Riding Beyond Limits

General
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So another ride, another fall…

Went out on a bike path today and missed a tree root. Hit the ground scraping both elbows, the knee I haven’t scraped up yet and jarred my shoulder. Then to add insult to injury rolled into a patch of nettles!

It’s becoming pretty clear I’m riding closer to my limits than I should be and yet this is what I used to consider easy riding I could do in the dark.

For some reason when I UPD, I’m sprawling every time rather than ending up standing. Am a lot heavier than I used to be which probably doesn’t help.

Does anyone have advice on how to recognise limits, stay within them and what to do to fall better.

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David Bowie: “Too much is never enough.”

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Sounds like some pads are needed for starters! If you buy quality pads that are correct fit then you will will almost forget your wearing them.

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Anything in particular you’d recommend. I had a set of KH leg armour (may still do but cannot find) and remember it was definitely noticeable - is there something better for just road riding where pedal strikes aren’t really a concern?

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I bought a pair of these to wear on road rides at speeds faster than running, and during muni on rides where I don’t want the bulk of KH leg armor (my #1 Municycle has Look GeoTrail pedals that are grippier than flat plastic pedals, but without tall sharp metal pins to gouge my shins. When I ride Muni with sharp metal pins, I wear KH leg Armour).

These particular Triple8 knee pads are very padded, but also hug the sides of my legs and knees better, so that they don’t get caught on or rub the frame of the unicycle.

They allow you to go straight to the ground on your knees like a skateboarder, if you have experience falling/sliding that way, and the padding absorbs the impact very well, to the point that the impact doesn’t even factor into my mind/memory, after the UPD.

https://a.co/d/aw1BXnZ

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I always wear knee protection and gloves, and sometimes elbow protection.
The gloves are KH fingerless with extra velcro sewn on so they can be secured looser at the wrists while still having decent hook and loop overlap - and so I can see my watch under them and the stiff bits of the wrist supports don’t randomly press my watch buttons.
The knee and elbow protection were at first both POC VPD Air, fairly lightweight and not too noticeable.
I later switched the knee pads to get something more protective - Ion K-Lite Zip. They are much quicker and more versatile to put on so more likely that I wear them (they most often go over trousers, but also grip well to me bare legs). I’ve found these to be really good - they’re expensive new but I picked up some used on ebay.
If you prefer not paying full price, in the UK it’s worth keeping an eye on what’s on sale through the Trisportsresort ebay shop, which seems to be the outlet for returns from Wiggle and some other big online sports gear stores - they put things up for auction and I’ve got cycle protection and other gear at very good prices.

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All the suggestions regarding protective gear seem like sound advice to me. As for the root cause - I’m only speculating, however, consider the following:

  1. Did you have a lapse (even momentary) of concentration and/or weren’t vigilantly looking ahead to read the terrain?

  2. Were you well-rested or could you have been feeling the slightest bit off (just not feeling 100% for riding that day)?

  3. As you point out, the extra weight you put on likely doesn’t help matters. It can surely make a person less nimble and spry and more inclined to wind up on their posterior after a UPD, as opposed to landing on their feet and not falling down.

  4. Some combination of 1, 2, 3 above.

Regarding:

I would recognize that limits can (and probably should) change all the time, due to changes in body weight, fitness level, how often you’ve been riding, and lots of other factors.

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Every time I ride I wear wrist guards (Dakine) and for muni and freewheel I wear knee/shin guards which are ixs cleaver which are expensive but I think they are worth it, I have chicken thin legs and I find they stay put without sliding down and comfortable, they are a pain to get on as I like them under combat trousers.

Regarding your falls are you new to riding unicycles ? Part of riding them is to learn when and how to get off them , don’t try to save the unicycle just drop it and get off safely yourself.

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Try to ride more defensively, not leaning your upper body too far forward. This is good when accelerating and riding at the limit, but it means you have to sprint faster to regain your center of gravity if you crash. 2. Only ride as fast as you can run.

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Thanks all,

I’ll order some pads later today. Probably leaning more towards enduro pads than hard pads at the moment.

Path was quite busy and I was probably paying more attention to the upcoming S-bend into a narrow boardwalk under a rail bridge than a tarmac path.

You’ve hit the nail on the head there. I’m currently covering leave and am starting work at 05:30 so have built up quite a sleep deficit!

yeah, not sure what is going on there… I think i’m recognising i’m falling too late which isn’t great. Should be putting more time into the 20 to help with this but wondering if my pedals are also a bit too grippy.

You may also be right here, I think i’m transitioning from thinking about everything riding to riding via instinct and muscle memory. It’s very possible I’m being overconfident or relying on old assumptions of how much power i have in reserve to recover.

Wish i was riding that fast again :smile: - mostly somewhere between 10 and 13mph which I’m pretty sure i can still run out.

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…but maybe not if you have to go “from 0 to 100” in a split second. That’s different to being able to run at a certain speed.
Thinking about it, maybe you can try to train UPDs in an environment that is as safe as possible: you covered in all the protectors you have riding on a hard court (though not really hard, thanks to the rubber) jumping off your uni running it out. Mount the uni, repeat everything, but this time ride a bit faster when jumping off. Tbis routine should enable you to gently approach and find your max speed that you can safely run out a UPD.

