|   Anybody riding a UNICYCLE that has tips on learning? | Scott_in_Jersey
Oct 3, 2002 7:26 AM | | It seems simple enough, but I am sure it's much harder than it appears. My girlfriend bought me one (with a big @ss screaming yellow seat-oye vey) for my birthday and it arrived last night. Very pleasantly surprised to see the wheel laced to a 24" Ryhno Lite rim. Anyway, I just want to be able to ride it without killing myself, not interested in going offroad or DH. Mine came without the instructional video below. Thanks for any help. |
| you bet........................ | bogart
Oct 3, 2002 7:48 AM | | the trick is not to try to ride, but rather try to balance. otherwords, don't try to use the gyro effect of the wheel to stay up. you must learn how to get it under you, then rotate the crank in slow, jerking movements to keep it under you.
when i began, i used poles, something to the effect of ski poles to help stay upright.
also learn to fall forward, and ALWAYS grab the seat under the front when falling off. keeps you from trashing out the seat. |
| thanks for the poles & seat grab tips! (nm) | Scott_in_Jersey
Oct 3, 2002 9:10 AM | | |
| Yes... | D.F.L.
Oct 3, 2002 8:10 AM | | First off, straighten your helmet. You probably won't need those knee pads, but if they make you feel better...
The only trouble I had with getting injured while learning was fron hitting one ankle on the crank arm; I bled all over the place. Usually, when you 'fall' off a unicycle, it scoots out from under you and you land on your feet. I've found it to be a pretty safe sport, even while learning.
If you want to learn quickly, understand the theory. You're trying to keep that wheel under you, just like on a bike. In this case, you need to worry about not only left and right, but also forward and back. The forward and back will come naturally; if you're falling forward, pedal more, and vice-versa.
Steering can be tricky. You steer by twisting at the hips. The easiest time to steer left is when your right pedal comes over the top of the stroke. It's when you'll have the most leverage to be able to twist the unicycle to the desired direction. Same for turning right: do it when the left foot comes over the top of the pedal stroke. Imagine yourself snaking down the street, always turning left and right, in a perpetual state of falling and correcting. For each revolution of the pedals, imagine making one left and one right turn, kind of like the goofy way runway models walk. Sometimes, as you begin to fall to one side, it will take more than one correction to straighten yourself. In this case, you may need to make two turns to the left, while minimizing the amount you turned right in between.
I learned how to ride by starting against a wall. Once I figured out the theory and exaggerated the turning motions, I progressed quickly. Good luck! |
| Website Pic, not Me, but thanks for the steering tips! (nm) | Scott_in_Jersey
Oct 3, 2002 9:14 AM | | |
| FOO! That's not the poster, that's a product shot! NM | Mr. T
Oct 4, 2002 7:29 PM | | nm |
| August 2002 Mountain Bike magazine | Mud
Oct 3, 2002 10:36 AM | | Has a page of tips on getting started on a unicycle. If you want I could scan it and email it you. They also reference the following websites:
www.unicycle.com
www.unicycling.org
www.muniac.com |
| Welcome aboard! | Sofa
Oct 3, 2002 3:11 PM | | Hey, good job, now here's my tip, that I HIGHLY recommend.
Don't start out by leaning on something. Learn to 'mount' before you ride...trust me, it'll come, and judging from people who post at http://www.unicyclist.com/forums (THE best source for uni-knowledge)
it's a much faster learning curve. It's not that tough, really. It took me three one hour sessions before I could land the foot on the pedal and make one crank rotation...this is the biggest step...everything else comes fairly quick. After ten one hour sessions, I could comfortably ride several KM's on the road with only a few UPD's (Unplanned Dismount)
People who learn by leaning on a wall (riding is easier than mounting) seem to be able to ride distances, but not beable to mount even 50% of the time...that's not what you want!
If you go over to the uni-forum, I post under the name 'Sofa'
Good luck, and you WILL get it! And when you do, you'll notice you're riding the bike a hell of a lot less! (PS...Learning to Uni has brought me no noticable improvenment on bike skills...and vice versa...they are COMPLETELY different |
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