Welcome any comments or tips!
Have not touched a unicycle for 33 years! When I did ride it was a Schwinn that a friend had. Probably 20 inch or less. I was able to free mount, rode it to school once (probably 1.5 miles), could jump off the curb at my house and that is about it. We goofed around with it for about 6 months.
Fast Forward to today. Looking for some fun fitness to tone up a bad back and drop some weight (currently 220lbs).
Bought a Nimbus II 26" and got it in yesterday. I was so excited. My wife is pretty nervous. She figures I’m going to break a bone or something.
FRIDAY: This thing seems HUGE! It was quite intimidating trying to mount a 26" Unicycle. First day I just practiced mounting with help from walls, fences, etc. Started in garage and fell to the side once - after remembering how solid concrete is I decided to move to the back yard. Only problem there is that the ground is quite bumpy and uneven which is not so good for a newbie. Wore myself out after 30 minutes and called it a day.
SATURDAY: first thing this morning I cleared out some space in the back garage (larger and more stuff to hang onto). Tried a few runs and managed 4-6 feet. Later in the day I got real serious and got out in the alley. Once again braving the concrete - but, it’s smooth and lots of room to go without running into stuff. After a few tries I got going pretty good and ended up about three houses away (probably 100 feet) then dismounted, mounted back up using hand holds on a dumpster and rode back… Had two tumbles. First one scraped my knee so I went in and got the knee and elbow pads - I had only been using helmet and wrist protection. I thought I was going to be landing on my feet all the time, but not so. I think my problem is that I try to stay on 1 second longer than I should. It’s like I get going too fast + leaning forward quite a bit and I keep speeding up trying to catch myself and by the time I bail it’s too late so I end up coming off so fast I fall down and roll. The second one was the same thing only this time I had all the proper protection so much better. I’m sure I will have bruises all over my shoulders where I hit and rolled. I told my wife it’s like someone pushing you out of the bed of a pickup that is going down the road at 8 mph and you are trying to land on the moving roadway without falling down.
Known issues I’m seeing and trying to correct
- when I pedal I can tell that I'm not keeping a consistent speed all the way around. It's like each downward stroke is quick... then a fraction of a second pause for the next foot to push down, etc, etc. This also seems to cause me to ride back and forth like I'm drawing S's on the roadway. If I relax it gets better (more straight).
- My shoes are running tennis shoes and have a wide sole that keeps hitting the crank so I'm having to learn to reposition my feet as I go
- I positioned the seat like the instructions said, but after the first day I dropped it an inch because it just seemed too hard to mount.
I plan to take this to work and ride at lunchtime on the campus I work at. Lots of great challenges… a path that goes around a small lake with bridges and such. However, I’m not taking it until I can free mount and ride a good distance without fear of crashing. I don’t want to be doing any hard falls on campus and having people run over to help me up and such. I don’t mind dismounts…
I’m having a lot of fun but boy and I SORE - a bit saddle sore (glad I at least have a GEL seat) and those two falls I took make me feel like someone pushed me down the stairs. I’m trying to limit myself to one 30 or two 30 minute sessions a day so my body and get used to it.
TLDR: after 33 yrs started riding unicycle again. Can ride about 100 feet after 2 hours practice. Have had to tumbles.
Welcome aboard. Keep at it. It’ll come back.
Welcome back to unicycling! Smart move putting on the knee and elbow pads. Your issue with uncontrollable speed should subside shortly. For the time being, you might try riding up a slight incline. Maybe different shoes will keep you from striking the cranks. I banged my ankles as a beginner, and that prompted me to get some cheap skate shoes that covered the ankle bone. The issue with pushing down on the pedals, rather than applying more consistent pressure around the pedal stroke…seems pretty typical, and should improve with practice. Get some padded bike shorts. Best wishes!
I went at it for 4 days. About 30-45 minutes per day. Got up to about 60 feet at a run. Then, had to take a down day. My previous life as a couch potato is in shock at the pain my Quads are putting out.
I will probably try about 15-30 minutes tonight just to ease back in - don’t want to sit on the sidelines too long!
Keep it up! Lots of short 15 minute sessions helped me in the beginning. I didn’t learn until 46 yrs old. With a bad back, rotator cuff problems, carpal tunnel issues, over weight, when high blood pressure started I knew I had to do something different. Bicycles didn’t work for me. Took up the kid size old unicycle and self-taught how ride.
Work on thinking “heavy on the seat / light on the feet” as you ride. You will wear yourself out counter pedaling both feet against each other when heavy on the feet.
Dismount early when things are just starting to go wrong or “catch it” quick. Some people seriously think they will be able to “save it” if they just ride it a little farther and end up riding the unicycle all the way into the dirt. Bad choice, usually end up hurting.
Get some bike shorts. Everyone wants the ones with the most padding. Try lots on and go with the ones that feel good. Every brand fits different. I prefer little or no padding (the saddle is already padded). If you don’t like the way you look in spandex try the mountain bike stiles with the detachable liner inside rugged shorts.
Try a wheel grab mount. A friend who learned recently picked it up in one afternoon. wheel grab or big wheel grab Use your hand on the wheel to stabilizes your body and the unicycle while you plant the second foot.
JM
thanks for the advice. I was fully suited up last time I went… look like I’m going off to battle!
- bike shorts with gel
- helmet
- wrist guards with braces
- elbow pads
- knee pads
I switched to some vans shoes after reading horror stories about shoe laces + my tennis shoes had real wide soles that were hitting the cranks. The vans are nice and slim. I think I am sitting okay in the seat because I have a weird feeling that my feet are moving on the pedals (as if they are very light).
I’m thinking about getting some shin guards - it’s not that I feel that I’m that dangerous - it just gives me more confidence to be protected when starting out. This unicycle (26") seems so much taller than the one I learned on as a kid (probably a Schwinn 16 or 20).
I went for years with no pads and no helmet. Eventually i started wearing gloves for my hands. The saddle grabs would break my finger nails.
On my first event ride (STP) I had to have a helmet. Since then the helmet make the wife feel safer. Now I sometimes do things a little more risky so I wear knee pads most of the time.
JM
UPDATE: after 4 hours of practice I can ride about 300 feet. I can turn gradual corners like a street, but not a sidewalk (to tight of a turn for me to keep balance).
It seems to go like this… I get on and start riding…
- - first 100 feet I'm busy just going and telling myself to pedal
- - second 100 feet I start working on smoothing out my pedaling so I'm not zigzagging, focus on relaxing and putting weight in the seat
- - last 100 feet I start thinking about how far I have gone without crashing, get nervous and hop off...
It’s coming along very quickly. Before you know it you’ll be going off and riding for hours and hours. Keep up the good work!