Some of you know my two daughters, ages 8 and 11, have just started learning to ride. This makes their 4th day.
Yesterday it rained cats and dogs, so they had to practice in our 24’ x 24’ garage. The 11 year olds longest distance was 25 feet, the 8 year old went 30 feet. Both these distances were they rode on day 2.
Today, the 8 year old rode 167 feet!!! (& 145’ and 130’ and 90’)
The 11 year old rode 87 feet!!! (& 67’ and 63’ and 62’)
She also can free mount and ride 2 or 3 revolutions.
Yipppeee, I’m gonna have someone to ride with, MY OWN DAUGHTERS. I am so excited, and so are they. I am such a proud Papa. --chirokid–
Do you have one of those measuring wheel things like a land surveyor uses? How do you get such accurate measures of how far they are going? Congratulations on your daughters performances! It is only a matter of time now before they will be going too far for you to measure without a Cycle computer. Come to think of it maybe thats how you measured the distances.
My daughter was 6 when she decided she wanted to learn so she could ride with me on the bike track. Now my wife is learning so she doesn’t miss out on any fun. Daughter is teasing her about how much further she can ride. My son has just turned 5 and can go a few metres. He’s just started school holidays so hopefully by the end everyone will be on one wheel. It’s great to be able to get out and enjoy something together.
Wow! Both of your daughters are doing exceptionally well. A hearty congratulations to all of you. Freemounting after just a couple of days is quite impressive!
Both of my children ride and my wife is learning. She’s now about where your 11 year old is bu thats after after 13 hours of practice spread out over months. Yesterday after she rode 100+ feet she said, “You can teach an old dog a new trick”. By contrast, your children will burn through the first couple skills level tests if they desire it.
Thanks for the nice comments guys. My daughters really enjoyed reading your posts about their accomplishments
How Do I Measure?
I just take long steps right behind where they ride and count my steps. Then I multiply it by 3 feet. Very low tech, but they love to here me tell them just how long they rode. Then I add 1 or 2 feet if I don’t stop right on their fall spot.
Update on 8 year old:
My eight year old rode further and further today (her 5th day). She rode more than 100 feet several times, then she said, “Watch this Dad, I’m gonna beat my 167 feet!” I said, “Go for it!”
As I followed behind her I could hear her repeating over and over, “Heavy on the seat, lite on my feet, Heavy on the seat, lite on the feet…” When she stepped off, she knew she had beat her old record and was waiting for me to tell her the new record. Drum roll please, 204 feet!!! She was so excite, we high-fived each over and yelled a couple of “Yippee’s” Then she launched out again. After several more 30 and 40 foot rides, she then ended the evening with another record, a 210 foot ride.
Thats awesome. They are making great progress! And I really love the
accuracy (or at least the resolution) in your distance recordings.
Against my nature I did that a lot more sloppy when my daughters
learned riding at ages 9 and 11.
I reckon that your daughters are now both past the 50 m (164 ft) mark
and they could be part of my ever growing database if they so desire,
see <www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/talent.htm>.
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
You can’t go wrong when you follow King Muni-Man! - Jason from Alaska
Thanks Klaas. Yes, they are both well past the 164 foot mark. The 8 year old rides way to far to keep up with the distance anymore. Tonight, the 11 year old rode 406 feet (I have changed the way I measure. I now ride behind them and count the revolutions I make, then I multiply that by 6 feet. My Schwinn 24" is 6’ 2" around)
They can both turn now. Actually making 8 or 10 foot circles at this time. The 11 year old continues to freemount at a rate of about 1 every 10 tries.
Tonight we enjoyed trying to ride down a 200’ x 4" line down the middle of the parking lot.
The girls liked that you wanted to include them in the “research”. I will take care of that soon. --chirokid–
I am sitting here almost in tears over how good your daugtors are and how much the love riding. I must say i am very happy for you! and wish them all the luck in the world, hope to see them in univirse 3 or 4 if it ever comes out
You cannot imagine how good it feels to have someone to ride with. I have unicycled alone for 32 years. Being able to ride with two of my daughters is truly amazing. (My wife, who has always supported me riding but never been interested, has said that if our third girl learns to ride, she will not be left out. She says she will learn to ride too… Whiiipeeeee!)
Last night, I was working on a retaining wall near our basement door. The girls kept riding across our back yard and the gravel entrance at our basement. I was just amazed. I still hate to ride on grass or gravel, and here they are just riding for the fun of it. Finally, I put up my tools and took them down to the college so we all could ride together. --chirokid–
I realize that this thread is very very very very very old but after reading it randomly I have to say that I am very touched by reading it and sort of feel that I have to say something. Its so cool that you and your children can enjoy such a thing like this together. I would be ecstatic if my parents unicycled…or maybe I wouldn’t think it was cool since they did…
