I don’t know why, but all of my falls tend to be caused by my feet getting stuck on the pedals. My shoes and pedals must be TOO grippy but I always stall, try to dismount, realize I can’t move my feet fast enough, and either fall flat on my back or on my knees and hands. I wonder if this is a unicycling-specific problem, falling because of pedals. I mean, it’s not as though we have a bazillion components in our way like on a bike. I’ve found bailing from a unicycle is much easier than bailing from a bike. Since handlebars seem to be the biggest danger on bikes, maybe pedals are our danger.
Given the pedals you use, I’m not real surprised to hear that. (Your photo from the “Pedal review” thread) shows them to have pretty aggressive pins. If they’re adjustable, perhaps you could pull them back a tad. Either that or file them down a bit. Just a suggestion. (Photo re-posted for the benefit of those who may not have seen the original.)
I think learning to get off the thing is an important uni skill. Eventually you figure out which foot to lift off the pedal, where to plant that foot, when to just hop off the uni, etc.
I used to go down with the ship all the time. I still UPD as often as I ever did, especially if I’m practicing something new, but I hardly ever end up on the ground anymore.
The unicycle, on the other hand, hits the ground harder and more often than it ever did! Because I tend to push it away, either with a foot or with my hand pushing on the handle. So I can imagine it being a hard choice with a super nice unicycle… who should hit the ground? Me? My ride?
If those are the pedals you’re learning on, I agree that the pins are way too aggressive although the pedals are very pretty. You might consider getting some cheap, plastic platform pedals that you can move your feet around easily on while learning.
I actually haven’t hit my shins at all…yet. I always wear shin guards though. I don’t mind the falls. They’re usually slow motion and get recorded so I can laugh at myself later. I just wonder what the most common cause of UPDs is.
You should be able to reposition your feet while riding, either by having pedals with less agressiv pins or by getting control of your feet, which comes in handy also in an upd.
