It’s now nearly three weeks and am I pleased with progress? I sure am!
I now feel quite confident riding the thing, going straight, round in circles,
figure of eight (very large!) and so on. I can free mount about 75% of the time
(although it still looks very clumsy at the moment) and get off in my own time
and pretty neatly. I now have a couple more questions.
I note that the “skill levels” specify that a dismount should be with the
unicycle “in front”. Anyone got any tips on achieving that? I tend to just “step
off”, leaving it behind me (holding on to the back of the seat of course!) and
it seems neat and elegant to me, but when I try to finish with it in front, it
seems to “spring out” as I land heavily on both feet simultaneously.
My other question relates to UK law (I’m sure I’ve seen this discussed before,
but I can’t remember where). As going round and round the local tennis courts is
beginning to get a bit tiresome, I feel ready to venture outside. If riding on a
pavement, am I in breach of the same law that I would be on a bike? And what
about a road? Is it a road-legal vehicle? In fact, is it a vehicle at all, in
the eyes of the law…?
I’ve often wondered about that, myself. Unfortunately I have little useful
advice to offer you – I did not learn to dismount gracefully with seat-in-front
until I learned one-footed riding. I honestly don’t know how to do so without
drawing upon the one-footed skills.
>I note that the “skill levels” specify that a dismount should be with the >unicycle “in front”. Anyone got any tips on achieving that? I tend to just >“step off”, leaving it behind me (holding on to the back of the seat of >course!) and it seems neat and elegant to me, but when I try to finish with it >in front, it seems to “spring out” as I land heavily on both feet >simultaneously.
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> I note that the “skill levels” specify that a dismount should be with the > unicycle “in front”. Anyone got any tips on achieving that? I tend to just > “step off”, leaving it behind me (holding on to the back of the seat of > course!) and it seems neat and elegant to me, but when I try to finish with it > in front, it seems to “spring out” as I land heavily on both feet > simultaneously.
Slow down about 1 rev before you plan to stop. To stop, let the unicycle get
ahead of you just a little bit so that your balance is a bit behind it. Remove
your left foot from its pedal as your right foot gets to the 3:00 position.
Leave the right foot on the pedal and use it to slow the unicycle and bring it
to a stop under control as your left foot makes touchdown. You will end up with
your left foot down on the ground, the uni seat still under you, and the wheel
and your right foot on the pedal slightly in front of you. When you get used to
it, learn it with the other foot.
> My other question relates to UK law (I’m sure I’ve seen this discussed before, > but I can’t remember where). As going round and round the local tennis courts > is beginning to get a bit tiresome, I feel ready to venture outside. If riding > on a pavement, am I in breach of the same law that I would be on a bike? And > what about a road? Is it a road-legal vehicle?
In > fact, is it a vehicle at all, in the eyes of the law…?
Apparently under UK law a cycle is something which has a chain drive, so a
standard unicycle wouldn’t count as one. Probably not worth relying on though.
I’ve found it okay to ride pretty much anywhere, including at one point riding
past a policeman on a pavement with big “no cycling on the pavement” signs and
being cheered on by him. As for roads, I commute into central London every day
on my coker with no problems, just don’t fall off on large junctions (oops). Oh
and make sure to wear lights & flouro gear if you go out on the road at night.
As far as I can tell everyone is too surprised / impressed that someone is
stupid enough to ride a unicycle to try stopping them.
As for public transport you can take unicycles on the tube in London although
with a Coker you sometimes get funny looks (I haven’t been stopped yet). I’ve
found normal unicycles are okay on pretty much any public transport (trains /
buses etc.), although London buses are sometimes fussy about unicycles and don’t
rely on buses taking a Coker.
I’ll add my bit to this… I ride around town and country and never get any
grief from the law. I was, in fact, followed by a police car last weekend only
to be stopped and asked for a shot. The buses are cool and never say never to me
and my uni.
As far as unicycles under the law goes I’d second the idea that they’re not
legally a bike but I doubt a judge would take the argument. I only ever ride
my 20" in town and only on the pavements. If it’s busy with pedestrians I get
off and walk.
>> My other question relates to UK law (I’m sure I’ve seen this discussed >> before, but I can’t remember where). As going round and round the local >> tennis courts is beginning to get a bit tiresome, I feel ready to >venture >> outside. If riding on a pavement, am I in breach of the same law that I would >> be on a bike? And what about a road? Is it a road-legal vehicle?
In >> fact, is it a vehicle at all, in the eyes of the law…?
Apparently under UK law a cycle is something which has a chain drive, so a
standard unicycle wouldn’t count as one. Probably not worth relying on though.
I’ve found it okay to ride pretty much anywhere, including at one point riding
past a policeman on a pavement with big “no cycling on the pavement” signs and
being cheered on by him. As for roads, I commute into central London every day
on my coker with no problems, just don’t fall off on large junctions (oops). Oh
and make sure to wear lights & flouro gear if you go out on the road at night.
As far as I can tell everyone is too surprised / impressed that someone is
stupid enough to ride a unicycle to try stopping them.
As for public transport you can take unicycles on the tube in London although
with a Coker you sometimes get funny looks (I haven’t been stopped yet). I’ve
found normal unicycles are okay on pretty much any public transport (trains /
buses etc.), although London buses are sometimes fussy about unicycles and don’t
rely on buses taking a Coker.