I started unicycling about 6 weeks ago and things were going quite well up
to now. I could ride for miles quite comfortably on cycling strips and my
girlfirend and I even started some off road unicycling (that I wouldn’t
call MUni yet…).
This strange thing happened to me last night as I went out for a ride :
I free mounted easily on the first try and started riding. Meanwhile, I
had a hard time riding because I was attracted towards the right. I
stopped. Mounted the uni again and still had to put a strong effort to
keep balance ! Then I started to analyse the situation and came to
those points :
I checked my crank arms. As I started hopping 2 weeks ago, they
became slightly bent to the point that is it visible for the eye with
a small effort (I mean “slightly” bent…). Can this affect riding to
that point ?
Something else happened to my uni. I checked the saddle. It was aligned
perfectly. I Thought of anything else that could have changed on it
since my last ride. Nothing but the tube…
Something changed on me. Nothing but a cold and a hard labor day…
Has anyone ever experienced such a strange thing ? I woke up last night
and thought it was just a bad dream but no… It is reality ! I phoned my
girlfriend for she picks me up at work at 3 cause I can’t wait to try it
again and find out what goes wrong…
I have been riding for 6 months, but here is my take. It wasn’t clear if you rode your normal route, or a different route. I have found that if the road is arched for water runnoff, it pushes the saddle to lean to the right. I have lowered the tire pressure and this seems to help. Not sure if that helps.
This not an uncommon problem. I think it has more to do with balance and
experience. I had the same problem a few years ago when I got my first 26"
muni. It happened again when I went to a much more aggressive tire and
again when I first switched to a 26" Gazzalodi. Reducing the tire pressure
will help, but it really has more to do with getting comfortable with the
machine in the new circumstances. I remember the unicycle pulling to one
side uncontrollably. I waved my arms, jerked the wheel away from the
drift, leaning away from the drift; nothing seemed to work. A little later
it just went away. I’m not sure why I struggled so much. I did reduce the
tire pressure, but I think the difference had more to do with sitting up
comfortably on the saddle and developing the muscle memory for dealing
with the new conditions. Hang in there, relax, enjoy your surroundings.
The ride will improve.
Good luck,
John Hooten
Christian St-Pierre wrote:
> I started unicycling about 6 weeks ago and things were going quite well > up to now. I could ride for miles quite comfortably on cycling strips > and my girlfirend and I even started some off road unicycling (that I > wouldn’t call MUni yet…). > > This strange thing happened to me last night as I went out for a ride : > > I free mounted easily on the first try and started riding. Meanwhile, I > had a hard time riding because I was attracted towards the right. I > stopped. Mounted the uni again and still had to put a strong effort to > keep balance ! Then I started to analyse the situation and came to those > points : > > 1. I checked my crank arms. As I started hopping 2 weeks ago, they > became slightly bent to the point that is it visible for the eye with > a small effort (I mean “slightly” bent…). Can this affect riding to > that point ? > > 2. Something else happened to my uni. I checked the saddle. It was > aligned perfectly. I Thought of anything else that could have changed > on it since my last ride. Nothing but the tube… > > 3. Something changed on me. Nothing but a cold and a hard labor day… > > Has anyone ever experienced such a strange thing ? I woke up last night > and thought it was just a bad dream but no… It is reality ! I phoned > my girlfriend for she picks me up at work at 3 cause I can’t wait to try > it again and find out what goes wrong… > > Thanks ! > > Christian.
After I mounted a new tire, my Uni began pulling to the right. I noticed
that the profile of the tire was not symmetrical. The right side of the
tire had more of a slope to it than the left, so the contact patch was
more on the left side of the tire.
After a while, the pull to the right disappeared. I assume that the tire
wear had counter-acted the problem.
“Christian St-Pierre” <Christian.St-Pierre@fse.ulaval.ca> wrote in message news:3BC71E02.5D6181A3@fse.ulaval.ca… > I started unicycling about 6 weeks ago and things were going quite well > up to now. I could ride for miles quite comfortably on cycling strips > and my girlfirend and I even started some off road unicycling (that I > wouldn’t call MUni yet…). > > This strange thing happened to me last night as I went out for a ride : > > I free mounted easily on the first try and started riding. Meanwhile, I > had a hard time riding because I was attracted towards the right. I > stopped. Mounted the uni again and still had to put a strong effort to > keep balance ! Then I started to analyse the situation and came to those > points :