it any more juice to pull the uni under you, so you just fall out of control. You should run off long before that happens.

The consequences of learning to unicycle fast on a 36" wheel are a lot more serious than they are on 24", the way I learned. For anyone who strives for maximum speed, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to practice high speed spinning on a smaller wheel. Use the same size cranks you want to use on your 36". This will accomplish multiple purposes:

• You'll get spin practice on that size, so at least that part will be the same at 36"
• When you push the limits too hard, you should be within running speed and not have to "eat it" in dismounts
• The smaller wheel will allow you to push higher revolutions that you can on the 36", so when you go back to the bigger wheel you will always be pedaling at speeds you have surpassed, not pushing your absolute spin limit

I learned to ride fast by practicing for races. This is a good form of practice in terms of how it forces you to train for complete races. In sprint races you aren't allowed to fall off. You can only win (or place) if you ride across the finish line.