Today (on day 19) I decided to try free mounting and discard the cinderblock that I had been using to start. It took about 10 trys to get over the fear of falling on my face, then I was ready to concentrate on mounting. Within 20 minutes, I was mounting and riding away! I decided to learn on the 440 yard running track at the neighborhood high school and managed to mount and ride about 1/3 of the way around it within an hour. Now I can mount and ride off successfully 4 out of 5 times. I don’t know what the proper name of the style that I used is, but here’s how I did it:
I placed the rearward pedal in the 8 o’clock position on my weak side and then hopped up onto the right side pedal (which was sitting @ 2 o’clock) and pedaled away.
Thanks you, Scott (s_wallis) for the information and tips!!!
Congratulations, now you can go places on your unicyle, instead of being stuck to the confinds of your driveway. Your also probably a level one unicyclist now. good job
Logan
Re: Free-mounting success!!!
Krashin’Kenny wrote:
> Within 20 minutes, I was mounting and riding away!
Congratulations! Now you can start riding anywhere you would like and
this will increase your skills/abilities by leaps and bounds.
Cheers,
Jason
It sounds like a static mount.
Grats! That’s basically called the “static mount” and is a key mount in several types of riding, including off-road and long-distance riding.
i just got my giraffe freemounts consistent. i know the feeling. good job.
Cinder Block
Hey Krashin’Kenny. How did you use a cinder block to mount your unicycle? Are you that short? 
Congrads…I just learned to freemount also. Takes a few tries but I usually make it… You have the same problem I have…the fear of falling. But we will overcome that as we get better. Keep Uning. Enjoy…Keith
Keith, I’m not that short, just used the cinderblock for balance! I would place the rear pedal on the cinderblock and then stand on the pedal while I got my balance where I wanted it, then just pedal off. Congrats on your success!!!
Krashin’Kenny…I hope you know I was just kidding about You being short… Good Idea. I’m Going to try that just to see how it works. 
Bye…Keith
Congrats, but what did the giraffe think? Did you have to sneak up on it? hehehe
I know. I like your sig line, it has a familiar ring to it!!! hehehe
no a tranquilizer works fine.
Cinder Block
Hey Krashin’Kenny…I tried the cinderblock today. It was a good idea but it is not for me…It is hard to do really because it throws my balance off. I think I will just stick to the mounts I’m working on now. I think it is easier just to hang onto something and practice the mount that way and slowly release your grip. When your ready to try it by not hanging on you will know it. I was practicing on the one where the pedals are horizonal and you step up on the back pedal with the weight on the seat and then bring your left foot up to the pedal. I don’t know what you really call it but I seen a short movie about it. so I was trying that today…Keep unicycling… Keith
P.S. How do you Mount a Giraffe? Do you use
3 cinderblocks? They’re toooo tall for me…I’m only 5’4" I don’t have any Tranquilizers either!!!
Hey Keith, that sounds like a “static mount”, the same one I described at the start of this thread. It’s the only one I’ve been using since then. I’ve been riding my 24" exclusively now and yesterday I took my 20" Torker to one of my mountain biking buddies and helped start to learn to ride a uni. We used a combination of the cinderblock alongside a privacy fence for him to lean on for support once he got pedaling a little. He’s progressing at a real fast rate using this technique. Within an hour or so, he actually rode unassisted for about 8 feet or so before using the fence for support. Keep working on that static mount. All of a sudden, things will just click and you’ll have it under control!!! Being as I just learned that mount a week or so ago, I can pass a little information on to you. I noticed that when I first starting having success at “static mounting” I realized that you must actually lean your body forward a little as you first pedal off. This will feel a little scary at first, but it will become natural within a few trys. I’m not sure if this is actually the proper technique, but it works real well for me!
Good luck and practice, practice, practice!!!