It’s not that difficult. You should keep the seat between your legs, not hold it with your hand(s). It the seat is appropriatly high, you only raise a short distance from it, and it will not drop or twist or anything.
But that’s seat drag and not standing up while riding. That is a level 9 trick in the IUF rules - Well, I’m at level 2 and trying to make the 180 degrees turns within 1 meter (one of the level 3 tricks) - and now after two years I can do it occassionaly.
See, Sanne says it’s possible too. I think your comparison with idling is way off, it’s significantly easier. I did it for the first time without even thinking about it when I was at about the same stage as Alucard, 10 min uninterrupted rides. I had an old style KH/Axiom seat which was like a marshmallow, very comfy for the first 3 minutes, but it cut off circulation pretty bad.
If you guys think it would help I could take a video to show that it’s possible. Looking from the 3rd person It probably wouldn’t look like much though.
I find riding standing up a bit awkward but nothing more. For what it’s worth I do hold on to the handle when I stand.
Was practicing rolling hops last week, could go about 30 cm but is was fun, even managed to stay on a few times.
But had a hard weekend and haven’t even been out this week
Ah, pine fresh, are you offering to make a video to show how to lift ones bum off the seat? That would be really good of you. I tried the other day, after your suggesting it, but the only thing that happened was I kept stopping pedalling. Like 57Unirider say, I’ve spent so long willing my bum to stay in the seat, it now doesn’t want to leave it.
You are sitting to hard on the seat, which makes it harder to rotate your hips as you ride, which makes maintaining balance more difficult.
Think about how you balance a bike versus a unicycle:
On a bike you can change the lean of the bike by turning the bars (countersteer) but on a unicycle you turn/lean the seat to change the angle of the frame; there is no real countersteer. New learners try to use their arms and knees to lean the uni, but this is not as effective as leaning the seat. The more firmly planted you are on the seat, the more likely you’ll get stuck in a lean, then only a huge amount of arm waving will change the lean :o
The idea of getting off the seat and standing while pedaling is the right idea, but as a newer rider it seems outrageous, so instead think about unweighting he seat and putting more weight on the pedals. This is a gradual process, since you are now going to split your weight between three parts of the uni. It helps if you know how to ride while holding onto the grab handle.
If you can learn how to redistribute your weight, this will lead to better control, and the ability to manage obstacles such as stairs, roots, mud, any sort of rough terrain.
It’s a hard skill to learn, so tips:
Hopping a bunch will help with being comfortable out of the seat since you can’t really hop from your seat. Try switching back and forth from pedaling to hopping, this can help keep you light on your seat.
Dropping your seat and trying to ride while squeezing the seat between your thighs, all the while holding onto the grab handle with your dominant hand. This might be easier if you try this will riding up a hill, sorta like you would do when learning to ride out of the seat on a bike; a little resistance helps keep things stable.
I will try that. I didn’t realise it was possible to sit too hard in the seat. I see what you mean though, now you point it out. Maybe that’s part of the reason my turning is so bad.
I hopped the other week for a few goes and I really thought I’d got it. But, for the next few days after my arm really ached, so much so that it put me off practicing, so I guess I was doing something wrong.
Which is better to practice hoping on, because I have a choice ( and I need all the help I can get )
20" x 1.75" wheel,
19" x 2.5" wheel or
24" x 3"wheel
Ta in advance,
Alucard
Hi All…After several bad days of no to negative results, I got back to normal and got a little further distance. My husband has gotten better while I stagnated, and has gotten freemounts more often now. He is using the hold the tire method and it seems to be working for him. He is goimg to work more on right turns, as they give him a problem. I’m going to try freemounting next time out, with him as a catcher, as I took a tumble the other day. Had an impact more psychological than physical. Good you read all your posts, as they keep me going when it gets discouraging. Silly things drive me crazy though, such as riding through a pile of sand, feeling the wheel slip a bit, keeping my balance and then after the danger is past, doing a upd! Keep posting, I’ll keep practicing.
It took me ages to ride through sand and keep my balance! Well done you.
Keep at it. Someone on here said that they learn something new with every session, I agree with that comment.
Sorry it took so long, a combination of being busy and poor weather delayed me. I was a bit wobbly, the 20" felt strange after riding the 29er exclusively for the past two and a half months. Anyway to point form it:
-push up almost evenly with both feet, trying to step on one pedal at a time will make you lurch side to side, probably making you upd.
-try to make circles with your feet on the pedals rather than choppy up and down motions.
-the seat will push against your thighs from side to side as you pedal, this is good and makes it much easier than trying to ride with the seat completely out from under you
-you can try grabbing the seat and seeing if it helps, in the video I had to grab it for a second since it was sliding out due to the very low seat height and angle of the seat.
-to start with just try it for a second, I went long just to try and demonstrate.
Thanks for that pinefresh
That is really kind of you to do that, to show us how it’s done.
I admit I saw your post and straight away I clicked on to watch the vid. I watched you go all that distance off the seat and thought ‘cripes’ ’ I can’t do that’, so I’m glad you suggest we only try for a second to begin with.
(then I read your instructions )
ooh! all that space between your bum and the seat. I know you say the seat was low, I might start like that, then I’ll feel the difference straightaway, and put my seat back to usual position as I get more experianced.
Have any of you checked out the Relentles By Fate tutorials? All the ones I’ve seen seem well laid out and easy to fallow for someone who doesn’t have clue of how to do _____.
This one seems like it might particularly help some of you.
I hate it when I smoothly clear a challenging bit, only to UPD after it smooths out
- Well, I’m at level 2 and trying to make the 180 degrees turns within 1 meter (one of the level 3 tricks) - and now after two years I can do it occassionaly.
I think your comparison with idling is way off, it’s significantly easier. I did it for the first time without even thinking about it when I was at about the same stage as Alucard, 10 min uninterrupted rides. I had an old style KH/Axiom seat which was like a marshmallow, very comfy for the first 3 minutes, but it cut off circulation pretty bad.
I tried the other day, after your suggesting it, but the only thing that happened was I kept stopping pedalling. Like 
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