In sort of a shocker (in that I surprised myself) I rode 5 hours and 10 minutes on the Unicycle today, straight. I’m sure a lot of you surpass that all the time, but for me it was new. In the past I’ve practiced for 5 hours, but that was when I couldn’t really ride and I was being stubborn going straight and falling down over and over.
This time I actually spent 5 hours and 10 minutes out. I passed a ton of kids, chatted with some skateboarders, cycled at Belhaven and Millsaps (I have 2 colleges in my neighborhood), I cycled all over my neighborhood, I rode up to Wendy’s (so 10-15 minutes of rest happened there while I ordered my sandwich and wolfed it down) and back, and I went over to the park a few times … great day. At one point, I bumped into my mom (she also lives in the neighborhood) and I rode with her on a leg of her walk.
It was a beautiful, sunny day (thank you, sun block) and I didnt even realize I had been out 5 hours until I got in and saw the clock (10:45 start; 3:55 stop).
So, for me, that was cool. I’m enjoying unicycling more and more. I need to upgrade my seat to an air cushion though … I wasn’t that uncomfortable but my shorts had 2 holes in the crotch by the time I got home, and I know that neither was there when I started (tho i noticed the fabric was looking frayed there when I set out).
Tomorrow begins daylight saving time, which normally I hate (and still do) but at least now I’ll have an extra hour of daylight for riding!
So, anyway, just sharing the wonderful day I had. So, get on your yikes and ride!
No, I dont really get off much. Well, not like I used to. I might go a quarter to half mile between dismounts, or more sometimes. I’m not sure. However, I have been riding extended (for me) times more and more and the crotch burnout has been bothering me less and less. Also, I’ve learned to kinda stand up on the pedals as I’m pedaling just enough to re-adjust / clench if I have to!
So glad that you had to chance to get out and enjoy this wonderful weather on that beautiful Hunter of yours (which I covet). Since you and I started riding at about the same time I really do appreciate how you have make it over the hump and riding for 5 hours is a pleasurable experience and not something to painfully endure or force yourself to perserver through. RIGHT-ON! I think that it gets nothing but easier from here on out with greater and greater rewards for those frustrating, and often painful, rides back in Decemebr and January.
Getting off every quarter mile or half mile is quite often. I can only go about three miles without a dismount to restart circulation if I’m on a Viscount seat or equivalent. If I go in one mile stretches with the same seat I only need to dismount for 30 seconds or so each time to maintain comfort over long periods of time.
I have gone five miles with an airseat with no discomfort but had to dismount for traffic. Drummond told me he considers the Viscount a 5 mile seat and an airseat a 15 mile seat.
I think he rated the Semcycle seat at about 10 miles. I have a Semcycle seat on my giraffe and have ridden it three miles without a dismount comfortably. That is a fairly slow three miles.
Eight mile stretches with a Viscount aren’t a problem if you can ignore the inability to feel parts of your body. Since I’m on a renaming kick, why don’t we start calling this sadle the ‘Tantric’?
Then I get off quite often. Usually, it is because objects in the environment cause me to get off. I can’t figure out how to stop yet, so I just have to go ahead and get off, and then I can get back on right away.
I guess since I haven’t gone as long as you have, that must be why I’ve never had too much discomfort.
I’ve never done really long stretches on any unicycle seat, 5 mi is
about the most (I have a Sem BTW). But I was just wondering if it
wouldn’t be better to express the endurance test results in minutes as
opposed to miles. People’s cruising speeds vary quite a bit (even when
on the same wheelsize and 1:1 gear) but I think time is what matters
here. (My longest uninterrupted ride has been 45-60 mins.)
>
>Getting off every quarter mile or half mile is quite often. I can only
>go about three miles without a dismount to restart circulation if I’m on
>a Viscount seat or equivalent. If I go in one mile stretches with the
>same seat I only need to dismount for 30 seconds or so each time to
>maintain comfort over long periods of time.
>
>I have gone five miles with an airseat with no discomfort but had to
>dismount for traffic. Drummond told me he considers the Viscount a 5
>mile seat and an airseat a 15 mile seat.
>
>I think he rated the Semcycle seat at about 10 miles. I have a Semcycle
>seat on my giraffe and have ridden it three miles without a dismount
>comfortably. That is a fairly slow three miles.
>
>Others on the seat/distance/comfort issue?
>
>
>–
>harper - Greg Harper: Frequent Faller (oops)
>
> -Greg Harper
>
>(now able to meet the pavement at 1.5 times normal speed)
>“It takes twice the man to ride half the bike.”
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>harper’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/426
>View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/17317
>
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“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked automagically from a database:”
“FBIS, SWS, FCIC”
I am especially interested in your opinion as a relative beginner on
the uni.5. I consider myself also as a relative beginner although I
started riding 1.5 years ago. I have never ridden anything larger than
24" (1:1 of course) but I do have a little experience on 24" with 3"
cranks. I think I remember having read that you briefly tried Chris’s
Coker.
Also other inexperienced riders that have (had) a chance to test ride
the uni.5: please share your experiences here!
Klaas Bil
“To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked automagically from a database:”
“FBIS, SWS, FCIC”
Yes, that is what I figure I can offer to the project, an opinion of someone who is inexperienced. I supposed with all the unicycle clubs the .5 has been to already, others have done this as well.
As far as Chris’ Coker, yes, I’ve been on it only a couple of times, and I never went too far or too fast with it. I found it difficult to mount (because my only solid mount is a rollback mount and it has a bit too much mass for me to do that yet). However, I found it pretty easy (relative to my expectations) to turn.
I wonder how the .5 turns?
Guess I will get my chance around or about the 15th (if I remember correctly).
