Freemount on a thight spot (trial)

[mark.vogels]

So I’ve been practicing freemounts on a thight spot :

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvzVv0hj8J/ (video example)

And since the ground is so close to the beam I can mount the uni.
But I’ve seen guys in clips do the same while they stand on a chain or rope which maybe 40-50cm off the ground.
And I can’t seem to wrap my head around how they would mount it, but they do (although usually you don’t see the actual mount on video)…

• Do they have their saddle setup so low that they can walk over the rope, sit and then place their feet?
• Do they stand on one pedal first, keep balance and then throw their leg over the seat to get to the other pedal?
• Do they perform a jump mount?
• Does a buddy assist them off camera?

2 Examples (no actual ropes or chains, but the same applies I guess):

BEST OF UNICYCLING - 2018

BEST OF UNICYCLING - 2018

Any ideas?

[slamdance]

Amazing. Now that’s a proper roll back free mount.

-Stepping on at 6 o’clock with all your weight down on that pedal
-Quick rise, sit and catch that other pedal at 12 o’clock.
-Then stall for a moment.

Typically, if you were a little “late” on the top pedal catch, you will roll back.
I’m sure you have experienced that. You might have even rolled back then forward and mounted at that point.

It is highly predictable what the unicycle will do during this method. Yet, 95% of unicycle riders do the other method. The other method = standard free mount = 3 and 9 o’clock with “zero weight” on back pedal. It requires “absolute perfect timing and momentum” to execute. So, with that last statement, I know I just lit the spark for an avalanche of debate.

Something that you will find boring, because you will be too busy progressing to the next trick.
However, there are beginners and intermediate unicycle riders who cannot reliably do a free mount, because they are killing themselves trying to do the “standard mount” only and have never considered another method.

[AndrewA]

@slamdance

It requires “absolute perfect timing and momentum” to execute.

Not at all… you just step on. People get messed up doing it when they stand on the back pedal, which obviously you shouldn’t do. There are ways to mess up a rollback mount too…

(Also I feel like we keep doing this - you make a post about mounting and I respond to the negative )

[finnspin]

@mark.vogels

Does a buddy assist them off camera?

No.

@mark.vogels

Do they have their saddle setup so low that they can walk over the rope, sit and then place their feet?

A low-ish saddle makes it easier- but it doesn’t need to be super low.

@mark.vogels

Do they perform a jump mount?

No. You do a “static mount”, pedals are at 3 and 9 o’clock, and your body goes over the uni, not the uni under your body - so the pedals stay at 3 and 9. Having the pedals horizontal is where you want to be for stillstands and hopping, so it makes a lot of sense to mount that way.

(I found a video that shows the mounting process here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe44_0MEqQg )

[WeaponizedBacon]

At 10:20 in this video you can see KH do the mount

Kris Holm v Bratislave 2003.mp4

[mark.vogels]

@slamdance

It is highly predictable what the unicycle will do during this method. Yet, 95% of unicycle riders do the other method. The other method = standard free mount = 3 and 9 o’clock with “zero weight” on back pedal. It requires “absolute perfect timing and momentum” to execute. So, with that last statement, I know I just lit the spark for an avalanche of debate.

If i think about your description of the standard freemount, then it looks very similar to a jump mount. Something which would cause more stress on your grip if your balancing on a chain or rope.
Therefore the 6 o’clock method feels safer to me. If you fail you slowly lose your balance either way, instead of the wheel slipping off the rope.

@slamdance

Something that you will find boring, because you will be too busy progressing to the next trick.
However, there are beginners and intermediate unicycle riders who cannot reliably do a free mount, because they are killing themselves trying to do the “standard mount” only and have never considered another method.

So far I’ve practiced:

• “Regular” freemount
• 6 o’clock freemount
• jump mount
• suicide mount

All of them I managed to do already and I like to keep practicing most of them (I don’t really care about the suicide mount, but I had to do it at least a few times succesfully )

@finnspin

No. You do a “static mount”, pedals are at 3 and 9 o’clock, and your body goes over the uni, not the uni under your body - so the pedals stay at 3 and 9. Having the pedals horizontal is where you want to be for stillstands and hopping, so it makes a lot of sense to mount that way.

