My very humble apologies, I have to teach that tune to some young budding guitarists tonight…
Try this one, again my apologies… !! This is the very reason I am glad I am not young anymore, to aspire to that type of music… weird.
Literally lolled at that. I want his guitar more than I want any unicycle. And his coat.
Unicycling wisdom can be found anywhere! 
Day 38/32
Rain was forecast and I didn’t fancy another early start, so I didn’t head for the skatepark before work. Instead I thought I would just count myself doing launches on the patio, partly to see just how boring it gets how quickly and partly in case there is some magic that I am missing. I wasn’t sure how long it would take so thought I would go for either 30 or 50. I also wanted to try a different approach - I was reading some old threads on the forum and a couple of people described going through a stage where they would pause and flail a bit between every ‘step’, with feet at 3-9, recovering balance before they went for the next ‘step’. Both of them said the same - that even though they had to unlearn the infinitesimal pause in order to smooth things out later, it was part of learning the balance. That immediately felt (in my head) like one of the missing pieces for me. As I said before, I never seem to get time to flail or try to catch my balance. So I thought that I would focus on that idea, even if I ended up with fewer pedals, rather than trying to use momentum to get further before falling.
I was really glad I didn’t stop at 30 because on launch 32, it all came briefly together and I managed a sequence of six pedals, rebalancing between each. It felt really good. Of course I couldn’t do it again, but overall, I think I got a lot more three pedal sequences than I normally do, to the point where that was feeling almost normal, instead of getting stuck in the 12/6 position after the first or second pedal. It also felt more ‘me’ than this constant trying to hurl myself forward faster than I can get my legs to operate.
If the rain lets up, I may get to the skatepark this afternoon. I’ve been working evenings all this week, so I am due a couple of hours off, if things are quiet. Tomorrow I may even bite the bullet and use the poles to get a little practice round my neighbourhood. It is the day of a national ‘Ride and Stride’ in aid of historic churches, where people are encouraged to visit as many churches as possible either cycling, on foot, or using other means of transport. It’s too late to get sponsorship, but I did think I might try to unicycle either up the path (with poles) or up the aisle of the seven churches I am responsible for and get some good pictures!
That is exactly what I meant when I said that accomplishing the “momentary still stand” was a really important phase.
It is something that reappears again and again as your skills develop. Each time it appears as required you will go on to shorten the time involved until it blends seamlessly with the pedalling.
When I was learning I had a similar experience. Two things that helped me were: keep most of your weight on the seat and not the pedals which will make it a lot easier to keep the wheel moving. I’m sure you already know that but it’s easy to forget while trying to remember a bunch of other things.
The other thing is that even though it’s obvious that the pedals move around in a circle, it’s easy to start thinking that they move up and down. “To get started, I have to push this pedal down. Then the other pedal goes up and I have to push that one down, making the first pedal go up and I have to push that one down again…” and you keep ending up at 12/6 over and over again, struggling to stay balanced and to get the wheel to move past that position. Try thinking of keeping both pedals moving smoothly around in a circle at the same time, remembering that they are both connected to each other. Then you never really end up at 12/6 and are just moving through that point.
Wow, I fitted in a session at the skatepark this afternoon, and I’m really pleased I did. Another couple of ‘long’ runs of five and six pedals, and quite a few fours, all feeling much more ‘deliberate’. My body clearly now has an inkling of a plan to avoid toppling over - it isn’t very good at putting it into practice yet, but it is definitely getting the hang of it. I’m seriously thinking of changing my forum descriptor to ‘almost unicyclist’. It’s like up to now I have just been following signs to Awesome and now I can see the lights twinkling on the horizon!
Terrific! Good job sticking with it and waiting it out. We’ll be looking forward to more great reports like this.
Excellent news, I was out a short while ago and keep getting better and better. I am not exactly the same of course, but can recognise the way you are progressing and it was not that long ago that I was about where you are now, so stick with it, you are doing brilliantly… have a fulfilling weekend… !!
That’s great! Persistence is paying off! Keep in mind that in most cases, there isn’t a single “aha” moment, where you couldn’t ride before, and then you can after. It’s a long, continuous process, where you keep getting incrementally better. The good thing is to look back and compare your recent rides with your early attempts – then you see real progress.
Cheers! 
Day 39/33
So now the unicycle is released into the world! I drove round my seven churches, unicycling up the path to each as part of the Devon Historic Churches Ride and Stride event. I also unicycled round those that had cicumnavigating paths, and (don’t tell the churchwardens) confirmed to myself that the narrow side aisles between the pew ends are ideal unicycle learning territory. Considering I only decided to do it yesterday, I collected quite a bit of sponsorship, and happened to arrive at one church at the same time as the local organiser, who took photos of his own so I suspect I may end up in his press release. He also turned out to be a unicyclist himself! He hadn’t been on a uni for many years but very nearly free-mounted on his first couple of attempts. Unfortunately those with him argued on the side of caution, and he didn’t try again. Apparently he taught himself to ride in a day, staying up all night until he got it.
