When I am riding on a flat sidewalk, I find myself constantly subtley switching between speeding up and slowing down. It’s almost harder than riding on a hill. Is there any strategy to fix this?
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non consistent speed is caused by balance issue , can I ask if your fairly new to riding?
Speeding up is caused by falling forwards slightly, one thing to try is pulling the saddle grab handle backwards when unicycle speeds up as you’ll find it slows down.
I too get those “unicyclist induced oscillations” once I a while, particularly when I am pushing for speed. Once oscillating a tiny bump can send you running… My only fix is to slow down a little and focus on that state you might call “spinning bliss” where you are spinning along with low effort at a controlled high speed.
I am hoping that time in the saddle will fix this eventually.
A very nice expression.
To a certain degree oscillations are normal, as you’re constantly pivoting around the perfect balance point to keep the uni running. I was quite impressed to the extent of this when I was for the first time riding my 36er in the dark. The light patch that my lamp projected onto the ground would constantly move fore and aft, while I was normally riding (as in not having any troubles to keep the balance). I’m certain there are more proficient riders whoose oscillations have a smaller amplitude than mine, but even their ride exhibits this behaviour to some extent.
@vtunicycle what crank, rim and tire combo are you riding?
I was just thinking that the problem might be less with more control. i.e. longer crank or smaller diameter wheel.
That’s normal on flat ground. Try keeping a steady, relaxed pedal rhythm and over time it will help smooth out the speed changes.