Beginner

[paulo77]

ive been trying to learn to unicyvlr for about 6 weeks - i diont seem to be getting any better - 2 ot revolutions and thats it..any ideas

[Zivit]

Hi, it seems, you don't know what need to be lerned.
There is some simplest movings, that need to be training, three of them is in my video. 1st - interrupting moving, 2nd - spinings around a vertical, 3rd - vertical muvings (to stay/to seat). The combination of this will let you to bigin riding.
https://youtu.be/dh9sLnHTGKw

[Setonix]

How often in those 6 weeks do you practice? I learned in 3 weeks, spending up to 2 hours every night. In the start keep holding on to a wall or something and then focus on pushing away from it.

[LargeEddie]

Originally Posted by paulo77

ive been trying to learn to unicyvlr for about 6 weeks - i diont seem to be getting any better - 2 ot revolutions and thats it..any ideas

Try to do 3 revolutions, and then 4! That's how it goes.

Some people say "it just clicked" but it never did for me. It came one tiny step at a time and that was usually followed by a step backwards.

Sounds like you're doing ok. It's hard. Keep working at it, a little bit every day.

[Uni Lateral]

Don’t worry, it will come. Do you have unicyclists near to you to support you and provide feedback and advice? Where are you located?
Once you’ve mastered 2 revolutions it’s all about pushing for 2.5 then 3 and so on.
Are you riding alongside a wall or have you started venturing out into free space?

Keep up the good work

[OneTrackMind]

Originally Posted by paulo77

ive been trying to learn to unicyvlr for about 6 weeks - i diont seem to be getting any better - 2 ot revolutions and thats it..any ideas

You are probably doing something fundamentally wrong. Change your whole approach or you will likely continue learning the same mistake.

In many cases the problem is thinking unicycling is about balance. The longer you practice on a fence wall or bar the more this thought will dominate. It encourages putting too much weight on the seat and sitting too upright. Many people get stuck at this stage.

Unicycling is about leaning in the direction you want to go and steering the wheel under the fall. This is exactly as you do when walking except you have a wheel instead of feet. Use the mantra, "put the wheel where you would put your foot" and some of the same neural pathways used for walking will help you ride.

Ride out into the open from a backstop or pole. Only use the support to learn to steer by twisting. This only takes a few minutes. After that walls and fences inhibit learning.

Sitting too upright puts too much demand on getting the wheel in exactly the right place. Lean your body very slightly forward but don't hunch. The unicycle needs to lean slightly backwards to compensate. This is a much more stable geometry.

Aspire to getting your weight on the seat but start with most of your weight on the pedals. This gets your weight down lower where it is more stable. Once you begin to get near the right position for the wheel you will be able to put more weight on the seat.

Grip the nose of the saddle between your thighs. This allows you to keep the unicycle under you.

Many riders will completely disagree with this advice. Ignore them because the technique of an accomplished rider is completely different from what is required to get started.

[mikkelkasper]

Hey there..am also new to this..you will get the hang of it..am actually practicing in between two close apartments..like an alley..getting my balancing right and for sure am making progress..

[BruceC]

Excellent post.

Originally Posted by OneTrackMind

You are probably doing something fundamentally wrong. Change your whole approach or you will likely continue learning the same mistake.

In many cases the problem is thinking unicycling is about balance. The longer you practice on a fence wall or bar the more this thought will dominate. It encourages putting too much weight on the seat and sitting too upright. Many people get stuck at this stage.

Unicycling is about leaning in the direction you want to go and steering the wheel under the fall. This is exactly as you do when walking except you have a wheel instead of feet. Use the mantra, "put the wheel where you would put your foot" and some of the same neural pathways used for walking will help you ride.

Ride out into the open from a backstop or pole. Only use the support to learn to steer by twisting. This only takes a few minutes. After that walls and fences inhibit learning.

Sitting too upright puts too much demand on getting the wheel in exactly the right place. Lean your body very slightly forward but don't hunch. The unicycle needs to lean slightly backwards to compensate. This is a much more stable geometry.

Aspire to getting your weight on the seat but start with most of your weight on the pedals. This gets your weight down lower where it is more stable. Once you begin to get near the right position for the wheel you will be able to put more weight on the seat.

Grip the nose of the saddle between your thighs. This allows you to keep the unicycle under you.

Many riders will completely disagree with this advice. Ignore them because the technique of an accomplished rider is completely different from what is required to get started.

[colinoldncranky]

Seldom mentioned in help threads but probably the one single biggest improvement over just leaving the wall.

Leave the wall (or fence or post or whatever) but with a mate on the opposite side. You use his shoulder for support.

His job is to simply pace himself with you (very slightly in front of you) and to deviate left and right as the need arises.

The usual other things apply of course - right surface, right seat height and so forth. But importantly, get a mate on your shoulder.

[OneTrackMind]

Originally Posted by colinoldncranky

Leave the wall (or fence or post or whatever) but with a mate on the opposite side. You use his shoulder for support.

His job is to simply pace himself with you (very slightly in front of you) and to deviate left and right as the need arises.

Anything that distracts from the primary requirement to steer the wheel under the fall doesn't really help.

