After a couple of days of riding my 3-wheeler around, I decided to take of the bottom wheel and start learning the 2-wheeler. I went out to the street where the lamp post stands across the road. I always use that to get up on my giraffe unicycles. I was accompanied by my Dad and my friend.
Getting on the “thing” was very hard and I needed my dad to help get me up. Once I was up, I was down in an instant. After my friend and my Dad left, I had to work out how to get on myself. I figured I had to put pressure on the front pedal, not the back because if you pedal backwards, you go forwards. So once I was up, I started practicing-- or you could say, falling off and getting no where. I practiced for about 30-45 minutes and I did not get even one CM, I got no-where! That is how hard it is! It is nothing compared to unicyicling, it is so much harder, the hardest physical activity I’ve tried in my life. 30% of the time i was falling off even though I was holding onto the lamp post. When I tried to go forwards, it was like I was glued to one spot so when I pedaled, the unicycle would go forward, but I wouldn’t so I fall strait off.
It game me rub marks on my arms from “using” the post so much. It also gave me a muscle work out. But I tell you it is so hard, I won’t quit I will keep practicing. This could take a looooooooooong time…I was threatining the 2-wheeled unicycle that I will chuck it into a volcano. and I was punching the lamp post, asking if for a fight.
It took me a few hours to learn to ride one and the first hour or so felt like I was making not much progress at all. Keep persisting! It takes a while for your body to figure out what to do.
I found that eventually things started to click and I got the hang of it, at least until whenever I started thinking about what I was doing (at which point I would promptly fall off). Your natural instincts developed riding a normal unicycle will cause you to fall off much faster than normal. This is because the corrections you instinctively use cause the wheel to go in the wrong direction and you’ll hit the ground faster. Protective gear might be a good idea to help with your confidence.
One of the key things that helped when I was learning was a nice tall fence with a rail at a very convenient height for clinging onto. This enabled me to work along the rail, holding on for dear life with both hands. If you do this, you will at least be able to work on getting some forward motion.
I will see what I can find to use to support myself instead of a lamp post but I dont think there is much around. Thanks for the advice. It feels so hard though! I should ajust to it soon. Should I lean forward?
A long wall at about the same height of your arm will do. I told u so, ha, but stick with it. You need to switch your brain, so don’t talk or verbalise to anyone, just keep learning in your head and reverse your thinking. I am sure you can do it.
Mal
Take your brain out, turn it around backwards, put it back in. Then the unicycle is a piece of cake but walking will suck.
Find a sidewalk next to a fence (how I learned) or a tennis court with grippable fencing, or similar. All you can do with a post is go in tight little circles.
I mean, all you have to do is turn your seat around backwards, pedal forwards and use a mirror to see where you are going.
Actually, if an evil person was building unicycles, this would surely be a favored design. I have never tried one of those things, but I can feel your pain just looking at it.
I have never tried the 3 wheeled ones either. My guess, is it’s harder to ride then the single wheel chain things. There would be more friction, and all the performers I knew used the chain setup.
People like weird looking unicycles though. My friend Bounce had a very showy zig zag tall uni, with a bunch of chains and sprockets, custom made for show. Heavy and sloppy, but Dr Suess cool.
Hey yeah, I know Bounce. Great guy. Also got my KH MUni from Bike Island per your suggestion. Terrific deal… Thing rides like a truck, so fun.
Sooo to stay within the thread, keep up the three-wheeled workout and remember that nothing worth doing comes as quickly as one would like. Else everyone would do it!!!
But what does the passerby know or care about unicycle riding? I tried to find a picture but no luck. The zig- zag giraffe was an eye magnet. I wasn’t into uni riding then, but they told me it sucked to ride, 30 lbs, lot’s of chains. But they used it a lot because the crowd loved it. It was really beautiful, like Dr Suess in real life. Awesome really.
I got a picture of the zigzag unicycle but I dont know how to get it on here from my computer.
Anyway, My brain has finally got the message and I;m more controlled. Although I have only ridden 2 revolutions max, I feel better and will have it down soon.
It will come unnaturally. The key to riding a reverse-drive unicycle is being able to suppress your reflexes. Every time they get through, BLAM! dismount. I think you already know this…
Your avatar makes it increasingly tempting to just select"block images from unicyclist.com"
-but most of the navigation links/controls are images:o
Gilby? Could you put some text under the images so we can still use the links if we save you bandwidth by blocking your images:p ?
Come on. You know you want to…
