My name is Chris. I live in Healdsburb, CA. I’m 64.
I learned how to ride a unicycle in high school. We rode a lot back in those days and played hockey and basketball with teams of 1 unicycle and 1 skateboard per. We all had skateboards, but only 2 unicycles.
I haven’t been on a uni in decades. Over the years I have wondered why I could ride a unicycle and not ride a wheelie? Seems like the same skill set? Any way I got pissed off enough about the problem that I started searching Craigslist to find a unicycle. Months of junk when all of a sudden a Kris Holm came up. The downside is the seller would only sell all 3 as a package. So now I have 3.
I’m up and riding again after so many years. Still haven’t figured out how to wheelie.
The difference with a wheelie is that the wheel can coast and the mechanics are quite different, but welcome back to unicycling and to the forums! I also cannot wheelie for more than a few seconds and haven’t ridden a two wheeled cycle with any regular frequency since I learned to uni.
Push bike wheelies are totally different to unicycle skills. I wheelie two wheels and it’s all about getting front high enough that bike balances and then you can slow pedalling right down instead of feet going crazy fast. Cover rear brake and pull handle bars in to control speed and lean back.
I fully understand the concept of a 2-wheel wheelie. Though many of the mechanics are different, the concept of balancing on one wheel is pretty similar. Except for one thing I can think of: In order to get balanced on a 2-wheeler you have to get your body way back with your feet high off the ground and I think psychologically this is much more threatening than a uni where the balance point your body is vertical.
After watching dozens of youtube on wheelie-ing bikes and motorcycles looking for the clue I think I found it: You’ll never learn to wheelie if you don’t commit the time. Ouch.
Wheelies on a fixed gear bike are pretty similar to riding a unicycle. Wheelies on a normal bike are totally different, and my experience is that learning to wheelie was much harder than learning to ride a uni. It took me a solid month of daily 10-15 minute practice to get to the point where I could ride a wheelie for few hundred feet.
Freewheel unicycle might be similar to riding a wheelie, but I’ve never tried. The body movements look very different.