Does anyone have any MUni tips for riding on the following terrain :
* Deep(ish) mud, or wet muddy grass, the kind you sink in when you
try to mount
* Steep uphill gradients ( downhill seems to be okay ! )
Cheers
Simon G
---------------------------------+------------------------------------
Simon Greenway | I.o.U o E-mail:simon.greenway@roke.co.uk | /#\
W.W.W. : new MUni pages soon: | Idiots On Unicycles | watch this space
... | O ---------------------------------+------------------------
-------------
> Does anyone have any MUni tips for riding on the following terrain : > * Deep(ish) mud, or wet muddy grass, the kind you sink in when you try to > mount
This stuff is not easy to deal with. The two main things you need are:
The widest possible tire. Unfortunately many unicycles don’t have wide
enought forks for good fat tires.
Lotsa knobs. On dry ground you can ride with a pretty treadless tire, but as
soon as it gets wet, those knobs mean a lot!
> * Steep uphill gradients ( downhill seems to be okay ! )
Knobs again (but not too much, because you end up with less ground contact), and
a lot of work. Lean way out front of the unicycle, and force those pedals past
the dead spot with each crank.
> Does anyone have any MUni tips for riding on the following terrain : > > * Deep(ish) mud, or wet muddy grass, the kind you sink in when you try to > mount
When in this condition I do a running mount, but I am very care full not to put
too much presure on the pedals as this will cause the uni to slew beyond
control. The other way is to get a bigger tyre, I have a 2.5 tyre that I have
ridden in mud to great effect that it is horrendious when I meet any hard ground
> * Steep uphill gradients ( downhill seems to be okay ! )
hold on to your seat and watch where you are riding is what I tell most people,
but there are a few other things. Technique one, ride up the up as smoothly as
possible, this give you the easy option of turning and gives you the speed that
your require to get over bumps. Technique two, ride one pedal stroke at a time
in a steady rythum, this will take you up steaper slopes than technique one but
is a lot slower. The other thing that will help winter hill climbing in the UK
is definately a good tyre.
Hope this helps
Roger
-----------------------------------------
Roger.Davies@Octacon.co.uk
Stockton
North East England
simon.greenway@roke.co.uk wrote: > > > > > Does anyone have any MUni tips for riding on the following terrain : > > * Deep(ish) mud, or wet muddy grass, the kind you sink in when you try to > mount > > * Steep uphill gradients ( downhill seems to be okay ! ) > > Cheers
use as long a crank as your wheel will allow…175mm for a 26 and ? for a 24
inch wheel.
Go slow, stay well forward - except when there is a distinct obstacle
use power and finesse not speed and bluster.
steep uphill, get well forward, throw your weight forward and up to unweight
the cycle and land on the forward pedal well forward…enough so that you are
at least in equilibrium on the hill simply by virtue of the position of your
weight relative to the pedals/frame. Throw your weight forward again and
repeat. ALWAYS keep forward-except when you don’t need to be…sounds kind of
zen like, but your weight must be in the same mode as if you were walking up
the hill. You can’t walk up a hill with your weight back. It must be over the
forward leg.