>I recently bought a used unicycle from a local ‘antique’ store. They seemed
>amazed that someone would actually buy it. I have always been intrigued by
>unicycles and have hankered after one since I was a kid.
>
>My initial attempts at riding have been hanging onto the lamp post outside
my house with white knuckles, while questioning if I still have any
motor skills.
Welcome to the world of unicycling. If you have access to the FAQ, there’s a lot
of information in there on how to learn. An ultra-brief description:
-
Make sure it fits you. Raise the seat as high as possible, or until your legs are nearly straight with pedals at the bottom (of course your feet don't need to be able to reach the ground while the frame is upright . . .) Many unicycles don't come with enough seat post for the average adult to fit them. If you have a Schwinn, it probably has a 9" post. You can get a longer one, or uni. parts of any kind, not from Schwinn, but from the Unicycle Factory, in Kokomo, Indiana. Call Tom Miller (317) 452-2692. He has the parts, your dealer probably does not. -
Don't try to ride away from your place of support. Instead of a lamp post, use a wall, fence, or (someone else's) car. Don't try to ride away until you are completely bored with holding on, and can ride very well while holding. Some people learn in a matter of hours, other take a few weeks. The key thing is to never give up!
If you need advice, feel free to call me (before 11:00pm) any day.
>My wife suggested that I run away and join the circus to learn, but I suspect
>she has an ulterior motive.
You think your wife is having an affair? I don’t know if it’s appropriate to
share that information with strangers . . .
>On a more serious note, I am fascinated by all things uni, bi and tricycular.
>I’m president of a local recumbent bicycle club and participate in human
>powered vehicle events as often as I can.
I’m a former recumbent owner myself. I sold it a couple of years ago (didn’t fit
well in car or garage) to a guy in California. It was a cheap model, from De
Felice, but I miss it anyway.
Where are you? I take it from your area code you’re in the L.A. area. I’m
looking for fellow unicyclists in California because I’ve just moved out here. I
live in Rocklin, which is on I-80 northeast of Sacramento. Let me know if you’d
be interested in coming to a unicycle convention if it were held up here (not in
the near future).
Stay on top! John Foss, President International Unicycling Federation
unifoss@cerfnet.com
(3) 624-4417