lo’ had my uni for a month (ok longer than that BUT only a month since I
shortened the stem so I could ride it) anyway I can ride fairly well and turn
occaisonly. BUT I want to investigate the world on me uni and to do this I want
to learn the free mount. Tried various instructions on unicycling.org but
finding it difficult. Can any1 give me any help/ideas on how u learned the
freemount thanx Will
Re: free mount
Some people seem to get free-mounting very easily. I struggled.
Once I worked out what I had to do I just kept plugging away: jump - dismount -
jump - dismount - jump
- whoaoaoao (nearly) - dismount - grrr - jump - dismount
- rest - jump - … After about five billion attempts I got it and rode away.
Another four billion. Another three billion. … Getting it every five … I
still miss the odd one.
What is more annoying is the freemount I so painstakingly learned is terrible
for muni! So now I’m learning a new one.
Arnold the Aardvark
http://www.foxholly.demon.co.uk ICQ# 30592054
Re: free mount
Just don’t get discouraged William. It takes a little while.
It took me a while to get the free-mount and even longer to get it right! I
started the way Tom suggested, wheel against the curb and go. I think the
problem with that method, at least for me, was that once I started mounting
without the curb my starter leg no longer had the curb as resistance and went
straight down. By the time I got used to that movement and learned to mount I
was taking half a revolution (at least!) backwards and then had to change
directions and pedal forwards. I had been riding for 5 and a half months (two of
which was MUni) and upon riding at the California MUni weekend I realized how
inefficient the half revolution backwards was and that I had to start trying to
mount the “right way”.
Upon returning from the MUni weekend I started attempting the “real” free-mount
(without having the wheel move). I got it in one night (it was a frustrating
night at first) … I started by practicing on anti-speedbumps I have by my
house (they are anti-speedbumps because rather than being a mound of concrete on
top of the ground they are carved out of the ground). I put my unicycle in the
middle of the anti-speedbump and attempted to mount. If I put too much pressure
on my mounting foot the unicycle would pop out of the anti-speedbump and I would
know I used too much force. The upward slope of the anti-speedbump provided just
enough resistance for me to get a feel of how little force is required on the
mounting foot. You can just as easily use a small 1/2
- 1 inch think piece of wood or small rock. You’ll want something your
unicycle wheel will go over (backwards) if you apply too much force to your
mounting foot.
After mounting without having the wheel move I then moved to the flat ground and
remarkably got it almost every time. I found the key is to understand (and get
used to the motion) that it’s the foot that is on the ground and not the
mounting foot that is primarily used to get you on the unicycle. It’s that foot
(pushing off the ground) on the ground that gives you the initial forward
momentum you need to get on the unicycle (it helps to lean your head and body
forward and you can even put your hands out in front). The foot that is on the
pedal only provides enough resistance to counter act your forward momentum and
keep the unicycle wheel motionless (once you’ve been mounting by taking the half
revolution backwards this is the toughest thing to do, because your mounting
foot is so used to pushing down). It helps somewhat if the mounting pedal is
slightly more than parallel to the ground (I think parallel is ideal though, but
I’m sure that’s open to debate).
A bit of practice (read persistence) and you’ll have it.
Carl
William Yates wrote:
>
> lo’ had my uni for a month (ok longer than that BUT only a month since I
> shortened the stem so I could ride it) anyway I can ride fairly well and turn
> occaisonly. BUT I want to investigate the world on me uni and to do this I
> want to learn the free mount. Tried various instructions on unicycling.org but
> finding it difficult. Can any1 give me any help/ideas on how u learned the
> freemount thanx Will
Re: free mount
On Thu, 12 Oct 2000, Arnold the Aardvark wrote:
>Some people seem to get free-mounting very easily. I struggled.
I struggled too. I had two successful free mounts fairly early on, and to my
great frustration, found I could not repeat it for several weeks afterward. I
don’t know what happened that one day, or why it took so long later, but it did.
I found that if you think of the unicycle pivoting up with you propelling it,
it’s easier. It took me longer to get the freemount where you roll the wheel
back under you and then forward (like a half idle).
The advice that helped me was to keep the uni wheel still and apply only as
much force on the back pedal as is necessary to keep it from rolling as you
jump on. Pause for a second as you get up on top to get your balance and then
you can ride.
Keep practicing, you’ll get it. It’s rewarding when it finally comes together
and it’s a skill that I don’t see how you can live without.
Greg
Re: free mount
> I found that if you think of the unicycle pivoting up with you propelling
it,
> it’s easier. It took me longer to get the freemount where you roll the
wheel
> back under you and then forward (like a half idle).
>
> The advice that helped me was to keep the uni wheel still and apply only
as
> much force on the back pedal as is necessary to keep it from rolling as
you
> jump on. Pause for a second as you get up on top to get your balance and
then
> you can ride.
That’s quite funny. The mount about which I complained is the “rock back” you
mention (I have this pretty much every time), whereas the one I’m now trying to
learn keeps the wheel still…
Arnold the Aardvark
RE: free mount
I am following this thread about free mounting and I would like to learn the one
you are describing here. But I don’t quite understand how it works. Is it where
you put the wheel against a curb and put a little pressure on the back peddle to
keep it from rolling away till you get on? Lowell yoda@socket.net
>
> > I found that if you think of the unicycle pivoting up with you propelling
> it,
> > it’s easier. It took me longer to get the freemount where you roll the
> wheel
> > back under you and then forward (like a half idle).
> >
> > The advice that helped me was to keep the uni wheel still and apply only
> as
> > much force on the back pedal as is necessary to keep it from rolling as
> you
> > jump on. Pause for a second as you get up on top to get your balance and
> then
> > you can ride.
>
> That’s quite funny. The mount about which I complained is the “rock back” you
> mention (I have this pretty much every time), whereas the one I’m now trying
> to learn keeps the wheel still…
>
>
> Arnold the Aardvark
>
>
RE: free mount
Essentially it’s the same process as that, minus the curb. The idea is that you
use the back foot to keep the unicycle in place while you take a little hop up
onto the seat (swinging it up from the lower seat position between your legs
when standing on the ground), as you get into riding position, you take a small
pause to get your balance and then you lean and pedal away.
Greg
On Sat, 14 Oct 2000, yoda wrote:
>I am following this thread about free mounting and I would like to learn the
>one you are describing here. But I don’t quite understand how it works. Is it
>where you put the wheel against a curb and put a little pressure on the back
>peddle to keep it from rolling away till you get on? Lowell yoda@socket.net
>
>
>>
>> > I found that if you think of the unicycle pivoting up with you propelling
>> it,
>> > it’s easier. It took me longer to get the freemount where you roll the
>> wheel
>> > back under you and then forward (like a half idle).
>> >
>> > The advice that helped me was to keep the uni wheel still and apply only
>> as
>> > much force on the back pedal as is necessary to keep it from rolling as
>> you
>> > jump on. Pause for a second as you get up on top to get your balance and
>> then
>> > you can ride.
>>
>> That’s quite funny. The mount about which I complained is the “rock back” you
>> mention (I have this pretty much every time), whereas the one I’m now trying
>> to learn keeps the wheel still…
>>
>>
>> Arnold the Aardvark
>>
>>
>