I can clear two steps up pretty comfortably, but I can’t get any higher. Is the weight of my unicycle and type (12 pound freestyle nimbus 2) the main reason I can’t jump as high as I’d like or is it just that I have a bad technique. I’ve been watching a lot of videos that make my jumping look pretty puny. I want to at least be able to jump straight on to a bench without a crank stall in between.
Any tips?
Practice jumping SIF so you can tuck.
And sorry to say it is your technique and not your uni that is preventing you from getting height. On the brightside, that means that oyu don’t have to spend extra money on a new uni 
Just practice, practice, practice and your height will gradually increase
Is that you and your uni on the “Skate park Unicycling Session” Youtube video?
I t looks like you have a fairly low volume tire, a big tire makes a fairly big difference.
There are a lot of people out there jumping pretty high while doing it “in seat”, so it’s definitely possible. You just have to practice. A lot of it is timing with your movement, the best thing is to do it over and over to get your muscles to learn it. It doesn’t have to be high at first, that will come as your technique gets better.
I’m certainly no expert, but this is the stuff that helps me get better.
It’s cool I asked a question, and you answered it thanks. Practice is always the answer to everything, I guess, I’ll definately practice seat in front.
Yeah that is me in that video, that isn’t the wheel I normally used though but the same frame, my nimbus wheelset had a stuck crank on it during that time. It is a freestyle unicycle so it doesn’t have a wide tire(if you meant big as in wide). I’m not really a bad unicyclist, I can 180 down five stairs, I have my muscles broken in(I think), I just can’t jump super high seat in.
I guess I’ll just practice seat in front, because ultimately that will supply me with higher jumps.
Imagine hitting yourself in the face with your tire, not bending down to touch it. Seriously, once i figured that out, i could hop much higher SI. The tuck is SUPER important. Also, i dont see why a freestyle uni would hinder you significantly.
While we’re close to the subject, what tire pressure is recommended for getting height? I’ve found a balance in pressure to allow me to take drops without getting tossed off the uni when landing but I question whether it’s the best pressure to use when hopping.
Yeah, I meant a higher volume tire when I said “big”. I know you are a good rider, but even if you could slide a rail down a 20 set your muscles may not be conditioned properly for jumping up. Leg strength is a factor, everything I’ve read about increasing jump height says increasing leg strength will help. Practice jumping (not on your uni), doing wall sits, getting your legs stronger. Switching to SIF is probably the quickest way improve though.
Like in the air kind of swing it forward?
I would like to know as well I usually ride with in the lower five of the tire’s suggested psi, I feel like it gives me more bounce, but I’d like to hear a pretty good jumpers opinion. I also when clearing gaps or steps sideways just lean in to the jump instead of using the prehop method.
I don’t know how much psi I should use, I usually ride within the lower five of the suggested psi on the tire (I weigh only 125). I ran cross country for three years, but I probably could use some more leg muscles considering I can’t jump as high as I’d like. Will practicing seat in front jumping help me with seat in hoping?
Yeah, check out
Dan does mostly SI hops, on the really high ones he pushes the wheel forwards, kind of makes a “C” with his body and uni to pull it up a bit. Good video to watch for inspiration.
There is definitely a sweet spot where you get the most bounce, you definitely want it at the low end. In my trials tire I run about 20 lbs, but I weigh 210. You don’t want your tire folding upon landing, but you want it close to that. Right before you hop you have to preload your tire by pushing down, then hop up with the rebound from your tire.
I think any improvement in hopping, be it SI or SIF will help. Some is technique, some is confidence. I know I can hop higher than what I hop up onto. I’m old and scared of banging myself up, so I don’t push it very hard.
It’s definitely technique. Without your uni, you can jump on the bench pretty easily holding 12 lbs, right? You’re losing power when you hop with the uni. I’m in the same boat. I’m hoping to figure it out over time as I practice.
I understand the technique now thanks to the video, I remember watching that clip in defect back in the day, it’s been pretty rainy here the last couple of day’s so I haven’t practiced it as much as I wanted to.
Wow that’s a great video. Never seen that before.
Hugo Duguay, who’s on the forums here, made a really good rolling hop tutorial:
