Well i found this great rail over an 8 set, but I’m too much of a pussy to go for it. It isnt that steep or high, but everytime I go for it I end up either riding down the stairs, stopping at the top, or gapping 6 of them and falling. Can anyone give me some tips on how to get on the rail.
get really comfortable with smaller stuff and build up your confidence
im going to tell you right now i havent advanced far enough to do sets or gaps on my uni… but i can tell you that i skateboarded for over a decade. if that matters.
what i would recommend doing before going big is ask yourself why youre doing it? are you filming it? what is the point of taking the risk to your body other than to feel good afterwords if you are sucessful.
now once youve decided to actually follow through… take a few minutes to visualize yourself completing the task at hand… from the approach to after the impact… take the time to think this all through… then do it without the cycle… literally run and jump it. that way you know the impact youre expecting.
the reason i want you to question yourself is because ive seen alot of friends get hurt really really badly doing things without taking precautions. one of my friends was one of the best skateboarders in my metro area and one night he fell over on his head. he seemed fine when i drove him home and apparently he collapsed at the bottom of his stairs shortly after he got home… to this day 10 years later he still doesnt skate anymore. hes had to take up a new hobby.
just be smart… wear a helmet…
start riding trials 
Hey, I have not done any handrails on my uni, but I have done some on my skateboard and I’m guessing its similar. Here is what I did:
- Jump the stairset a few times to get comfortable it. While you’re doing this, visualize what it will be like to jump on and slide the rail.
- Next start trying to jump on to the handrail, but DON’T try slidding it. Just see if you can ride up, get your pedal/crank on the rail, and then jump off right away. This well build up your confidence alot without having to commit to the grind.
- After you are confident that you can get on to the rail, jump on and try to stay on the rail (slide the whole rail if possible. If not, work up the amount of distance you are sliding). Once you are comfortable with sliding, try to land it.
The first handrail I did on my skateboard was only a 5 set, so when I would bail off my board all these times, the impact wasn’t too bad. I’m not sure how it will be with your 8 set, but if your heels/feet start to hurt, then take a break for a bit and come back to it.
Hope this helped.