This is not just a problem of beginners. It shows up in all kinds of situations. In mUni, sometimes we get caught riding over something in this “weak” position. Jumps/hops get more difficult when we move away from the 3/9 position.
Some riders have written on the forum about learning “spinning” of the pedals, rather than “slogging”. “Spinning” implies that force is placed more evenly around the 360 degrees of the pedal cycle. It took me time before I felt I was pedaling in this fashion, and there is still much room for improvement.
Here’s an exercise you might try. Curb the front of the wheel and assisted-mount into the 6/12 position. Practice pedaling forward against the immovable force of the curb…from the weak, 6/12 position. Once you experience the side-to-side force on the pedals, albeit with a “crutch”, you may be more likely to apply it once you’re riding.
Another thing you can try from this assisted position: try putting all your weight on the lower pedal. This is going to make you lean over in that direction. Now, point the opposing hip outward, to try and counteract the tipping. Also, applying outward pressure with the 12:00 pedal, in this position, may help.
Congratulations on your progress, Spinningwoman! Keep practicing!
Spoof video
I just came across this via a post from 2008 - as the link no longer existed and I had to search for it, I thought it was worth posting here! I know just how he feels… http://youtu.be/YcaigfeyA-Q
Day 40/34
Today did my first real ‘journey’ by unicycle, with walking poles, a mile along the estuary cycle path. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, so quite busy, and I got a few comments, all positive or the inevitable joke. (See the ‘comments’ thread. Of course, I ended up meeting some people I know, so the cat is truly out of the bag. I was half hoping that ‘going somewhere’ would take my mind off the mechanics and I would magically begin to fly, but sadly that didn’t happen. I felt good to have gone that distance, though, and to be free of the confines of the skatepark. I might make that my early morning practice, I think, while the weather holds, topped up with a bunch of launches at home later in the day.
After the fun trip, I did my 50 launches on the patio. This time I got an unsatisfying Buzz Lightyear 5 pedals somewhere around no. 15 and then a more controlled 6 at around 23. It almost felt like I might have got more if I hadn’t been veering towards the steps. Fewer 4s though, but a fair number of 3s. The fence is now feeling pretty irrelevant, so I’d like to find somewhere nearer to practice, really. Although there is room on the patio for the tiny runs I currently manage it is off-putting to have steps on one side and the opportunity to hit my head on the other.
Way to go Spinningwoman!!
I love picturing you riding up and down those church aisles!!!
Day 41/35
This morning, as the cat was out of the bag locally anyway, I went down to the quiet patch of road outside the local church to practice early in the morning. Another time I could unicycle there using the poles. There is a nice wide patch of Tarmac where I can launch off from a step, and no traffic. It is a bit mossy and has an uneven slope, but not too bad. It also has a wall and some railings I can launch from. I did get my longest run yet, of seven pedals, so I ought to feel pleased, but I don’t feel like I have recaptured that feeling of rebalancing at each ‘step’ that I had before, so it all feels less deliberate. However, it is an advance, and I’m getting fewer and fewer launches where I don’t get at least a complete revolution, and more where I get three or four. I’m hoping I may get to the skatepark after work, but worsening weather and shorter daylight are making that less feasible every day.
Superb progress on your behalf, in my case though, suddenly those few revolutions turn into quite a few and you are loathe to stop pedaling, then one tends to fall off again, but noticeable progress indeed…
Ok… I wasn’t going to admit to this even on here because I know that the equipment is not the problem and I feel a bit of an idiot collecting unis before I can even ride. But it did bug me a tiny bit that there are all these big guys being advised to start on a 20" and here’s little me at 5’ nothing, 120lbs clothed and an inside leg of 27" being given the same advice. So last week when I saw a 16" for sale locally, I though ‘what the heck - the worst that happens is I have a uni I can lend a child.’ And it did occur to me that a smaller wheel would make better use of my cramped practice area at home if the light or weather doesn’t let me get out. So since then I have added it to the mix and it is since then that I have started to feel those moments of rebalancing - though mostly on the 20", not the 16". I think maybe the twitchiness of the 16" makes the 20" feel easier. Today, probably sparked off by something I read here, I gave the 16" a go free-mounting and to my surprise got it four times out of six, straight off. That was on grass, which may have helped to hold the wheel a little, and I only got a couple of pedals afterwards, but I am very chuffed.
The 16" may be training you to react more quickly. Keep up the progress!