Progress diary

[MissScooties]

Originally Posted by aracer

Just mount holding on to something as when you started, get the pedals horizontal, hold on to the handle with your free hand, stand up and start hopping

This was surprisingly difficult for me, as I've never mounted holding onto one thing, I used chairs on both sides and then went to freemounting. My whole body wants to twist to the side holding onto the bar. I'll come back to this eventually...

Originally Posted by aracer

You're progressing really fast - one of the benefits of being young (along with less of a tendency to get and better recovery from overuse injuries )

I'll definitely say there are a lot of older people on the site, more than I had expected! It's definitely impressive and pretty motivating.

I may not be healthy, but I've got age on my side at least! Good luck with healing up those injuries, that's a bad place to get an injury...

[aracer]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

This was surprisingly difficult for me, as I've never mounted holding onto one thing, I used chairs on both sides and then went to freemounting. My whole body wants to twist to the side holding onto the bar. I'll come back to this eventually...

Probably worth practicing just standing on the uni only holding on with one hand in that case - and maybe trying letting go briefly and still standing for a moment. You'll get it really quickly - I could do that before I could manage 1 rev!

I'm being a bit economical with information on the injury thing - first had problems with my achilles when not a lot older than you, and one benefit of age is the experience to know how to deal with these things - it's actually been injured to some extent since before I learnt to ride over 3 months ago and I've been coping OK. Just that it's flared up recently (due to running, but once it's badly inflamed then uni is also a problem, especially hopping). Getting treatment now, and one thing experience definitely tells me that proper treatment and exercises will fix it - though thanks for the thoughts.

[scott ttocs]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

Thought I'd post this here as I've been updating in this thread a lot. Still wobbly, but I'm very comfortable free mounting (still failing sometimes but that's to be expected).

Hey Miss Scooties,

You are making great progress! I suspect that working on turns and figure 8's will improve your riding and your confidence.

I noticed the snowy slope behind your riding area. It looks like something fun to bomb down on a unicycle. Give it a try sometime.

Scott

[MissScooties]

The closest I'd come as of now going down that hill on a unicycle would be sledding down it holding my unicycle. =P

It rained today and it's supposed to snow tomorrow and the next day! Ugh. It seems that the only day I have left to practice would be Friday, since it both snows Saturday also, and I leave for college Sunday.

Good advice on the figure 8's, I have tried a few but going from left to right back to left right away is kinda difficult for me right now, but definitely would improve my turning.

[harper]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

I leave for college Sunday.

Unicycles are easily transported. Take it with you.

[57UniRider]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

I leave for college Sunday.

And you can show off that fancy freemounting when you get there!
Way to go on that!

[MissScooties]

Oh I definitely am taking it with me! =)
I just mean I can practice today, or tomorrow, or Saturday, or even Sunday! ):

[Killian]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

A little scared to start hopping, but more willing to do that than idling.

I feel like it would go, front... back... front... ground... =P

Idling isn't that hard to get. It's just like learning to ride, persistance is the key. Start out holding a wall or railing or pole, and just idle. Get a rythm down, and when you feel comfortable, let go, and try to go back and forth once or twice. After you can do that, just keep at it like when you were riding and it'll come. When you start to fall to one side, turn the wheel to the side your leaning I.E. falling to the left, turn wheel left. Takes practice, but so did riding.

Idling makes freemounting soooo much easier, and I think it's one of those skills that's fairly important to learn. Especially if you want to learn to ride backwards (my next endeavor). JMO though...

I'm no expert at idling, but I can mount and idle around 12-14 times, or ride and stop and then idle a few times, and then continue going forward.

[MissScooties]

Hmm.. I started practicing today, and then did a little more in the barn after work (it snowed! Ugh). I did manage to get a few 3 front-backs before having to grab onto the chair, and only one of those did I feel fairly under control. Well, it'll start slow I guess.

However, I seem to be doing this one thing a lot, and I'm not sure if this is a common problem, but I seem to be twisting a lot. Like I'll go back and then when I switch to going forward, I'll literally drag the unicycle so the wheel turns to the left. Sometimes it'll happen every front-back switch I do. Is it because I'm putting so much pressure on my left foot? Is there a way to not do this or is this just from being so tense just because it's so new? I can feel that the seat most of the time is pressed up on my left inner leg. I thought at first my seat might have gone crooked, but I'm about 99% sure it's my form.

