I have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I seem
to have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am leaning to
the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!! My thought is I
am not sitting in the seat enough - I think this because all of a sudden, my
legs hurt!!
I have noticed that if I start with a stronger push of the right leg, I am
sitting in the seat faster.
Any thoughts/suggestions? Thank you SOO much!!
Alice
Re: Leaning toward the left
Alice wrote:
>I have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I
seem
>to have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am
leaning to
>the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!!
Hi Alice!
I began learning to ride last October, and I had a similar problem…as soon as
I could ride more than 10 ft, I noticed that I would start drifting to the left.
I’d practice at a local park where there is a large area with 5 tennis courts
side by side, and by the time I was past the first court I found myself in a 90
left hand turn heading for the net. Very frustrating.
Here’s what I found:
Check your seat-to-wheel alignment. I discovered that one of my drops must
have knocked my seat out of alignment. It was aimed to the right, which would
make the uni drift to the left.
If you have a Schwinn, sight down the centerline of the seat post to make
sure that it intersects the plane of the wheel. Schwinns have a split post
design and it is possible to tighten the post bolt with the two halves of the
post misaligned, resulting in a tipped seat post in relation to the wheel. I
found that when I had installed a new seatpost that I didn’t get this lined
up correctly.
Check your tire to see if it is properly seated in the rim. There is usually
a little ridge on the sidewall that runs right above the edge of the rim.
This should look even all the way around and the same on both sides.
Are you always riding in the same area? If so, maybe there is a slight grade
that is causing it. Try riding in the opposite direction to see.
Finally, check your posture. I found that I unconsciously tended to lean a
bit to the left, and that my balance corrections tended to be made by making
little turns to the left. Try and sit up straight, look straight ahead (not
to the left!), and practice making lots of right-hand turns to get
comfortable with them. If you are freemounting, try to make sure that the
seat is centered under you before you hop on. Then when riding, try to keep
your weight on the seat, not your legs, this will help keep you from wearing
your legs out.
Hope this helps!
-Rick Bissell
Re: Leaning toward the left
Hi Alice, I found I was doing the same thing. I still do. As I am still at about
the 20-30m mark I am not the best to give or heed advice. I found that I tended
to get straighter and able to turn more in control by trying to relax and keep
my back straight, the resulting effect putting more weight on the seat.
joel.
AliceMK wrote:
> I have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I seem
> to have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am leaning to
> the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!! My thought is
> I am not sitting in the seat enough - I think this because all of a sudden, my
> legs hurt!!
>
> I have noticed that if I start with a stronger push of the right leg, I am
> sitting in the seat faster.
>
> Any thoughts/suggestions? Thank you SOO much!!
>
> Alice
Re: Leaning toward the left
AliceMK <alicemk@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990426215451.25574.00000163@ng-cs1.aol.com…
>… My thought is I am not sitting in the seat enough - I think this
>because all of a
sudden, my
> legs hurt!!
If your legs hurt, it may be that your seat is too low. Your leg should be
almost straight at the bottom of the pedalstroke, though some beginners like the
seat slightly lower.
It may also be that you are shying away from putting your weight on the seat
due to discomfort in the nether regions (more of a problem for men, I believe).
This can be largely resolved by wearing cycling shorts, and by avoiding jeans
at all costs.
A third possibility is lack of fitness. I have no idea how fit you are, but
strength and stamina will limit how quickly you can learn to ride. Or you could
be getting cramp due to low glycogen levels - maybe you’re not eating enough
complex carbos.
Whatever the cause of your veering, you can’t go wrong with the alleyway
suggestion already mentioned by Richard.
–
Danny Colyer danny@mos.clara.net Who solved his veering problem in a matter of
minutes in that self same alleyway.
Re: Leaning toward the left
Alice wrote:
>
> have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I seem to
> have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am leaning to
> the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!!
When I learnt I found an alley outside our workshop hall about 6 feet wide.
This was great for learning to go in a straight line, because whenever I
started going to one side I could push off the wall with my hand and go back
the other way.
- RichardRe: Leaning toward the left
Thank you for all the input!!! Alice
Re: Leaning toward the left
When I learned the instructor liked to teach us to have our arms extended
straight out the sides, which helps to balance, and aids in correcting which
direction you are about to be travelling in.
I firmly believe you will uni where and at what you are looking at (like the
wall for <thump> instance), so focus on the target or the goal i.e. the wall all
the way across the schoolyard, and don’t worry about the actual "do"ing of the
unicycling.
She also said it’ll take ten hours to learn. Remember to learn how to dismount
properly. (i.e. step off with the higher of your feet first, if your reactions
are fast enough!)
Doug Williams try Parc Lafontaine for offroad uni Montreal Quebec
Rick Bissell wrote in message
<3..5.16.19990427084211.4777ace4@pophost.tridelta.com>… Alice wrote:
>I have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I
seem
>to have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am
leaning to
>the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!!
