Hi i was just wondering, when you are static mounting how do you keep your base foot(the foot on the pedal to start) from pushing the pedal down as you mount. I cant seem to keep it horizontal.
Dont put all of your weight on the pedal. Use the foot on the ground to push up on to the seat. Or thats how i do it atleast
Don’t put a lot of pressure on that foot. Keep your weight on the foot that is on the ground. Lift up the foot and put it on the other pedal quickly and you should have little to no rolling of the cranks until your feet are both on.
yeah but see thats the problem, i dont know how to not put pressure on the pedal as i mount even though i place my other foot on the pedal fast and keep all my weight on that leg
I know this is the last thing you want to hear, because I know it always is the last thing I want to hear, but you just need to practice. If you find yourself getting confused, just clear your mind and go for it. Often I find myself getting caught up in making the trick really technical, but when I look at it simply and just go for it, I can often land it.
when i was learning the free mount, i had the same problem.
i really focused on ‘turning off’ my leg, and keeping no pressure on that pedal. I almost jumped up with my other foot, and doing it fast, leaving no time for the pedals to shift. With practice, it will become natural.
I’m having the same problem. I mount with the pedal all the way down. That’s good for down hills, or flats, but the slightest inclide or soft ground is impossible for me.
What I’m going to try this week is to try mounting with the pedal slightly down from Horizontal with a 2x4 to block the wheel from going backward. After I’ve got that down, I’ll use a deck-planking board. After I have that I’ll try a scrap of plywood. Then I’ll have it down.
That’s the plan anyway.
David
ok kool any other suggestions?
Either let the uni roll back while your foot is reaching the other pedal “roll back mount”, or you need to be putting most of your weight onto the seat. Sorta throw your weight UP AND FORWARD like you are getting ready to roll forward. Think about using your back foot (mounting foot) as only being there to keep the uni from rolling forward.
Simply, you should be turning your weight into forward movement as you mount, your back foot will keep the uni in place, giving you time to get your front foot to the pedal so you can roll away.
Just remember you are lifting your weight up onto the uni, not down on the pedal.
I had the same thing happen to me when I learned to free mount, the uni would shoot out from underneath me from too much pressure. It is a fix that comes with practice, before you know it you won’t even know your foot is on the pedal. I have only been riding for about a month, I can pretty much nail the free mount 9/10 times yet I still get a string of unsuccessful mounts from time to time.
i still cant seem to not put weight on that foot, i practice every day for 10minutes-2 hours and have even tried raising the seat post to make it easier to keep my weight on the seat instead but it just wont work
Terry has a vid about this somewhere…Put a cinder block on the ground and stand in front of it. Take one foot(the one that you usually start with on a unicycle) and put it in the air over the block, a few inches from the top. Then jump up on to the block, using only the force from the foot on the ground.
This is the same principle used in freemounting.
Don’t get discouraged; keep practicing! 
ok ill have to try that thats a good idea
The easiest way I found to do it is to try lock your leg into position by tensing your hamstring and quad muscles and locking your knee. That way you don’t push down on the pedal when you step up with the other leg.
What also helped me when learning to freemount is I used to grab hold of the wheel with a hand when stepping up. It stops the wheel from moving under you even if you do put pressure onto the pedal. Eventually you will learn how not to put the pressure on the pedal.
It is another practice thing however, and the more you do it the better it gets.
Hey Uni B.i bought a uni 24" 3 weeks back and I was having a similiar problem while learning freemounting.I can now get it even if it takes about 5-6 tries to freemount. while learning i used 3 tips which i found useful:
- while learning, preferrably find a smooth surface with a slight downwards incline
- my leg used to go all the way down while starting, so i’d lean to m left side slightly while freemounting.( my right leg is the leg i use to mount the uni) it helps a bit in putting lesser pressure on the pedal while starting
- i lowered my seat by about 1.5 inches while learning
been doing this for the last 3 days, but i’m just happy i can freemount, but i still have a lot of practising to do.
I found it helpful to visualize keeping my weight on the seat. “Choke up” onto it, so that you really feel like you’re supported by the seat (and no need to “stand” on that one pedal). Then, you just to a slight hop onto the pedals.
It took me forever to learn to mount. I’m very short also. So with one foot on the pedal, I pushed forward with the other foot and it allowed me to put some pressure on my back foot. The uni doesnt move but as I’m jumping forward and push my stomach flat on the seat, I both dont move back and get up and over the uni.
Easy method of mounting for newbies! really works!
I am 57 and just last month bought my first uni. after the required 15 hours i could “ride” and dismount, but could not freemount. I had tried and tried but could not EVER get it. Searching the internet, I found a video showing a slightly different method which worked on the second try, 7 out of the next 10 tries, and after practicing, will work every time. It is sooooo easy, I dont know why it is never posted anywhere. Just search on “Megan Rouch Expert Village”. She has several videos on unicycle operation, but the “mounting” and “turning” videos show very clearly the very very easy mount. It is based on the method where you are not to put any weight down on your right (dominant) pedal. You do NOT need to lower the seat, you do NOT need a curb, you do not need to put a rock behind the wheel, you do not need to be going downhill, you do not need any of those. AND you are allowed to put as much weight on the right pedal as you want, which actually helps to mount more easily.
While positioned with your right foot on the pedal, seat positioned, left foot ready to push/hop, you simply reach up with your right hand and grab the tire to keep it from rolling. Hop up with your left foot, and while holding the tire so that it will NOT roll, put as much pressure as you want on the right pedal to help lift you up. As you gain your balance, put your left foot on its pedal, let loose of the tire, off you go. Please see the video for an extremely easy “freemount”.
well ive been out unicycling a lot lately and i got it pretty much, sometimes when peole are watching and i know it i get a bit trippy and mess up but otherwise i pretty mcuh got it