It has been well over 15 years since I've ridden a unicycle.
Maybe It’s a mid-life thing but, I just ordered a new H.D 48 spoke Torker and, hope to re-live the enjoyment of unicycling.
I have a few questions though…
Can you forget how to ride?, or… is it like a bike, where once learned, it’s a permanent ability.
I’ve seen some reviews on the Torker… but does the "heavy duty’ aspect of this new Torker live up to it’s name?
Thanks in advance for any replies.
P.S after reading this forum for the last week or so, I am so pumped, to get back on the wheel.
I use to be able to free mount, conquer small hills, idle for about 10 - 20 seconds. ( basically just enough where I could say I could ride )
Now I just hope I can get away from the fence post again
The brown truck should have my uni here by Friday… I just can’t wait… it’s killing me.
All I can do for now is scan the forums, and visualize me doing some tricked out stunts on my ride
Someone i know stoped unicycling about 4 years ago, my friend and i ran into him while out riding one day. He had a go on my friends unicycle for the first 3 or 4 atempts he didn’t get very far, then once he got over the inital shock of being back on one wheel he was off and there was no stoping him. His girlfriend made some sort of comment about not knowing all the things he was into.
I don’t know much about the torker but lots of people seem to like it.
BUT before you get back on one wheel invest in a copy of Universe just so you can see how unicycling has progressed since you last got on one. It will also be good because you can see what you will be able to do with a bit (countless hours) of practice.
Welcome back to the wonderful world of Uni! Even if you can’t ride right away, I’m sure you will still have loads of fun - and that’s what it’s all about.
As for the uni you ordered. I wouldn’t call it Heavy Duty, I managed to break mine in three months. But it is by far the best uni for the money. When I broke mine, it was doing something it obviously wasn’t meant to do. For normal riding it should be fine. Just don’t expect to do any massive jumps or drops.
This is a great question. I’ve never stopped riding, so I can’t provide personal testament. I’m wondering if it is at all like juggling. Juggling is kind of a combo between “riding a bike” and “playing an instrument”. Once you have the basic 3 ball pattern solid, you cannot forget it, even in the unlikely case you stopped doing it for years and years. At the same time, almost any trick beyond the basic pattern is better compared to playing an instrument. If you don’t practice regularly, the skills fall off pretty quickly.
I could envision being able to ride again quickly after a long interuption, but would theorize that more advanced skills like hopping, idling, and of course side-riding would drop off pretty quickly.
This is a thread just born for some John Foss participation…not that he’s ever stopped riding.
I can’t believe how much unicycling has progressed!!!
When I was riding my Norco 15 years ago, i didn’t know of any videos, or chris holms’ etc. There were no muni’s then i’m sure of that
it was me and my fence for what seemed an eternity before i could ride. Then one day I went out and it just happened out of the blue. I left the safety of the fence and just did it.
I went from wobbling along the fence line, to a full out cruise. i went around the block like 3-4 times and didn’t want to stop, just incase i couldn’t do it again. :0)
now there’s a scad of uni manufactures, and all you guys are one footing, wheel walking, coasting, muni-ing…1001 ways to mount… it just blows my mind.
Anyway, I’m just happy to see this full fledged sport , and I’m looking forward to getting in shape and just proving to all the nay sayers ( including my wife I might add) that I can ride. Who knows I’ll maybe even attept muni-ing in a couple months.
First Stop after I assemble my Torker, i’m off to get a skid lid and shin savers… i still remember the agonizing pain of the peddle in the shins and constant burning of the inner thighs.
QUOTE]Originally posted by daino149 As for the [stealth Torker]. I wouldn’t call it Heavy Duty, I managed to break mine in three months. … Just don’t expect to do any massive jumps or drops.
[/QUOTE]
Daniel, I’d be curious how much (ab)use the torker took before you broke it; that is, what kind of riding were you doing?
Also, what kind of tire did you use on it? What pressure?
Basically, I’m wondering if I can do some light MUni on it (probably max 2ft drops VERY RARELY, and, I ‘only’ weight 150lbs).
I’m curious as to what causes a person to quit unicycling for 17 years. I mean sure, you could break something and be out of commision for a while, but 17 years is a helluva long time…unless you were married and the wife didn’t like it…hmm, i’m getting married in a month, good thing my fiancee likes to ride too.
I am one who also didn’t ride for about 18 years. At the time I stopped riding I could do a basic freemount, barely idle and that’s it.
I think mostly my stopping had to do with being in college and discovering new things. Things like heavy drinking, smoking, asteroids and entirely novel ways for women to reject me. (No, the first three have absolutely nothing to do with the last).
