I never saw the bit on the previous page(about riding a mile and a bit)… but Scott’s advice is spot on.
And taking the 24 to school or any other place that feels comfortable to just practice mounting and riding is sensible. I am actually doing that at the moment with my 29, just lost a bit of confidence with my mounting so doing a bit of slalom riding on the sports ground. No worries about getting stranded and not being able to get back on…
Cheers
Hello scott ttocs and krjames!
Thanks for your continuing support and advice!
James, what do you mean by slalom riding?
Sounds interesting. Is that something I should try?
Sounds like you are doing great to me!
If and when I can ever ride a 29" I’m going to find one of those world unicycle events and show up!!! 
And Jojoxie! Super!
I’ll be looking for that video.
Your idling sounds GREAT to me!
20! What makes you lose it after 20? It seems like after 20, it would be a piece of cake. But I’ve tried quite a bit and can’t get more than 3 back/front, back/front, back/front. Four maybe once.
Yes, do post a video. We would all love to see it!
Thanks Everyone!
I bought a set of plastic cones (150mm tall) and just put them in a line, there are 20 of them so it’s a long line… and just ride up and down. It’s good practice for turning/twisting, keeping the balance right and I try to hop turn at each end. Rarely successful so I have to remount in a stress free environment.
Because I ride on the local sports ground a lot, just about everybody who uses it in the morning is familiar with me and vice versa so I don’t feel like I am making a fool of myself in public (if you can understand that).
Regarding the 29, I rode a 24 for a year before I got it. And after 8 months I still sometimes have a mounting problem, ie more than one bungled mount per remount. Then I worry about not being able to get on when I am away from home. Riding it is in fact a breeze, it’s much more stable than the 24 and doesn’t feel any higher. Just seems higher when I am mounting… 
Cheers
James
Another old uni learner
Well, I got about 45’ today, along side a basketball fence. I wish it didn’t take me so long to get going, so I could try practicing at home. I have to get going by pushing along the fence, then sometimes I get it and am off. Today I got about 4 and a half panels before I fell off. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to learn to turn or hit the end of the court! I’m using my new 24" muni. It really doesn’t seem more difficult than the old 20" cyclepro I was using. I can feel the nobby tire more, but the comfort level of the muni seems to make up for it.
Hi James!
Great idea!
I’m going to have to find some of those myself.
My turning is not that great yet, but it is definitely getting better and more secure. I will keep my eye out for some of those fancy cones.
I ordered some of those Twisted PC pedals and 140mm cranks for the 24".
Now I have it at school so I can practice freemounting and idling without carrying the 20" from my car and up and down the stairs every day.
I am trying to practice in the afternoon around the 2 blocks by my house every day (on the 20"), but it is difficult due to daylight savings time. I get home around 4:00, and by 5:30 it’s dark. Nobody asked me if they could change when the sun sets around here. Oh well, Christmas vacation will be here in a couple of weeks. I hope the weather is dry and mild so I can seriously hit the streets again.
Hi Young at Heart!
45 feet is great!
May I make a suggestion?
Try to find a location, even in doors, with catch surfaces on either side of you. I learned to ride inside a classroom between two counters that were possibly as close together as 24 inches for a short distance.
You may be leaning more toward the fence than you realize, which may be why it’s taking a long time to get off of the fence. I’m reminded of imrisk over on NSYO’s The Learning Journal. I will try to find that and put a link here so you can read the related comments.
Another place that was very helpful to me was a walkway that has a wall on one side and a handrail on the other.
Just a suggestion. If you can get your balance side to side before you even try taking off, you might be able to ride immediately rather than having to try to get off of the fence.
But hey, 45 feet is really good!!!
If you have that much distance, I think you could get it going sooner by thinking more about that side to side balance rather than having a touch surface on only one side.
One other thing. You will probably hear people say to point yourself away from the fence, and just go. Still, you have to have the sideways balance to have the nerve to take off into the open.
Hope that helps Young at Heart!
Thanks for posting! and Keep up the good work!
Hi Young at Heart.
This (click here) is the page where the conversation about riding along the fence begins. Go down to post #521 and click the link at the bottom of that post. View the video, and then read the conversation that follows.
I don’t do links here very often, so I hope this works!!!
Hey imrisk, sorry to put a link to your video without asking you.
If you drop by here, let us know you’re okay!
Got away from the fence
Well, even though I like the safety of the fence, I managed to push off at the end of my practice session, and got about 60’. I even managed to steer a little. If I can just get a little more consistant, I 'll be able to practice in my neighbor’s paved driveway, which will make things a little easier, since I won’t have to drive to practice. Thanks for the advice. Joy
Hi Joy!
Sounds like you’re doing great! 60ft! You are “getting it”!
It won’t be long before you don’t think you need the fence at all.
If you have 2 cars parked next to each other in a garage or driveway, that’s a good way to get side to side balance before taking off. (Careful of the car. Maybe it shouldn’t be a brand new one). Don’t do what I did once. I caught my right foot on the car on the very first pedal, and down I went in a split second, spraining my ankle on the way down. I was sprawled all over the cement before I knew what happened.
You might try what DarthElevator suggested. Find a garbage can, or two. He used to ride around the neighborhood on garbage day, making use of the garbage cans. Well, he probably did that a time or two, because the next time around he was probably freemounting 90% of the time.
A quick learner if ever there was one! 
(Hi DarthElevator! We miss you here!)
Getting Better
Eventually got about 100 feet. Thought you might like this run.
I was actually trying to hit the pole. Thanks again to all who said to get away from the fence. I still need it to take off, but will start working on that too!
Yay Joy!
Looking GOOD!
