I’m 62 and learned to ride in 1971. I’ve had a wheel off and on over the years (always 24s) and got one about three years ago. I’ve also had a 36, but sold it and got a 29. I only get a chance to ride about once a week, but really enjoy it.
I found it really useful to work out what to do with hands as well. My solution: grab the front of the seat and pull it forward with one hand, then grab the side of the seat back with the other hand. So you swap hands on the seat as you change to SIF and only momentarily have no balancing arm free. Worked for me.
I tried that two days ago, but I think it has to be lowered more than “a bit” 
Best regards,
Sanne
Blame it on the equipment
My old Miyata seat consistently got stuck between my legs trying to pull it to SIF. The seat is very comfortable but has a wide back, hence the reason it kept getting stuck. Had to get way up on my toes and knees far apart. Hard to do all the time when in the middle of a group routine.
After replacing the Miyata with a KH Slim saddle the transition to SIF is much easier.
Holy crap! Being an old fart (50 now) unicycle rider is rare enough. But then finding somebody with the EXACT same reason to start unicycling seems madness.
Ok. It wasn’t my second motorcycle. Let’s just call it my latest motorcycle acquisition, a BMW R1200GS. Same thing: top heavy as hell and intimidated the heck out of me. Especially when things got a bit loose (I started motorcycling relatively late in my life too and also had never ridden off road). So more balance needed. Then I remembered my daughter fooling around with a neighbor’s unicycle many years ago and that seemed to click. Bought my first learner uni less than a year ago and I’m now riding every day. Not big distances, but I’m riding. And it’s a great way to switch off whatever else is going on in my life. When I’m riding, there’s just the unicycle, nature and me.
Lately I’ve been getting some funny looks when riding to work with a big ass umbrella due to the heavy rains (ok. maybe not heavy for you Pacific Northwesterners, but a lot of rain for us down here in the Bay Area). I also started some light muni on the Nimbus 29, but the hills are still killing me. I hope by the time summer comes around I’ll be doing much better off road. Other goals I’m still working on: Being able to go down a curb without going down 
And you guys are right: One thing I love about getting older is that I give less about what people think about me: Old guy on unicycle with a backpack and an umbrella in the hand, flailing with the other hand to keep balanced and some blinking lights mounted to the seatpost to be seen in the dark must look funny. But who cares?
Merry Christmas and happy riding!
Doesn’t feel top heavy anymore:
Really? Five years ago I was still young and needed training wheels
Hello to you all…
I’ve been enjoying the forum for months now, but this is my first post. I learned to ride in 1971 on a thrown away unicycle with a small, hard tricycle wheel. My parents bought me a 24" Wards Riverside for Christmas that year, and I spent a lot of time on it until 1974 when I got my driver’s license.
This year, at 55, I realized that I could get a good cardio and core workout while enjoying this fun, lighthearted, and rather unique flashback to my youth.
I bought a 26" Nimbus II in July, got my meniscus tear fixed in August, and have been working up to 6 to 10 mile rides two or three times a week. Great fun!
I’m impressed at the improvements in the unicycles, and AMAZED at the skills I see some of you exhibit.
Here’s hoping we can all enjoy this for many years to come.
Happy New Year to you all.
Whereabouts metro Detroit are you? I was originally from a town called Berkley. Learned to ride back there in 71 too!
I grew up in East Detroit (now called Eastpointe), lived in St. Clair Shores, then moved to Warren.
I was in charge of the recruiting area there: east detroit, warren, roseville, royal oak… from 92-96. Still have family in ferndale.
You got the best hand weather wise! I’m sure you don’t miss our winters!
Roots
I too grew up in that metro Detroit scene. Called Ferndale home but went to high school in Madison Heights. My brother lives in Royal Oak. Parents, another brother, and sister live near Lansing and Ann Arbor.
I don’t ever wish I lived there still. Oregon is one perfect paradise for muni riding. I did live near Santa Cruz in the 90’s. Some of the most beautiful trails in the country which I do miss.
I do admire the beautiful scenery out west, it must be a treat to ride there. My best rides here are in the Metroparks. We have quite a few converted rail beds here now and I hope to explore some of them.
Just had to share: changed my glasses today and went for a ride on my 36. When I was mounting, my bifocals seemed to have a different focal point and I lost my balance! The next attempt was fine. While I was riding, every time I looked down, I started to lose my balance. Looking straight ahead was fine. Have any of you ever had aging problems like this?? Getting older stinks! Ha!
Yes! I used for a long time my old “unifocal” glasses when riding, because the lower part of the bifocal glasses have the focus in reading distance, and then I could not see the ground clearly. That was really distracting/confusing. But now I just use the bifocals. It’s a question of getting used to them.
Best regards,
Sanne
Sort of. I got new glasses and had to get progressive lenses this time. It takes some getting used to. No issues mostly (once getting past the learning curve) ; not even riding, but when I’m up on the wheel, I feel really tall when I’m wearing them. I don’t mind feeling taller than normal; maybe it is even correct, but I wear my old glasses for riding to avoid messing the new ones up, so when I feel “too tall”, it is my signal to go back inside and change my glasses because I’ve got the wrong ones on.
My new prescription is progressive for the purpose of seeing things up close. That’s not much of an issue for riding, so if your case is like mine, maybe it would help if you get a second pair (cheap or otherwise) with just the distance part of the prescription (not bifocal). Alternately, it may just be a matter of training your brain to cope with the new optical situation. Sanne.Kj’s comment backs that up. I don’t want to train my brain thus because if I do, I’ll lose the aforementioned ability to know I’m wearing the wrong specs for riding.
Oh well, my mistake. My glasses are with progressive lenses too (not bifocal, I’m not so used to the English terms.) So my experiences are with progressive lenses.
Best regards,
Sanne
I too meant progressive. It is not that I can’t ride with these, it is just the glass has the focal area different from the glasses I usually wear. Just thought it was kind of a humorous thing that happens to us “mature” individuals with waning eyesight! Anything thing else “age unique” you have found you have run into??
It takes a LOT longer to build up muscle strength and stamina than a decade or two ago. Also takes a lot longer to learn new skills. Now that I think about it, this could be a pretty long list!