Similar as to what I did in my example video then. Except I’m not having my pedals at 3 & 9 but at 6 and 12.
Will check out the video, thanks!

[Setonix]

@mark.vogels

So I’ve been practicing freemounts on a thight spot :

It looks really good. Im quite jealous of your control over the uni in such a very short time.

As for Kris Holm balancing on the fence, I would already tumble off even without a unicycle. In several street uni videos on youtube you can also see people hop on various objects to get high up and then start their rolling. With a slack rope to ride on, I believe at trial events you start on a square block to mount and then ride forward onto the rope and then you just keep your balance. easy peasy :D:D

[mark.vogels]

@Setonix

It looks really good. Im quite jealous of your control over the uni in such a very short time.

Thanks! - But don’t be jealous, it’s only a unicycle, it isn’t rocket science…if unicycling is the first thing in your life that you start learning, then it might take a very long time before you manage it, but all the things you already learned before it (riding a bike, walking, etc) help with being able to control the uni quicker.
Balance is important in biking (especially what I do), but also in climbing, yoga, martial arts (grappling / brazilian jiu jitsu, krav maga), parkour, etc…
All things that I did in the past. So even though I might be new to riding a unicycle (why do we say “a unicycle” instead of “an unicycle”?) I’m not new to balance.

@Setonix

I believe at trial events you start on a square block to mount and then ride forward onto the rope and then you just keep your balance. easy peasy :D:D

Yes, that’s what I did here as well:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sO_6VH-2j/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8lwzwcndB_/

But starting from scratch on a thight mount does give you access to stuff that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to ride

[fetzenschorsch]

@mark.vogels

why do we say “a unicycle” instead of “an unicycle”?

Because it`s pronounced “a junicycle”

[m00ms]

Hi Mark,

Have you literally been riding a couple of weeks?

[elpuebloUNIdo]

Looking at Kris Holm’s mount in the video, above: It doesn’t seem like his center of gravity is far enough forward, yet he is able to perform the static mount. I think the compensating mechanism happens right as he lifts his second foot up (put the video on 25% speed) and we see his first foot momentarily pointing toward the ground. I am fairly certain Kris is pushing back pretty hard with his first foot during the mount. This limits the downward pressure on the first foot and holds the mount in its 3:00/9:00 position.

[JimT]

@fetzenschorsch

Because it`s pronounced “a junicycle”

Correct. More details:
You should use “a” if the word begins with a consonant sound and “an” if the word begins with a vowel sound. Because “unicycle” begins with /j/ (the y sound) it should be “Have you ever ridden a unicycle?”
Reference

[aarons]

@mark.vogels

So I’ve been practicing freemounts

That’s pretty good. I don’t always have enough precision to mount directly into riding/stillstand unless I’ve been practicing that specifically. I usually do one small corrective hop before riding away.

[mark.vogels]

@fetzenschorsch

Because it`s pronounced “a junicycle”

Haha, yes I guess this is one of the exceptions where “a” isn’t followed by a consonant (in writing at least).

@m00ms

Have you literally been riding a couple of weeks?

Exactly 2 weeks ago (monday) I started for the first time (and just now I ordered my 2nd uni already
)

@elpuebloUNIdo

Looking at Kris Holm’s mount in the video, above: It doesn’t seem like his center of gravity is far enough forward, yet he is able to perform the static mount. I think the compensating mechanism happens right as he lifts his second foot up (put the video on 25% speed) and we see his first foot momentarily pointing toward the ground. I am fairly certain Kris is pushing back pretty hard with his first foot during the mount. This limits the downward pressure on the first foot and holds the mount in its 3:00/9:00 position.

I gave that mount a try today and although it doesn’t go that bad, it’s still something I need to work on more to get a more static mount. Now I’m still moving slightly:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIykcbMhnCS/

But it does feel like a good mount, so I will practice some more on it!

@aarons

That’s pretty good. I don’t always have enough precision to mount directly into riding/stillstand unless I’ve been practicing that specifically. I usually do one small corrective hop before riding away.

If I really focus (and I’m warmed up) I can mount it without hopping pretty consistently, but usually if I am focused on something else, then I do need 1 or 2 hops to correct myself. Still not an issue of course, but a completely static mount and then fluently moving forward is the ultimate goal of course