Nice banjo background music too!
Way to go!
Hello Everyone!
Still making progress.
I didn’t get to practice after school every day this last week,
but today’s “ride around the neighborhood” showed progress.
Do you think I can call going around 2 blocks a couple of times “riding around the neighborhood”?
I think I shall.
I went around the 2 blocks two times in a row today.
That was not without stopping, but I did go half way around the 2 blocks without stopping at least twice.
Hopefully I will get a chance to practice again tomorrow.
The hardest part is just walking out the door to the driveway and strapping on all the gear. After that, it’s all good… even when I’m huffing and puffing, which happens less and less.
Thanks Everyone! 
Your suggestions, conversation, and encouragement help a whole lot!
Putting on gear
Hi 57Unirider.
I hide behind my front door to put my gear on…LOL
Well done on ‘riding round the neighbourhood’
Young at heart…just watched your video on ‘you tube’.
You’re doing very well, coming along great guns!
I might add, I find riding a 24" uni with a wide tyre requires a lot more effort than riding a 20" uni with a narrower tyre …so well done you!
regards,
Elaine
Fun!
Hi Everyone!
Well, I can’t help posting again.
My brother and his wife are here from Kentucky.
Last week’s efforts were, in part, practice for “showing off” for them this weekend.
Just now I put all the gear on and rode out of my driveway… made four corners (counting going out of the driveway and turning right).
Almost as soon as I was down the street just a way, a little girl started running back to her house yelling, "KEVIN… KEVIN!!! IT’S THE UNICYCLE!!! KEVIN!!! Over and over at the top of her lungs. I passed their house, and her Mom and Dad were in the yard. I smiled, waved big, shouted, “Y’all made my day!” and continued on around the corner going faster than usual… with a big smile on my face.
I made it all the way to the corner of the last street… at the other end of which my brother and sister-in-law sat watching me as I dismounted to catch my breath. (My mother’s house is right at the end of that street, caddy cornered across the street from my house). So I freemounted the thing and rode right toward my brother all the way down at the other end of the street. When I got there, he said, “I would have been impressed if you had just gotten on and ridden a few feet. You didn’t have to ride all the way around the block!”
Pumped Up FUN!!
I think this is the most fun I’ve had yet!
The little girl yelling “Here comes the unicycle!,” and proving to my brother I could do it… all in one ride.
BTW, my brother remembers well when I was trying to ride the unicycle I had when I was something like 12. It was the one thing I attempted that I didn’t conquer when I was a kid. My family has reminded of that many times over the last 40 or so years.
I’ve just about GOT IT Now!
I haven’t had that much fun in forever!
Guess I’ve just about conquered the thing… 40 years later!
Woop! Woop!
Great to perform well in front of a crowd!
Nice run with the little kid calling out. I’m sure I would have fallen. Keep it up, you’re giving me motivation!
Wow, 57UniRider, looks like you’ve did a good job impressing everyone
I remember that you talked about having a uni partner to practice, with, how did that turn out?
Great ride!
You are doing really great 57UniCycle, congratulations!
Greetings
Byc
Hello LoneReaction and byc!
Pleased to see you here byc! I was just reading your “Hi There” thread. When I read about the 50" uni I thought it surely must have been a typo, but no! That’s pretty insane! Welcome to the forum!
LoneReaction, my friend did get the uni, but she is evidently having a more difficult time getting down the road on it than anticipated. We have not gotten together yet. She is very busy, but I hope we will soon be riding buddies.
How is your ankle? And how is that 36" coming along? Your video looked GREAT!
Hi Joy!
Thanks! I’m happy you are here!
You are doing great!!!.. and on a 24"!!!
Hey Alucard!
About that gear. I’m not concerned about putting it on in front of other people. It just takes so long to get it all on. I want to just grab the uni, hop on, an go!
BTW, I do like the KH shin guards now, but they take forever to strap on. Do you put the velcro under that little loop over the knees. That part is more time consuming than anything else.
Happy Riding Everyone!
Velcro
Morning 57Unirider,
I’ve got the KH Shinknee guards, I’ve got metal pins in my pedals so the guards protect me when I fall off and get my legs stuck.They also give me confidence especially when freemounting, because I know it won’t hurt if I fluff.
I do thread the velcro straps through the holes, that way if for any reason the velcro comes undo, they won’t ping off and get caught in my wheels.
Make sure you pat the velcro down nice and neat so it adheres fully.
It is worth the extra time knowing you are not going to come undone.
Elaine
I have been resting for the last 4 weeks (and was studying for exams). The exams are over, but it seems that my ankle still has problems. It started to click softly when I walk, and I think it’s the 2 peroneal tendons slide across each other. My chiropractor told me that I have a weak ankle. It’s super depressing, I am advised to rest for a few more weeks and not even bicycle. I will be trying to get a referral for an MRI either from government clinics or my school clinic, it is really expensive otherwise.
Ooohhh LoneReaction!
No good! I feel for you!!!
Heck. You just got that nice 36" and posted that FABULOUS video!
I hope you heal faster than that doctor thinks you might.
In the meantime, I will be sending positive vibes in your direction.
Really sorry to hear your ankle is still giving you trouble!!!
Hey, Alucard!
Thanks for the advice!!!
All you had to say was the part about the velcro getting into the wheel!!!
I will forever use the little loop now.
Same for shoestrings. I read about that problem and haven’t worn shoe laces since! I wear slip on Merrels. I’ve not heard anyone else talk about slip-ons. That is probably not a good idea for the heavy-duty stuff, but slip-ons are working great for me right now.
Thanks Alucard! No velcro in the wheel for me!!!