As for returning to unicycling, it’s just like riding, well, a unicycle; you never forget. Do be prepared for your exhuberance to get the better of you and to take a few falls that are less than elegant.
I have never seen or heard of a person who rode unicycles in the past who could not get going again within a few minutes, no matter how many years later. I think about 25 years is the longest I’ve experienced (not me, people I’ve met). I remember one time on a trail in Santa Cruz, we ran into some bikers and one said he hadn’t ridden in about 20 years. He got going on the third try, on dirt!
Like many physical skills we learn in our lives, if you do it enough, it becomes ingrained pretty deeply. If you’ve learned to ride a unicycle without really having to think about it, this means you’ve got it pretty well programmed into your brain and body. You will presumably remember how to do it as long as your body is able to go through the motions.
People who could only barely ride, then stopped for many years, might not pick up where they left off, because they had not worn the skill down to the unconscious level like those that rode for many accumulated hours.
A new customer came to my shop the day I got my Wilder. I hadn’t even ridden it yet, and when he saw it his eyes lit up and he said “can I try it?”. Before I could say NO, he had hopped on and begun riding around my shop between machines, workbenches, and all kinds of pointy things. He made a full loop and came back, backed up 3 revolutions, dismounted and caught the seat. I was impressed, and relieved. He was 50 years old and said he had not ridden since he was 18! I have been trying to get him into muni ever since, but he says his wife won’t let him have another hobby. He is, or maybe was, an avid surfer. Another good balance sport, I suppose.
Another time I was at the park getting ready to ride when a police officer saw me and started asking me about muni. He said he rode when he was a kid and asked to try it. He mounted on about the second try. It had been 20 years or so for him. He rode all the way around the large parking lot and rode through the big group of bike patrol trainees he was there with. You should have heard the reaction from all his buddies.
There have been a few others, but these were the most fun.
I am super shocked to say that my wife signed for the package I recieved today… My Torker!!!, i didn’t expect to get it this early… I was surprised at how little i had to assemble.
The tire even had like 5lbs of pressure in it … they must have tested it…
Anyway after pumping in some air… I balanced between two of our trucks and just sat on the muni for a minute… just slightly rocking back and forth. I pushed off and away I went… at least four - five revolutions… then suavly dismounted. (wink wink)
tried again… went much further even turned around and came back. i made a few adjustments to the seat… and I was rockin’.
I can’t believe I can still do it… I’t wasn’t smooth , lacked alot of finesse… but it’s coming back. I have a nice smooth ashphalt track in front of my house, so i’ll get lots of practice in.
tried a few hills, but thats just not happening right now, my gut is at least 50lbs front heavy
anyway sorry to babble , but i’m just so pumped…
thanks again… it’s pretty cool having people to share the experience with… even if it is electronically ( for now )
Are you shocked that it showed up, or that she accepted the delivery?
Good job on the riding, we knew you could do it! Stick with it, you have some catching up to do. I hope it is as good for you as it has been for me.
I am super shocked to say that my wife signed for the package I recieved today… My Torker!!!,
Are you shocked that it showed up, or that she accepted the delivery?
Uuhh… good point … I was shocked that it came in so soon… but now that you picked up on my lack of detail in my post
I’am surprised she signed for it…and paid the 50$ for the duty tax…
I tried another ride tonight… and realzed how much better shape I was in and how much more energy i had @ 15… hehhehe… this is gonna be a blast and I’ll get back in shape in the process.
dont ever apologise for babbling, without members sharing, this forum would be a dull and dreary place
not to mention pretty empty
i recently worked at a rugby match and while walking to where we would work, passed a group of supporters of the out-of-town team
i mention that because they’ve had the opportunity to start drinking waaay earlier than most
as we walked past, i heard a commotion and one guy shouting that he could ride that …
writing it off to dutch-bravado, i kept walking untill he ran up to us and asked, in an alcohol breath that made me REAL glad i’d quit smoking, if he could have a go
i was slightly reluctant because of the fact that he was rather obviously drunk
by then his friends had started gathering around and i figured it would be more difficult to get away from that situation than to try n help him not hurt himself
he must’ve been well into a fifties and while i was still laying my raffie down, he hopped onto the 20", succeeding with his third freemount, and rode off, quite steadily thank u very much,
rode around for a while without spilling a drop from the glass he was drinking his brandy and coke from and dismounted quite neatly
he taught himself to ride as a kid and had last ridden around 22 years ago
)