I used to run a lot for exercise and endorphins, and I used to find this sweet groove where my breathing would be synched up in some pattern with my strides and the going was effortless. I got a similar feeling the other evening riding fast (well, fast for me) on my KH29 w/Big Apple on smooth farm roads.
My arms were low and relaxed (a recent developement for me), slightly swinging with my pedaling, and my breathing was synched up with my cadence, one revolution/breathe in, one rev/breathe out. I had an almost disorienting flashback and felt as though I WAS running there for a while.
It felt like flying and enabled me to maintain a quick pace all the way home. Wow! It was awesome. I love this sport.
I love that feeling when running!!! It makes me feel like I can just run forever. I got that on the 4th of July while riding my moms 24inch with 89’s. I was swerving all over around people while there were several major fire work shows going on all over town. Plus there was a bunch of poping all over from everybody in town lighting fire works. I felt like I was flying, it was effortless. I tried to do the same thing the next day but I couldn’t get the same feeling, aww well.
I think I’ve gotten into a similar groove when training to race my 24" wheels in the past. Only it’s more than one or two wheel revs per breath! A nice thing compared to running is the major reduction in pounding on your feet and joints.
I’ve been starting to have it on my GB4 36 as I push for longer and faster rides. Not one breath per cadence…I’d be panting like an anoli, but rather a coordinated rhythm between cadence and breathing. Sometimes one every 3, one every 4…depends on the terrain and my speed, but the net of it is I get my own beat and music going in my head, pedaling to the beat of my own little drummer. And always…ALWAYS…saving the rim shot and symbol crash for those high speed UPDs.
I have the exact opposite problem - I can’t relax enough to breathe.
I think that I must be taking in some air, or I’d collapse! What does happen Is that I get 150-250m on my muni and then I have to dismount because I am unable to keep the muscle control to balance. The next thing that I know is that I’m gasping fo air as if I’d sprinted 100m.
I guess that I’m concentrating so hard that I forget to take in enough air while riding and consequently get into oxygen debt.
Does anyone else have this problem or will it go away as I progress? I only learned to ride about 2 months ago - could this be a factor?
The first time I went 1/4 mile my heart rate was 190+, now I can go 20+ miles and don’t get any where near that (except on looong hills). You’re still fighting with your whole body, every muscle working overtime; relax, sit in the seat and practice more, it’ll get easier when your technique gets better.
Yeah, I get this zen like state while riding. It’s easier on my new uni with a 26" Large Marge and a 3" Gazzaloddi.
I get this same zen like state while programming sometimes, that’s when I end up with long binges of coding where I resurface many hours later with a desperate need for food and bathroom (and a lot of good code).
As for unicycle flow, the only disadvantage is possible heatstroke or dehydration.
your main problem at this point is that u’re not putting all your weight on the seat
i’ll wager that when u get off after a ride, your thighs are really tight?
u’re keeping your weight off the seat and u’re making your thighs work waaay overtime
sit on your uni and put the pedals parrallel to the ground
lighten the load on both your feet
almost as if u’re trying to lift both feet off the pedals
this is what it should feel like
all your weight on the seat
your feet are simply there to pedal, not carry your weight
try this and i’ll guarantee u’ll be able to ride for longer, with less effort and less out-of-breathness
I definately have hit the zen zone on my uni. I love it. But be carefull. The other day on Cokie, about 5 miles into the ride I hit the zone. I was traveling rather fast (12-13 mph), floating effortlessly on a cloud, and suddenly a goofy little bump that I didn’t see because of the overly relaxed hipnotic stare, took me to the street HARD. I scraped my new wristguards so hard the plastic splints were grinded 1/4 way thru. There was blood too. I think I slipped past zen into stupor.