With winter slowly approaching down here in oz, it got me wondering what guys have found generally regarding the amount of time they can have off from unicycling before their skills degrade noticeably. I’m hoping to ride throughout winter, but realistically won’t be able to ride as often as I’d like to.
Obviously it will be different for everyone and dependent on many things, just wondered what other guys who had taken some time off unicycling (due to seasons, injury etc) had experienced when they hopped back on, what skills were most effected
Thanks!
What is the winter like down there? I rode all through the winter snow, although I did skip a few trips when the rain poured down (living in a city with a semi-coastal climate sucks).
I haven’t been riding a uni long enough to give you any useful input on your original question :o
It depends really on where you live in oz, big place. In the tropics in the north where I was raised there’s essentially no winter, just a wet and dry season, lots of outdoor living. In the south though where we lived for some years, it’s cold enough to get occasional snow during winter.
I don’t mind being outdoors in the elements during any season, much prefer that to being inside, but the main problem for me during winter is the lack of daylight hours after work.
I was just wondering what guys find with their skills when they ease of riding or stop for a period altogether
the longest I’ve ever gone without unicycling is about five months, and I picked up just fine after that. you’ll lose some of your tricks, but they’ll be easy to relearn. and you can do trials in your garage/living room!
Because of knee problems I couldn’t ride for most of last year. They got better (briefly), and while I could ride I was actually doing better than I was before I stopped.
Maybe I am just weird though 
-Miles
It depends on how often you rode before the stop. If you ride more frequently, then skills erode faster in my experience.
With distance riding on the 36", I hardly rode this winter (on the northern hemisphere), and needed about 10 rides (of average 30 km each) to get to about the same level. Even a couple of weeks of not riding sets me back in speed. Not really noticeably, but the GPS registers it clearly.
The other thing I do is ‘easy MUni’, cross-country style. Technical ability doesn’t wear off that much with months of no riding, but endurance does.
Bottom line: even some riding in winter will keep you in better shape. But otherwise, it will certainly all come back if you give it some time.
It’s actually not that bad to occasionally take a break for a few months (or if you crash your dirt bike into a ditching fucking up your leg)
Like what mornish said, you can get better from it.
My little theory on the subject is that taking a break doesn’t degrade your initial skills but it helps get rid of your subconscious bad-habits.
I had to lay off for nearly five months owing to a knee injury and man, I’m sucking wind and have no stamina or punch right now (2nd weekend back). Stuff I used to cruise (muni) seems grim. Hope it all comes back.
JL
Over the last year or two, I have had long periods with little or no riding. The basic skills and reflexes don’t go. The stamina goes, and the fine control and more technical stuff takes a little while to come back.
Yeah, impact of time off the wheel is, stamina loss: weeksNotRiding*age^2 . The skills (little I have) come back quickly, while stamina seems to be almost a losing proposition (at my age).
You dont really lose much. Yes, you lose stamina, and your legs will have to rechaffe when the season comes around. Fine tuning on doing trials stuff takes a little to get back, but if you understood it first off, you should be able to do it the time you come back.
I am going on away for two years for my church and I’m not allowed to unicycle.
When I come home, I’ll obviously run to it as fast I can and get on.
When this wonderful moment occurs, how long will it take me to ‘regain’ my skills do you think?
Well as luke always says, “not unicycling makes me better at unicycling” he also says lots of other things so probably doesnt mean much! but he deffinatley can jump higher after not unicycling…also completely off topic, my eastern plastics just turned up this morning!! 
and they are white and look awesome as!! but i have to go to university for a few hours and wont be able to ride till i get back! will this make me any worse? having to wait several hours! the suspense is killing me!
I think it depends on current riding skill. Still being quite new I lose a little technique as I take days off. But I’ve seen that the more I unicycle the less I worsen during long breaks.
I learned wheel walks, then basically quit riding for like 5 months… jumped on and was doing better than I was before.
Rolling hops did get a little worse, not that I was any good at them before…
Yet another reason to stay away from religion 
(No I am not trying to start a war here)
Please tell us you meant you weren’t allowed to bring your unicycle! Otherwise it sounds like it’s against your religion or something. 
It depends what your skills were. If you’re coasting half a kilometer, that’ll take a while to get back to. In other words, if you have skills you’ve honed to a fine edge, it will take some time to get that edge back. I’m talking really hard stuff that you’ve practiced regularly, a lot.
Also fitness is separate from skill. Your fitness level will be whatever it is, and you might have to build up your cardio level as well as the specific muscles you use in your riding, if the’ve been ignored over the two years.
As someone previously mentioned, your skin will also have to get used to riding again I guess this includes your crotch as well… 
But to answer what may have been the original question, you’ll get right on and ride away. You never forget how to ride a unicycle. I’ve seen people who haven’t been on one in 20 years (according to them) climb on an unfamiliar, fat-tired unicycle on a dirt trail and ride away in two tries. The basic riding skill isn’t going anywhere.
I think the Unicycling Society of America should stand up for the rights of its members to unicycle, unless specifically forbidden by GOD.
Please tell us who to contact, and we’ll all write to the church on your behalf!
hungry4uni claims to be from Donutville, Tanzania. That would make this an IUF matter.
Based on his profile I’d figure him for a NYC cop. 
I’d run to girls as fast as you can. After two years, the unicycling can wait another week or two.
But to the original question, I think the answer is in here, spread out across several responses. If you’re an around-the-blocker, you’ll be able to hop right on and clean that block. Probably a lot of the more standard standard skills would come roaring right back too. But if you’re pushing the sport athletically now, either muni, trials, or even distance, plan that the combination of muscles and cardio you’ve got well-tuned right now will fade or change. It can be pretty significant. Last year, I was on a training ramp for a pretty significant distance event. I had taken a couple months off after my previous distance event, but was still in pretty decent shape from a summer and fall of riding. Then I lost the final month of training due to a broken toe. The ride, which only six months before I could have completed without a whole lot of problem, completely kicked my tail. I was amazed at how much that month off affected me.
Of course I’m old…you’ll probably be right back where you started after just a week or two.
Have a great mission!