Hi. I just want to introduce myself. I’ve been a unicyclist for a whole week
now. It’s been a great experience so far. I’ve wanted to ride a unicycle since I
was about 8 years old. At that time, I took my baby sister’s tricycle apart,
attaching the seat stem where the handle bars belong. I was just about to try my
first mount, when Mom came out of the house and caught me (literally). I got
into some kind-of trouble and had to put the tricycle back together. Well, I’m
42 now, and never fully lost the curiosity of what motion on one wheel is like.
I was running some errands about a week ago and passed a bike shop with two
unicycles in the front window. I just pulled into the parking lot and walked out
of the shop the proud owner of a 20 inch one-wheeler. Talk about compulsive
buying! So a week later, I can go about 160 feet unaided, except for the mount.
I haven’t done a lot of work on the mount and no work on turning at this point.
I tend to obsess on one aspect of a new experience until I am reasonably
comfortable, before I add the next move to my bag of tricks.
I’ve ordered “The Complete Book of Unicycling” by Wiley and “Unicycling from
Beginner to Expert” by Hoeher from Dube Juggling Equipment. I’ve also
checked-out the web, which is how I got on this mailing list. I’m hopeful all of
this will give me enough information to proceed successfully with the unicycle.
Are there any instructional videos out there?
>compulsive buying! So a week later, I can go about 160 feet unaided, except for >the mount. I haven’t done a lot of work on the mount and no work on turning at >this point. I tend to obsess on one aspect of a new experience until I am >reasonably comfortable, before I add the next move to my bag of tricks.
Welcome Kathy. I recommend spending some time on the turns. Learning to mount
usually takes as long as learning to ride did, and it helps when mounting to be
able to ride away. This might require some turning, so you might as well be able
to do it first.
I recommend the same thing to giraffe riders, that they be comfortable riding,
idling and going backward on the thing before they bother trying to freemount
it. What good does it do if you get up there but you’re not solid enough to ride
away from the mount?
> > Hi. I just want to introduce myself. I’ve been a unicyclist for a whole week > now. Are there any instructional videos out there?
I remember seeing a video for American TV (NTSC ?) many years ago. It was about
the same time that I bought my first Giraffe. Due to the fact that I live in
Australia and we have a different TV format (PAL) than the USA I did not make
out any of the sound and only a bit of the picture. From memory it was done by a
group of unicyclists who do educational stuff with unicycles throughout American
schools. Their name may have been something like the Hawks or Ravens (or
something along the line of a sports team).
Perhaps a well knowledge American could fill in the details to a finer degree.
Bye
Wayne van Wijk wvanwijk@gil.com.au
A real desire to believe all the good you can of others and to make others as
comfortable as you can will solve most of the problems.
>Reg Burgess wrote: >> Here’s a general “how to learn” question for the group; Is it a good idea to >> get a long pole to hold onto and carry around as you ride ? I’m thinking of >> something like the ones I’ve seen circus acts use when they ride unicycles >> across the slack wire, it seems this should aid balance quite a bit. Maybe a >> 10 or 12ft length of 1 inch EMT ? >> >> Reg {One wheel wobbler} >> >> PS I got a 24inch wheel in a new issue Schwinn, have to get a longer seat >> post in it though. > >Hi Reg, > >A pole helps tightrope walkers with their sideways balance but, when learning >to unicycle, it’s the forwards/backwards balance that causes the problems. >Sideways just kinda comes naturally when you get the thing moving. It’s also >easier to recover your balance if your hands/arms are free to flail about. > >Hmmm, then again there’ve been a number of times someone’s said "Where’s your >other wheel?" and I’ve wished I was carrying a 12ft pole… > >Good luck, Mark.
Yep, one should always carry a goood long stick. Couch it under your arm and
point it at the other person!
At 12:09 97/11/09 -0600, Kathy Bohn wrote: > successfully with the unicycle. Are there any instructional videos out there?
Yes, but in Japanese! You can also get my book ANYONE CAN RIDE A UNICYCLE for a
quick intriduction to the basics. Good luck. > > Thanks – good to be here. > > Email: kathy_sheryl@juno.com >
Regards, Jack Halpern
I guess you qualify as an “Old Timer” at this now. I bought mine TWO DAYS AGO,
so I’ll be asking you for advise, based on your greater experience (-:
I’m coming into this even later in life than you are, though I’ve been biking on
and off since I was a kid and ALWAYS preferred a fixed gear.