[MissScooties]

Gah, can't edit the last post. I looked up some stuff online (mostly led me to older threads about idling here) and some have said that raising the seat helps you put more weight on the seat? Would this be easier to learn idling? Will I have to relearn freemounting if I raise the seat? Ugh. =P It does seem that I have some room to raise it and still have my leg not be completely straight.
Need to find that crank-thing-tool whatchamacallit around here to raise the seat, can't hurt to give it a try, can always put it back.

[57UniRider]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

...some have said that raising the seat helps you put more weight on the seat? ....Will I have to relearn freemounting if I raise the seat? ...It does seem that I have some room to raise it and still have my leg not be completely straight.

Hi MissScooties,

It is quite impressive that you can already freemount and are now working on idling. When I watched your freemounting video, I was intrigued with how low your seat looked to me. It looked so low that you could practically just step on the uni (almost) without having to hop up and forward. At times, to me, it looked sort of like a side mount... where you hop up on sideways. (When you first posted the video, I looked at it several times trying to see exactly what you were doing.) It may be just the camera angle.

You are getting everything very quickly!!!... and you are correct... you can certainly move the seat back if you raise it and don't like the results.

I'm just agreeing with you that you could play with raising the seat.

Sounds like you are doing great!
Have fun showing off when you get back to school!!!

[aracer]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

Gah, can't edit the last post. I looked up some stuff online (mostly led me to older threads about idling here) and some have said that raising the seat helps you put more weight on the seat? Would this be easier to learn idling? Will I have to relearn freemounting if I raise the seat? Ugh. =P It does seem that I have some room to raise it and still have my leg not be completely straight.
Need to find that crank-thing-tool whatchamacallit around here to raise the seat, can't hurt to give it a try, can always put it back.

Raising the seat might help to force you to put more weight on it in the short term, but in the long term it's more about getting confidence in your riding. I have the seat significantly lower than I could by comparison with the height of my bike seats - deliberately so to help with riding off road and hopping - but it certainly doesn't stop me putting enough weight on my seat when riding normally. Doubtless freemounting is a bit harder with a higher seat (it's significantly harder with a bigger wheel!) but the technique is still the same so you're not having to relearn stuff. I certainly found it felt quite strange changing seat height though - as with lots of other things, you get used to what you have.

Not that I've managed more than 3 front-back idles myself having been riding rather longer - probably need to practice a bit more.

[pinefresh]

Originally Posted by MissScooties

However, I seem to be doing this one thing a lot, and I'm not sure if this is a common problem, but I seem to be twisting a lot. Like I'll go back and then when I switch to going forward, I'll literally drag the unicycle so the wheel turns to the left. Sometimes it'll happen every front-back switch I do. Is it because I'm putting so much pressure on my left foot? Is there a way to not do this or is this just from being so tense just because it's so new? I can feel that the seat most of the time is pressed up on my left inner leg. I thought at first my seat might have gone crooked, but I'm about 99% sure it's my form.

Controlled twisting is a good thing, that's how you keep your balance while idling. If you're leaning to the left you want to twist to the left to compensate and bring you balance back to centre. Opposite for leaning right.

However if you're involuntarily making a half moon shape in the direction of your bottom foot that is indeed a sign of too much weight on the bottom pedal/not enough weight on the seat. More seat height does make it easier to correct this, and I find it much easier/more comfortable to idle with a high seat. Freemounting will likely be a bit tougher, but you should adjust fairly quickly.

Edit: you mentioned a crank-thing-tool to adjust the seat? What kind of uni do you have? Every one that I have seen either uses an allen key(which you should have or be able to borrow off of someone with basic tools) or some kind of quick release to adjust the seat height.

[MissScooties]

Raised the seat 3.5 centimeters, got on it and realized I had actually raised it a couple feet (or so it felt...).

Surprised how different it feels riding. I only tried a couple times to freemount, and when I actually went for an attempt (not including the half-attempts from being too afraid =P ) I made it, and then stopped. We'll see how it goes when the snow clears!

Perhaps I'll post a picture of me just sitting on it to see if it's too high/low/just right later, because I'm not really all that sure what it should be at. I feel like this is much closer to what it should be.

[Galthrojh]

When your sitting on it and one foot is at 6 O'clock, assuming the post is straight, you should have only the slightest bend at the knee (arch of feet on pedals, just to compensate for imperfect freemounts. Ideally, it should be at the balls of your feet)

Starting to get the hang of idling. Will come together soon :3 Strung together 4 idles today! (I know it doesn't sound like much but still... did it from riding, not rollback mount)