Hi Alice!
I began learning to ride last October, and I had a similar problem…as soon as
I could ride more than 10 ft, I noticed that I would start drifting to the left.
I’d practice at a local park where there is a large area with 5 tennis courts
side by side, and by the time I was past the first court I found myself in a 90
left hand turn heading for the net. Very frustrating.
Here’s what I found:
4) Check your seat-to-wheel alignment. I discovered that one of my drops must
have knocked my seat out of alignment. It was aimed to the right, which would
make the uni drift to the left.
If you have a Schwinn, sight down the centerline of the seat post to make
sure that it intersects the plane of the wheel. Schwinns have a split post
design and it is possible to tighten the post bolt with the two halves of the
post misaligned, resulting in a tipped seat post in relation to the wheel. I
found that when I had installed a new seatpost that I didn’t get this lined
up correctly.
Check your tire to see if it is properly seated in the rim. There is usually
a little ridge on the sidewall that runs right above the edge of the rim.
This should look even all the way around and the same on both sides.
Are you always riding in the same area? If so, maybe there is a slight grade
that is causing it. Try riding in the opposite direction to see.
Finally, check your posture. I found that I unconsciously tended to lean a
bit to the left, and that my balance corrections tended to be made by making
little turns to the left. Try and sit up straight, look straight ahead (not
to the left!), and practice making lots of right-hand turns to get
comfortable with them. If you are freemounting, try to make sure that the
seat is centered under you before you hop on. Then when riding, try to keep
your weight on the seat, not your legs, this will help keep you from wearing
your legs out.
Hope this helps!
-Rick Bissell
Re: Leaning toward the left
When I learned the instructor liked to teach us to have our arms extended
straight out the sides, which helps to balance, and aids in correcting which
direction you are about to be travelling in.
I firmly believe you will uni where and at what you are looking at (like the
wall for <thump> instance), so focus on the target or the goal i.e. the wall all
the way across the schoolyard, and don’t worry about the actual "do"ing of the
unicycling.
She also said it’ll take ten hours to learn. Remember to learn how to dismount
properly. (i.e. step off with the higher of your feet first, if your reactions
are fast enough!)
Doug Williams try Parc Lafontaine for offroad uni Montreal Quebec
Rick Bissell wrote in message
<3..5.16.19990427084211.4777ace4@pophost.tridelta.com>… Alice wrote:
>I have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I
seem
>to have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am
leaning to
>the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!!
Hi Alice!
I began learning to ride last October, and I had a similar problem…as soon as
I could ride more than 10 ft, I noticed that I would start drifting to the left.
I’d practice at a local park where there is a large area with 5 tennis courts
side by side, and by the time I was past the first court I found myself in a 90
left hand turn heading for the net. Very frustrating.
Here’s what I found:
4) Check your seat-to-wheel alignment. I discovered that one of my drops must
have knocked my seat out of alignment. It was aimed to the right, which would
make the uni drift to the left.
If you have a Schwinn, sight down the centerline of the seat post to make
sure that it intersects the plane of the wheel. Schwinns have a split post
design and it is possible to tighten the post bolt with the two halves of the
post misaligned, resulting in a tipped seat post in relation to the wheel. I
found that when I had installed a new seatpost that I didn’t get this lined
up correctly.
Check your tire to see if it is properly seated in the rim. There is usually
a little ridge on the sidewall that runs right above the edge of the rim.
This should look even all the way around and the same on both sides.
Are you always riding in the same area? If so, maybe there is a slight grade
that is causing it. Try riding in the opposite direction to see.
Finally, check your posture. I found that I unconsciously tended to lean a
bit to the left, and that my balance corrections tended to be made by making
little turns to the left. Try and sit up straight, look straight ahead (not
to the left!), and practice making lots of right-hand turns to get
comfortable with them. If you are freemounting, try to make sure that the
seat is centered under you before you hop on. Then when riding, try to keep
your weight on the seat, not your legs, this will help keep you from wearing
your legs out.
Hope this helps!
-Rick Bissell
Re: Leaning toward the left
You might also check to make sure your seat is perfectly straight. I’ve
unicycled since I was a child & I recently bought a brand new one. The seat was
straight when I left the shop, but about 2 weeks later, I was doing the exact
same thing… drifting to the left & I had to work hard to keep it straight. I
looked at the seat & sure enough; it was slightly turned. I straightened it out
& tightened it firmly. Now, no probs…
Cheers, Shane
Richard Loxley wrote:
> Alice wrote:
> >
> > have been learning to ride for two months now…and making progress. I seem
> > to have hit a stumbling block. I get up, and within four feet, I am leaning
> > to the left, and wind up falling off almost doing a complete 360!!
>
> When I learnt I found an alley outside our workshop hall about 6 feet wide.
> This was great for learning to go in a straight line, because whenever I
> started going to one side I could push off the wall with my hand and go back
> the other way.
>
> - Richard