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One reminder…Hard pads slide, but should stay on your knee. Soft pads can grab the ground and let your knee slide out. That being said, the best protection I have found for pedal pin/shin strikes is the KH Leg Armour (or similar).

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The KH leg armour always starts spinning around my leg. I hardly use it

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For me, losing weight helped.
I’m 65, 6’ tall.

I had not ridden in 30+ years. Got a 24” Mountain Nimbus 3 seasons ago and weighed 220ish. I weighed 175ish in my teens when I rode all the time.

I was never big on trail ridding with my 24” Schwinn and standard street tire. I lived in Michigan suburbs which are flat, concrete, asphalt and dirt roads.

Dirt roads could be pretty challenging when not maintained and I cut through woods with dirt paths but the Schwinn was not good for going over large roots or anything of that nature.

Now, I have a 400’ long, uneven with minor slopes driveway in Vermont.

The stock saddle hurt my rear so much I got a Kris Holmes saddle which helped. I still got saddle sore fairly quickly.

I changed the peddles position for more power “ Adjustable cranks, Big Mistake!” { For Me}

Within a couple days, when I tried to mount it, the extra torque from moving the peddles that I had not gotten use to, shot the Uni behind me and I did a face plant. When I tried to catch myself I broke my pinky finger so bad, it required surgery to repair it. I can’t close it 100% to this day.

The following season I had problems with my eyes and didn’t ride it.

I told myself I wouldn’t ride it until I lost some weight, got a different tire & I was in better shape overall. The 3” Doro with its knobby tire is overkill for my needs and makes sharp pivots on a dime difficult at best.

I got new peddles without nubs as well. Its so much easier to reposition my feet when I mount it without them.

I weigh 190 now, that was the target weight I had in mind before I would ride again.

I’ve just started riding again and haven’t gotten saddle sore, I feel more in control. So far I’ve landed on my feet every dismount.

I have no doubt losing weight helped me.

We Uni riders navigate 360 degrees of motion, hinged on a single pivot point.

I have been using a treadmill 3 to 4 times a week as well. I used to hike a lot when I had a dog so now its convenient to use a treadmill for the same thing. Plus, I have a TV in front of it. I watch movies while walking. I rack up a few miles and get some cardio, burn some calories and keep my legs strong.

I fell hard and landed flat, entire body hitting the ground at the same time. 2 or 3 times I recall distinctly. When I weighed 220. Plus many clumsy dismounts that could have ended badly.

For me, at this point,. The 190 version of me seems to be better suited for riding than the 220 pound version and less prone to injury.

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I was there with you at 220 pounds and experiencing all the struggles of an overweight man trying to ride. Unicycling was an integral factor in my weight loss. At 175 pounds and 56 years old I’m riding better, further and faster than ever.

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Very interesting question. I’d suggest there may be two limits to pay attention to:

  1. Exhaustion. For me, injuries tend to happen when I’m tired and not really concentrating anymore. It’s important to recognize fatigue and adapt.
  2. Skill. You have to learn what terrain your current skill level can handle, so that you can choose what you want to ride on a given day. There is probably no progress without falling occasionally, but maybe it’s good to choose a section of tree roots that challenges you next to nice and soft piece of grass, not a cliff. (Exaggerating here a bit).

To a certain extend, hitting the ground with your whole body is probably good, because you are dissipating the energy of the fall well.

I don’t think there are super easy suggestions to make other than wearing your protective gear. Just try to pay attention to your limits, if you consciously take the risk of falling, choose a place that is as safe as possible to do so.

Over time your judgement will probably improve, as will your skill at falling without getting hurt.

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@Terry and @Bug72

Weight is definitely an issue for me, I’m currently around 230lbs (105kg). When I commuted daily, I was about 190lbs (85kg). I’d wanted to get down to 220lbs before I restarted riding but running doesn’t work for me (very flat feet) and I live in a relatively flat area. It’s the chicken and egg thing, lose weight to restart riding or restart riding to lose weight. I don’t really have much of a choice, if I don’t ride I’ll struggle to get the weight off and keep it off but can make better decisions as to where to ride and what condition I’m willing to ride in.

Fortunately I’m in my mid 30s so my body still bounces (mostly!). Still, I’m not going to be able to go out riding until my shoulder heals which feels like will be a couple of weeks at least.

@finnspin

I’ve got to get used to not being someone who commutes by unicycle with random other riding. At best now I’m an advanced learner rebuilding my abilities. This falls all the way back to spending more time riding around on a 20 and considering if shorter cranks are really right for me at this time…

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I’m a fellow flat footer… ouch, a day on flat feet can be quite painful and tiring. Two reasons I ride wearing Vans most of the time #1 my flat feet, #2:no shoe laces .

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This may seem strange responding to my own post but after a ride the other day in a new pair of new balance shoes I thought of another reason vans skate shoes are awesome unicycling shoes. The sole of the shoe does not mushroom out at the heal. Most athletic shoes these days have a sole that is large around the heal and hits my cranks. I find it hard to get my footing right with that type of shoe.

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I’m wearing Vans but i tuck the laces in to prevent them getting somewhere they shouldn’t. Never had that issue myself but saw it happen while learning.

Only problem is that the diamond pattern tread at the bottom is maybe a bit too grippy repositioning with hollow pinned pedals compared to 5.10s (curse you Adidas!).

Eventually want to move back to clipless so don’t really want to buy new pedals in the meantime.