Hi, I’m having trouble learning to mount with pedals horizontal from eachother. I’ve always mounted with pedals vertical from eachother, which makes it hard to jump. So I’ve been trying to learn the mount with pedals horizontal, but every time I jump up to put my right foot on the pedal my left foot pushes the pedal vertical again, because of my weight resting on it. Does any one have any advice?
If its static, then push off the ground harder, and perhaps put more weight on the seat when you get on, rather than putting weight on your mounting (back) foot.
Or… do the above, and have the pedals between vertical & horizontal if it makes it easier, cos then when u do the first hop u can just push the pedals round a bit.
Using the search facility will produce large numbers of answers, of varying degrees of usefulness.
In some ways, “horizontal” is the worst postion for any sort of static mount except a jump.
For a simple static mount, I have the cranks at about 45 degrees, with the lower of the two pedals being the one closer to me.
Put the seat “in place”, and put your foot on the back pedal.
Now, as you step up, push the unicycle forward ever so slightly. This will make the back pedal rise and press against your foot. The unicycle will “lock” for a moment and you will pivot up into the riding position.
I find it helps to have the unicycle leaning ever so slightly to one side. I usually have my left foot on the “back” pedal, which means that before I mount, my weight is on my right foot, and the unicycle is leaning ever so slightly to the right.
I also find it helps to hold the front of the seat with my right hand.
As you become a more confident rider, your mounting will improve. As you learn to ride slowly, stop under control, and later to idle, mounting will become easier.
I rode unicycle for over 15 years using only the “vertical cranks” static mount. I was hitting about 1 in 3, and it was tiring and frustrating. Then someone gave me the “diagonal cranks” advice, and suddenly it was easy.
Good luck.
What Mikefule said. Now, you’ll notice that it’s still hard to keep that pedal from going down. Long as you keep straightening that leg, that pedal will go down. So don’t straighten that leg. Instead of pushing down, just hold your knee at whatever angle it’s at while you rotate yourself up and over the unicycle’s balance point. Then you just pedal away!
Yes, it takes a while to get.