When I get into something new and fun, I can’t help but try to convince others how great it is. With uni, this is in hopes of having a riding buddy, and also to give others this joyful experience.
In this case, (unicycling), I tell them about the weightless feeling, the great “spinning” exercise for the legs, and the awesome core workout. I also list all my very fun sports, (ultimate, skiing, climbing, etc) and then finish with “…but unicycling is now my favorite sport”.
What do you tell friends to convince them how great uni is?
Alex and Matt got me interested, and then I learned when Alex loaned me his old CX. Now that I have a better uni, I loaned (with Alex’s permission, of course :D) the CX to our friend Daniel. I hope when he get’s a better uni, he’ll loan it to someone else and so on.
Steve, you should ask your kids. I’d bet they’d love to spend some quality unicycling time with their dad. They might even invite their friends over to watch!
I dunno if it’ll last past Daniel…I still can’t believe it’s not destroyed yet.
I don’t think it’s worth trying to convince others to ride. Either they want to, or they don’t. If there isn’t something already wrong in their head, they’ll never try.
I love unicycling so much, for fun I wrote an instructional book. To my amazement it’s now available at most bookstores and on the web. I just found out that the library of Hong Kong has a copy in it’s inventory. I don’t know how many have actually learned to ride using it but I’ve sold lots of books (more than I’ve ever dreamed possible). It’s been a pretty cool trip since writing it. I get letters and emails from folks all around the world who have learned to ride after getting the book. To “evangelize” the sport of unicycling I give out free books to folks in my area. It’s alot of fun especially when someone learns to ride.
well i got my one friend started by telling him if he wants to learn he can have my old uni, so i gave it to him and he learn, i was proud of him so i took him to bed as a treat, right borgschulze
I got 4 people in my community to ride just by showing them my riding and letting them try. Once they ride for about 10 minutes and ride a couple of feet their hooked. They all now have their own uni’s.
After working on several friends, one took the bait. My friend Roland got a KH24 after borrowing my Torker LX24 and learning. Now we ride a few times a week together. I’m quite fit, but he’s even fitter, and he beat me in an MTB race we both unied in.
Also, a couple teenage boys in the 'hood can now ride after I played around on their skateboard ramps. One of them got a uni last xmas and did a little trail riding with Roland and I.
Good idea My 6 yr old son is just now reaching the pedals, so he’ll be doing it before long, too.
I’m not evangelical and can happily enjoy things without feeling the need to convert others. However, I believe in general in ‘leading by example’ so being seen unicycling and having great fun is probably the best advertisment. I know at least one person has learnt to ride as he saw me riding along the prom.
I went as far as to but my brother-in-law a Sun 24", but the hub died pretty much the first day he had it. UDC refunded the price of the uni, but with shipping costs to get a new one, we never bothered. He has access to my LX 24, though, if he gets interested again. He was at the point of making it about 100’ when he stopped riding. Mostly, i like riding in places where there are lots of semi-serious riders around, in hopes that some of them get interested in trying it out. I have always thought the best thing to do is have a loaner uni available for friends to use until they get hooked and buy their own…
My 6 yr old son is just now reaching the pedals, so he’ll be doing it before long, too.