I’ve been feeling a bit of a fraud calling myself a unicyclist. I didn’t ride at all last summer as I underwent ACL reconstruction (my fourth knee surgery). About to turn 65 I debated whether or not I should even hop back on the uni. As a snowboard and ski racer I suffer serious quad burn early each winter and have discovered that distance unicycling is a terrific way to strengthen the quads. Last evening despite 95 degree temps, I put on the camelbak, helmet, and wrist guards to see if I still remembered how to ride. The phrase “just like riding a bike” came to mind. I used an assist by hanging on to my minivan to get going and took off. After a half mile I took a break as the quads were taking a beating. Here was a real test - free mounting my 28". It took three tries but I succeeded. In all I went only four miles with a rest every half mile. I do plan several more rides before winter sets back in.
Congrats on getting back on the wheel!
there should never be a question whether you should unicycle, the answer is yes
Thanks. It was a feeling of accomplishment. Today my quads are sore just walking up stairs. I need to spend more time on the uni to get back in shape.
It’s tough to accept that the aging process is manifesting itself. I did my last standing back flip on my 50th birthday but that was almost fifteen years ago. My dad just turned 90 and thankfully is still in very good shape. He’s a great role model.
All thoughts of “hanging it up” are dispelled. I plan to ride for many years to come.
You hung in there much longer than me. Last one I did on solid ground was in my 30s, although I managed a tramp-assisted at 48. Don’t think I could do one now to save my life, although a Russian front’s not out of the question.
Glad to hear you’re riding again. Your racing has been an inspiration to me, although I decided to not race this past winter, after tearing my rotator cuff the year prior. The coming season is looking good…
Rotator cuff tears don’t sound like much fun. Despite 2000+ parachute jumps I managed to avoid serious injuries other than a torn ACL. That has all changed in the past seven years: Broken hand (UPD), broken foot, broken ribs, another ACL (Ski Racing). Snowboard racing has left me unscathed although I did experience a SLAP tear in the shoulder. The doctor has me taking vitamin D to strengthen the bones. You’ll note from the short video in the first post that I wear wrist guards while on the uni.
My first standing backflip was sometime in 1962. My last was on October 25, 1996, the day I turned 50. I asked that it be filmed and then put together this little animated graphic.
