Learning Journal

[LoneReaction]

UniTographer, that's the most 'rad' graph of unicycling learning curve (hur hur) I've ever seen! Actually it is the only one I have seen XD
I am going to China for about 10 days, so no uni riding till then. Hoping to get my aging mother into exercise on a bicycle, then we can ride together

(Actually I've recently picked up photography as well. Would love to see some of your work. If you have flickr, add me!! )

[57UniRider]

Originally Posted by AnimalCage

Hey all, thought I would resurrect myself, seems to be a trend lately

Hellloooooo AnimalCage!
I've been wondering where you disappeared to.
I'm still at it....
Just posted a video over on the 57 thread.
(Have a look...page 50, post #747),
...another one will follow soon.

LoneReaction!
Great to see you seem to be back at it!
Super!

Hello Everyone Else as Well!
It's been so long since I posted on TLJ, it would take quite awhile to address everyone individually.

Hey, NSYO, since you've been moved from "conversation" to "General Unicycling," it looks like this thread is even MORE popular!
Way to Go NSYO!

Happy Riding Everyone!

[Nurse Ben]

My biggest obstacle today was the seat. Now that I'm finding true balance (or at least "truer", since it's still harder for me to turn right than left I assume I'm still a little off-center) I find that it's dastardly uncomfortable right where I'd like it not to be. Should I be looking to sit farther back on the seat (that's what I was trying today, and I'm not sure that it helped) or should I be looking for a better seat than the stock that came on my 24" 2008 Torker LX?

A better seat helps, but they don't come cheap, also a seat post that will allow you to angle the seat up at the nose. Unicycling is not comfortable, so you might want to look at bike shorts, spandex, anything to keep the jewels out of the way.

Based on your comments, I'd say that you're sitting too much on the seat, more like a bike than a unicycle. Your hips need to be free to swivel, so too much seat pressure locks you into a lean position. Try loosening up the death grip with your thighs and get back onto your "sit bones" so the "taint" has less pressure.This will also allow the unicycle to move under you when peddling.

When I make a turn, say a sweeping banked turn in the woods, I don't lean that much with the uni, instead I let the uni lean and I stay mostly upright, but in order to let the uni move underneath me I have to let the seat "float". In turns or when I'm climbing, I tend to stand on the pedals more, taking pressure off the seat, this allows me to make bigger movements without destabalizing the unicycle.

Remember, the unicycle is in contact with the ground and ou are in contact with the ground through the unicycle, so if that unicycle is kept from moving freely, it will move you, and if you aren't ready to move, you'll get bucked off.

[UniTographer]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Try loosening up the death grip with your thighs and get back onto your "sit bones"

You nailed it - I've been doing exactly that. I've got a bruise on my inner thigh which clued me in that I might be gripping too hard

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

When I make a turn, say a sweeping banked turn in the woods, I don't lean that much with the uni, instead I let the uni lean and I stay mostly upright, but in order to let the uni move underneath me I have to let the seat "float".

So, somewhere in between where I was (all on my feet) and where I am now (mostly on the seat). Got it, thanks. We'll see how the next few days go...

[UniTographer]

Originally Posted by LoneReaction

UniTographer, that's the most 'rad' graph of unicycling learning curve (hur hur) I've ever seen! Actually it is the only one I have seen XD

I'm a geek; everything needs some sort of metric

Originally Posted by LoneReaction

I am going to China for about 10 days, so no uni riding till then. Hoping to get my aging mother into exercise on a bicycle, then we can ride together

I had hoped to do that with mountain and distance biking with my wife 15+ years ago; she didn't get in to it until I gave it up! Maybe she'll take up unicycling next

Originally Posted by LoneReaction

(Actually I've recently picked up photography as well. Would love to see some of your work. If you have flickr, add me!! )

I'll look you up next time I'm surfing over there!

[UniTographer]

Thanks Nurse Ben, that worked out well. I hopped right up today. Less pressure on the unmentionables, more control on the uni.

Looks like I'm going to make my goal at this rate! Just over a third of a mile before UPD on today's outing, and it felt pretty good...

[UniTographer]

Progress continues! I keep watching that 2-mile line drop.



Today I went out riding with my 7-year-old who's learning to bike on a 2-wheeler. Of course, he's substantially better at that than I am at this. He literally rides circles around me, which of course makes me nervous as heck thinking I'm going to UPD and drop the uni in the path of his bike. But I'm sure it does him good to see that even adults can be bad at some things, and practice to get better.

