For what it’s worth, I think you will be fine if you just keep try to ride further because it’s a practice thing more than a ‘thinking’ thing. But yes it is a bit like riding uphill until you get the feel for it. Perhaps once you can ride non stop for 15 or 20 minutes(that’s 3 km at the most at my current pace , start trying to spend time riding on grass or unsealed footpaths, as you get a greater sense of control you will indeed relax more on the nice smooth surfaces
Cheers
James
ps; of course as you get to put more weight on the seat you might change your opinion of how good your seat really is
Thanks, when I searched unicycling my goal was to get a 36er, it was worth the work to finally be able to get one and ride it, I have every confidence you will you be doing the same if that is the direction you go as a rider, once again welcome and very glad you joined the unicycling world
Allow me to disagree with you about riding on grass. I find it rather hard to learn riding on grass. It’s too bumpy, which slows you down, and at the same time the grass makes the surface a bit slippery. The best thing for a beginner is a wooden floor indoors (sportshall floor) in my opinion. - As my oldest son, a skilled unicyclist, said: “The best surface to ride on is also the hardest to fall on…”
A warning now, do remember that advice for when you come back here to ask us about learning to turn.
It starts with looking in the direction you want to turn, SLIGHTLY increasing the pressure of the down-pedal on the side you wish to turn to, and the rest is a simple flick of the hips.
Dave (GILD), I’ve been riding for eight years and I still don’t know how I turn. I do it, of course. I just don’t know how it works.
Looking alone does not initiate a turn. Thank God for that! Because I like to look around and enjoy the scenery as I ride. But looking with the desire to turn somehow initiates a process. And yes, it has to do with pedal pressure, hips, and also leaning. The leaning is optional, I think, but is the key to a smooth, graceful, sweeping turn. A lean causes the tire to contact the road differently. Pedals and hips are all you need, though. But I still don’t fully understand how it works, LOL. (i.e., sit in a swivel chair with your feet up off the floor – now swivel your hips – you do not turn!)
Hehe, I figured as much, though I still haven’t quite mastered it. You know the more I learn the more I think that riding a unicycle has more in common with riding a horse than riding a bicycle!
Most of the horses I’ve ridden (obviously being a UK rider I’m riding english, specifically dressage usually) have been trained to respond to weight, and shifting your weight starts with looking in the right place
But then I seem to find a way to always draw a parallel between horse riding and every other activity I do lol
The single finest description of learning how to turn was posted on this site.
Sadly I cannot remember the poster, else I would credit him/her.
Basically the advice was:
“Ride straight at a wall.
Don’t hit it.
Now do whatever you did to not hit the wall again and you’ve learnt how to turn.”
I think Occam likes that.
Yeah, maybe, but how many wheels on a swivel chair?
Bad example Uni57, bad example.
Aye, especially the “keep your weight on the seat/saddle” bit
It just means that we now have a uni-rider who is also a dressage rider so it might be a good time to draw attention back to my suggestion of “unicycle dressage”.
It doesn’t have anything to do with the continuation of this thread, just a brief little tangent.
Actually, I got confused and thought I was responding on the Learning Journal in that last post when I asked the “stupid question” and said to keep the post going.
However, I have gotten a whole lot out of this post as well…
…so what does it mean to bump the post?
Guess I may have to start another post with an updated question.
Sorry for the confusion! Thanks for all the great help!!
It looks like a cool idea but I agree with the other posters in that it is possibly for more beginners like myself, I think more advanced unicyclists are probably happier with freestyle.
Unicycle jousting is fun though
Threads will stay active for about a month. If you look at the bottom of the threads listing, where it says “New Thread” on the left, over to the right is a pages listing. Right now there are four pages of threads, and the last one is March 25th, so about a month. When no one posts in that thread for a month, they fall off the active list, and you basically have to remember a particular thread, or search for a key word to bring up an archived thread. You can also be subscribed to a thread that is archived, and keep it “alive” for yourself.
To bring a thread current, you just have to post a new reply. Sometimes, just the word “bump” is used in the reply. It bumps the post back to the top of the first page, and shows you have an interest in keeping the discussion alive.
, start trying to spend time riding on grass or unsealed footpaths, as you get a greater sense of control you will indeed relax more on the nice smooth surfaces 