[mrfixit]

In my experience it takes 2 to 10 hours to go 20 to 50 feet. (On a perfectly smooth surface, with a fence around it) like a tennis or basketball court.

Tell us more, maybe you're trying to do more than you should at one time.


Once you master the movement part, you later learn how to get on unassisted.

You tube has many videos that may help.

Some people video a summary of their first time on a unicycle until they go
that 20 to 50 feet.

Some people will give you some pointers(up to ten) to help you get past the significant hurdles, but everyone seems to be a little different.

Some useful pointers are: And they're all important! In no particular order...
1) make sure the seat height is correct. My suggestion is to have your belly button the same level as the top of the center of the seat, when you're standing.
2) lean forward. you can't go forward without leaning forward.
3) sit on the seat. Put almost all your weight on the seat. It's way too hard when you're learning to do it any other way. Keep reminding yourself of this.
4) try it for 1/2 to 1 hour a day, only.
5) move those arms!! that's the only way balance yourself to stay on.
6) keep moving, it's impossible in the beginning to stay on if you're not moving
7) use the right size unicycle. a 20" is easiest. You can learn on any size, but make it easier for yourself by using the right size.
8) to make it easier, find a very smooth tennis or basketball court with a fence around it, right up to the edge of the concrete or blacktop. that's where you'll get on while holding onto the fence. , get comfortable sitting with the pedals parallel to the ground, and then let go while you're trying to go forward, away from the fence. repeat, repeat, repeat.
9) In the beginning, use long sleeves, and jeans, this might help minimize the bruising from falling. If you're not falling, you're not trying.
10) if you can't get it ask for help, you're probably doing multiple things wrong at the same time.


You should see improvement every single day.

[JimT]

Originally Posted by mrfixit

Some useful pointers are: And they're all important! In no particular order...
1) make sure the seat height is correct. My suggestion is to have your belly button the same level as the top of the center of the seat, when you're standing.
Cut.....

The height of the seat is relation to the belly button is not a good reference for all riders and all sizes of unicycles. A better idea may be to measure your inseam (the crotch to the floor wearing shoes) and set the saddle so that distance from the top of the saddle (lowest point) to the top of the pedal when at the bottom of the stroke is about the same or a little less. About an inch less seems to provide good control when starting out. Once you know the distance from the seat to the pedal at the bottom of the stroke that works for you, you can quickly check and set the seat height on any sized unicycle.

Anther common reference is, you should be able to reach the bottom pedal, with just a small crook in your knee.

[elpuebloUNIdo]

Originally Posted by mrfixit

Some people will give you some pointers(up to ten) to help you get past the significant hurdles, but everyone seems to be a little different.

There is a healthy amount of disagreement in the advice to beginners threads.

Originally Posted by mrfixit

2) lean forward. you can't go forward without leaning forward.

I am not holding my breath for a reply from the OP, but I am curious if (insert pronoun suitable for men, women, bots) is consistently falling off the front. That would indicate they are leaning forward enough.

Originally Posted by mrfixit

3) sit on the seat. Put almost all your weight on the seat. It's way too hard when you're learning to do it any other way. Keep reminding yourself of this.

Some rider on the forum...I think it was OneTrackMind...pointed out that weight in the seat was less an end itself but rather the means to stabilize the frame of the unicycle. It is natural for beginners to put weight on the pedals. Putting too much weight on the seat could cause an ugly fall. I agree that weight in the seat facilitates learning, but this needs to be balanced against the risk of a bad fall.

Originally Posted by mrfixit

4) try it for 1/2 to 1 hour a day, only.

It took me 1/2 hour to get to where I was the previous day. By biggest improvements happened 30+ minutes into my beginning sessions. Also, it took 30+ minutes to get my "second wind".

Originally Posted by mrfixit

5) move those arms!! that's the only way balance yourself to stay on.

Watch some videos of beginners. They are waving their arms insanely. Don't fall for the notion that in order to be more in control, you need to look more in control.

Originally Posted by mrfixit

7) use the right size unicycle. a 20" is easiest. You can learn on any size, but make it easier for yourself by using the right size.

I think John Foss mentioned that the best beginner unicycle is the one you have...in retrospect, however, I wish I had started on a 20".

Originally Posted by mrfixit

9) In the beginning, use long sleeves, and jeans, this might help minimize the bruising from falling. If you're not falling, you're not trying.

If you're planning on falling, wrist guards and a helmet are my first two recommendations.

Originally Posted by mrfixit

You should see improvement every single day.

Be careful to not to narrowly define improvement. Some aspect of riding did improve for me each day as a beginner, not necessarily distance.

[pierrox]

Originally Posted by OneTrackMind

Lean your body very slightly forward but don't hunch. The unicycle needs to lean slightly backwards to compensate. This is a much more stable geometry.

That's a great piece of advice, and it's a very interesting approach, away from the "sit up straight" - which works only on super smooth surface. But you have to constantly remember that it's a forward fall. I've seen a lot of people do what you describe, only ending up with their bum sticking out so much that they had to fold in half to keep the weight over the wheel. And then if they manage to do several revolution like that, the bad habit they form is a lot of pressure on the back pedal.