I’ve been learning unicycle for nearly 8 months now and I feel that I can ride my 20/24" fairly well (I’m still trying to master free mounting).
I also have a 29" unicycle but I’m having some difficulty. When I first mount the unicycle, it seems OK. But then it starts to feel like it wants to pull to the left and that I’m constantly having to lean right to correct it. Strangely though, it feels like right turns are easy but left turns are hard.
The unicycle was bought new just a few months ago and I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think I am possibly inducing this behaviour myself as I seen an old forum post about this issue when moving to a larger unicycle.
I’ve occasionally run into some handling issues with my Club 26". A while back I swore it was the frame being misaligned, but I think part of it was the tire I was using and my body not quite being “in tune” with the size as I had been riding 20" for a while beforehand.
I also experience that sometimes. It also happens when the seat isnt in the middle. If it is not tight enough and I UPD a few times the seat might turn a bit.
As for which turns feel easier, to me turning right feels easier than turning left. Also riding on the right side of the road with camber feels easier than when the camber is the opposite way. Unicycling is a balance sport, but my body is far from being in balance.
I’m inflating the tyre to about 26psi. I don’t think the issue is road camber as I practice in an empty car park. I tried putting the seat on backwards as suggested a few weeks ago, but it felt inconclusive. I will try this again though.
It just feels that maybe I’ve reached a ‘plateau’ with my skills. It’s frustrating that I’m struggling to ride the 29” and that I still can’t get the freemount/idling consistent.
This happens to me as well with unicycles, bikes and motorcycles. Turns out the work I do has made my body pull to the left a little because of muscle imbalance.
Plateaus are there to be overcome. A 29er is a bigger, heavier wheel than a 24 and you’ve got to get yourself higher to freemount. Keep plugging away at it and switching out to different unis and eventually it will come.
Check the sidewall for the max pressure and increase the pressure to that pressure. I find that 26psi is very low for a road tire and higher pressures will roll easier and be less likely to auto steer. My 36” I run 50 to 60psi.
Well, the muscle imbalance is bad news, but the good news is that unicycle riding seems like it will help correct it.
Also with plateaus in skill development. I’m sort of in one now. It does sort of depress me, but try to notice the small things. I’m getting tiny, incremental improvements. Also consider that even what most people here would consider “basic” skills (hopping, riding backwards, one-footed, idling, going up/down curbs) are shockingly hard to master. I just block out about 30 mins/day and go for it. Don’t check progress daily or weekly, think monthly.
OK, thanks for all the replies. I will try a higher pressure too.
If I’ve not ridden for about 2 weeks, it takes me time to ‘catch-up’ to where I was again and I struggle with basic balance and even kerb mount until it finally ‘clicks’ again and I can ride easily.
Hopefully I can make more progress with the dryer months coming in now.
