Turning

This is more like a rant post. =/

Annoys me that I can only turn left but I can’t turn right. It seems instinctive to swing my right leg (main leg) to the left. But I cannot generate enough power from my left leg to swing to the right.

I guess I need to practice more.

thats interesting, as soon as i could ride i could turn…

We should ride together. Turning left has been my challenge, we’d equal out.

Actually, I could always turn left, just not sharply. Meanwhile, my son, much lighter than me, could fairly easily make a 90 degree corner on the same unicycle. I don’t know if the weight has anything to do with it or not, though.

But yeat, just keep at it and it’ll get better. I can make my left turns good enough for most purposes now, still would have trouble staying on a narrow sidewalk at a corner, but I don’t do that anyway.

I could only turn left for almost a month of off an on riding, It is fairly normal.

One day you will realize that you just turned right and it was easy. Until then it is fairly annoying but part of the learning process for some of us lucky lopsided people.

Yeah, I was talking about 90 degree turns. Those where the “tyres scratch the floor” as opposed to slanting to one side.

Are you right-legged or left-legged?

I am all round right side dominant.

Maybe that’s the problem?

You should be learning to turn by twisting your arms towards where you want to turn (therefore facing your shoulders there), which in turn twists your hips. Is this what you meant, or are you actually trying to turn with your legs? If you have most of your weight on the saddle, then the way I just described is how you’re meant to do it. (swing arms/twist shoulders/hips/in turn the uni).

Oh.

I shall try this when I get home tonight. Somehow the swinging the right leg to the left was instinctive, I play a lot of soccer, and it’s how I usually throw my weight when I swing the leg.

Thanks for the tip.

Watch the movie Zoolander. If he can figure out how to turn left, you can figure out how to turn right. :smiley:

damn you beat me to the zoolander joke!

Tried it a bit last night, shoulder thing couldn’t work. Maybe I’m not turning it enough. I had to jerk / swing my upper body to somehow get the unicycle to turn, didn’t really look pretty. =/

On the bright side, my freemounts are getting more consistent now! Enjoying that part of the unicycling!

i just lean. seems to work for me.

Don’t worry about it, one day you will be able to turn both ways and you will wonder how it happened.

It will come with time.

Try this exercise

Place some pilons/cones on the ground spread evenly apart. Think of it as an obstacle course that you’re going to weave through.

Mount your uni and try weaving through the to course.

This teaches the art of counter steering which is similar on a motorcycle and bicycle.

What happens is this (It comes quite naturaly so we don’t even notice it)

  1. Our weight is shifted to the opposite direction of the turn. This causes the unicycle, bicycle, motorcycle to begin to lean in the direction of the turn.
  2. Increase pedal speed and lean into turn (Slightly) Back can almost become straight, but it will feel weird.
  3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 for each pilon.

It takes time, but you alternative it the arms trying to twist your body to force a turn. This looks awkward and throws off your natural balance.

Most of us have a favorite side to turn on. I beleive its due to our dominant/stronger leg.

Good luck

It’s easier to initiate a turn when that pedal is down. So when you’re riding along and your right crank get’s to the point of being horizontal and forward, turn to the right as you push it down.

there is a movie where one of the people have the same problem.

something about not being an ambiturner. ambiturntrex or something…

yeah, make my post about that.

I seemed to be able to turn both ways when i was learning but i experienced seeing my frend practice turning rite but yer it just takes practice.

God I love you. Best advice ever.

Tried it last night, can’t do 90 degree turns, will need more practice for that, but I went a huge big circle turning right, awesome.

Thanks man.