Here’s a general “how to learn” question for the group; Is it a good idea to get
a long pole to hold onto and carry around as you ride ? I’m thinking of
something like the ones I’ve seen circus acts use when they ride unicycles
across the slack wire, it seems this should aid balance quite a bit. Maybe a 10
or 12ft length of 1 inch EMT ?
Reg {One wheel wobbler}
PS I got a 24inch wheel in a new issue Schwinn, have to get a longer seat post
in it though.
In article <199711101257.VAA26393@super.win.or.jp>,
jhalpern@super.win.or.jp says… > >At 22:29 97/11/09 GMT, Sky wrote: >> In article <34663751.41C6@sable.ox.ac.uk>, kebl0652@sable.ox.ac.uk says… >> > >> >Kathy Bohn wrote: >> >> “Unicycling from Beginner to Expert” by Hoeher > >How exactly does one purchase this book?
It’s available from Brian Dube [www.dube.com] via mail order and I also saw it
listed under “merchandise” on the Unicycle Society of America pages
[www.unicycling.com ?]
The book is available in both English and German. I was just in Berlin last week
and stayed with the Hoeher family for a few days. Sebastian Hoeher decided to
write the book while he was learning how to ride because he himself couldn’t
find a book on learning how to ride. The family is going to try to make it to
Unicon IX in Bottrop, Germany next year.
Can I please order a copy? The eaisest thing for me is to mail you cash. Is that
ok? If yes, how much and where do I send it? > Beirne > > – > Beirne “Bern” Konarski | Unicycling Home Page: beirne@ald.net | > http://www.unicycling.org “Untouched by Scandal” | Unicycling Society of > America: > | http://www.unicycling.org/usa/ > > >
Regards, Jack Halpern
Reg Burgess wrote: > Here’s a general “how to learn” question for the group; Is it a good idea to > get a long pole to hold onto and carry around as you ride ? I’m thinking of > something like the ones I’ve seen circus acts use when they ride unicycles > across the slack wire, it seems this should aid balance quite a bit. Maybe a > 10 or 12ft length of 1 inch EMT ? > > Reg {One wheel wobbler} > > PS I got a 24inch wheel in a new issue Schwinn, have to get a longer seat post > in it though.
Hi Reg,
A pole helps tightrope walkers with their sideways balance but, when learning to
unicycle, it’s the forwards/backwards balance that causes the problems. Sideways
just kinda comes naturally when you get the thing moving. It’s also easier to
recover your balance if your hands/arms are free to flail about.
Hmmm, then again there’ve been a number of times someone’s said “Where’s your
other wheel?” and I’ve wished I was carrying a 12ft pole…
Good luck, Mark.
Mark Wiggins, | markw@ftel.co.uk +44 (121) 717 6255 Fujitsu Telecom Europe
Ltd,|----------------------------------------- Solihull Parkway, | o Birmingham
Business Park, | In the land of the pedestrian, /|\ Birmingham, | the
one-wheeled man is king. << ENGLAND. | O
> > I’ve ordered “The Complete Book of Unicycling” by Wiley and "Unicycling from > Beginner to Expert" by Hoeher from Dube Juggling Equipment. I’ve also > checked-out the web, which is how I got on this mailing list. I’m hopeful all > of this will give me enough information to proceed successfully with the > unicycle. Are there any instructional videos out there?
The are two instructional videos available, both from the Unicycling Society of
America (http://www.unicycling.org/usa). One is a tape showing all of the skills
in the 10 skill levels. It is light on actual instruction, but it lets you see
what the various skills look like. The other video is “Rough Terrain Unicycling”
by George Peck. This tape is interesting and useful even if you aren’t into muni
riding to the degree that George Peck is.
You otherwise have a very good book on learning new skills in “Unicycling from
Beginner to Expert”. Jack Halpern’s book “Anyone can ride a unicycle” is also
good. Check out the skill level list at http://unicycling.org/unicycling/skills/skills.html. It includes instructions on
many of the skills. Also, the Unicycling Society of America has a column
explaining how to learn a different skill in each issue of its newsletter.
> At 22:29 97/11/09 GMT, Sky wrote: > > In article <34663751.41C6@sable.ox.ac.uk>, kebl0652@sable.ox.ac.uk says… > > > > > >Kathy Bohn wrote: > > >> “Unicycling from Beginner to Expert” by Hoeher > > How exactly does one purchase this book? >