He keeps asking me if I've mastered tricks he's seen in YouTube videos. "Can you side mount yet?" "Do a bunny hop, dad!" All this when I'm still learning to stall and idle! And then he starts making up his own bike tricks - "this one's called the BOOM. You ride around in circles with your hands in the air like this, and then slam on the breaks. I got five thousand points for that one!"

[jyngles]

I just timed myself idling and I hit 2 minutes before I had a UPD. My left leg was tired, but what seem to help is the advice I received on here about keeping my weight in the saddle. I still have some work on that, but I am making progress and what a difference there is by keeping your weight in the saddle. I just keep telling my self over and over, keep your weight in the saddle.
I also went about 10 feet backwards, the furthest I have gone yet. My goal is to be able to ride backwards at least 30 feet by first day of Summer.

[UniTographer]

Originally Posted by jyngles

I just timed myself idling and I hit 2 minutes before I had a UPD.

Nice!

I had a rough day, and decided to spend my Uni time playing around more than trying to "make progress." I managed 5 stalls separated by a few revolutions each, but still just don't get the feel of an idle yet. I think I'm going to have to find a fence and practice along it.

I did manage a couple of rolling mounts (slow walking speed) fairly easily. It felt very natural, coming from the static mount. I'm confident I'll be able to speed that up in short order.

Ridiculous graph of the day says:

[jyngles]

I seem to have some of those days also where I just don't seem to get anywhere, I remind myself to keep practicing, usually the next time out is very productive.
I never thought about a rolling mount, I am curious now...

[jyngles]

One thing I found extremely helpful when I was first learning to idle is wave your arms like a crazy bird to keep your balance, don't be afraid to wiggle to keep your balance either. Now I do not need to wave them as much or if any. I am still working on the stability and control, but it is much better, especially with the advice to keep my weight in the saddle. Much easier... Good luck....

[UniTographer]

Originally Posted by jyngles

One thing I found extremely helpful when I was first learning is wave your arms like a crazy bird to keep your balance. Now I am do not need to wave them as much or if any. I am still working on the stability and control, but it is much better, especially with the advice to keep my weight in the saddle. Much easier... Good luck....

My balance on the uni has definitely improved. I'm finding that I can ride almost as well with one hand on the saddle as I can waving around furiously now; I think it's mostly a matter of fine tuning the balance and building up the muscles. When I UPD'd today it was generally because I was relying on my leg muscles (probably too much) and they were fatigued.

Some more rolling mounts today, about the same as yesterday. My static mount is fairly reliable now, and I noticed that I can ride up a slight incline where it was almost impossible last week.

Graph, now reading in miles, with a fixed scale at 5 miles (well above my target), and giving me a firm estimate of when I hit 2 miles in the legend

[UniTographer]

Heard the first peal of thunder and managed to get outside quickly. After two false starts, rolled just over a third of a mile 'till UPD! Felt really good for the first quarter mile or so, and then I noticed my legs were fatiguing; I knew the end of the run was coming up.

After that, I had a quick roll downhill and, for the first time, it felt like just me and the pedals - pretty awesome. I'm starting to understand the "feels like flying!"

[toracyclist]

I am a pretty new unicyclist and I often feel that the seat post is to high or low. About how high should it be? Also how do you prevent your feet from sliding on the pedals? I was thinking about a foot holder but I didn't think this would be a good idea. Also I sometimes go to fast and then fall. How do you prevent this?

[UniTographer]

Originally Posted by toracyclist

I am a pretty new unicyclist and I often feel that the seat post is to high or low. About how high should it be? Also how do you prevent your feet from sliding on the pedals? I was thinking about a foot holder but I didn't think this would be a good idea. Also I sometimes go to fast and then fall. How do you prevent this?

Disclaimer - I've owned a unicycle for four years, but I've only really been riding for a couple of months.

I adjusted my seat height the same way as for a bike: so that your leg is almost straight when it's fully extended on the down-stroke. Over the past couple of months. I've had times when it felt too high (like I had no control right at the top/bottom of the stroke) so I lowered it a little, and then it felt like I was going to kill my knees, so I went back up - and I'm pretty much back to where I started. As my balance improves I'm feeling less helpless right at the top/bottom of the stroke.

As for feet slipping: I'd try different shoes or pedals. My cheap pedals also slip when they get wet but they're okay when they're dry. Some of my footwear is clearly better than others for staying on these pedals. I've been thinking of upgrading soon myself, probably to something studded. With new shin guards, too