This is quite possibly the best new thing I’ve ever learned how to do in my life!
I’ve had my uni (Torker LX 24) since February with nowhere to ride it (too much snow and too small apartment) But the weather is nice now and I’ve started to learn. Today was my second practice session and I can make it a couple hundred feet without bailing at this point… I’m tired and sunburnt, but I have a permagrin on that was previously only induced by those ever-so-rare eastern ski powder days!
Anyway, my question- I seem to be bailing out at the end of my runs right now mostly from leg fatigue and the resultant loss of fine motor control- I have the impression that I’m not getting my weight down on the seat enough or that even if I’m starting out that way, maybe I’m coming up off the seat a bit as I get going. This might be causing the premature fatigue.
Also- it is so cool to have something like unicycling in the back of your mind for a couple of years, then finally decide to get a uni, then discover that there is this huge group of people out there already doing it and taking it so far so fast. I’ve enjoyed checking out all the photos and videos over the last few months. You have a new convert!
Your impression makes a lot of sense. Do work at keeping your weight on the seat. This and time will minimize the leg fatigue and you’ll be able to ride much further than you currently can.
Nice post…very cool to see the positive energy on learning to ride. I remember that permagrin when I got all the way around my block w/o falling, and it was still there this past weekend as I was falling all over the Slickrock Trail.
JJuggle is right…time and practice will take care of the fatigue, but paying attention to keeping your weight on the seat is a good first step.
Welcome to the sport and the forum. Look forward to hearing about your progress.
I’ve been uniing about 17 months now and I still have that permagrin. Unicycling just doesn’t seem to get old for me, maybe because I’m always learning new things. I dreamed about unicycling for several years before starting, and it’s actually a lot better than I expected. Welcome!
On Wed, 6 Apr 2005 21:58:26 -0500, “mboulanger” wrote:
>Anyway, my question- I seem to be bailing out at the end of my runs
>right now mostly from leg fatigue and the resultant loss of fine motor
>control- I have the impression that I’m not getting my weight down on
>the seat enough or that even if I’m starting out that way, maybe I’m
>coming up off the seat a bit as I get going. This might be causing the
>premature fatigue.
That’s exactly it. The natural tendency in beginners is that their
legs are ‘fighting each other’ in keeping balance. Being conscious
about putting more weight on the seat will help. (Some have suggested
to imagine that there is an egg between each foot and the pedal -
don’t crush it.) Besides that, putting time in helps, because your
legs will ‘learn’ that there is no use in fighting each other, as they
have a common task called ‘staying within the balance envelope’.
>Also- it is so cool to have something like unicycling in the back of
>your mind for a couple of years
How did it get there?
>You have a new convert!
Welcome!
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
“When it comes to the family jewels, you won’t be having fun until they’re having fun. - Jake D”
Thanks a lot, guys. I think the idea about my feet/legs"fighting each other" is exactly what’s going on. I’m sure it will get better as I get more steady and build up more muscle memory. For now, I’ll focus on keeping my weight on the seat throughout the length of each ride.
As to the question about why/how unicycling was in the back of my mind for a couple of years- I’ve always been into stuff that involves balance- skiing, snowboarding, skimboarding, vew-do board, longboard skateboard, windsurfing, etc. I threw a uni up on my amazon wish list a couple years ago- glad nobody ever got it for me- I think it was a pretty cruddy one. Anyway, this christmas, my mom joked about how nobody ever got me the uni off the list. I started thinking about it and how I wanted something new to try once the snow melted.
On another aside, once I moved back up to VT this fall to go to law school- I met a neighbor/classmate who worked at a bike shop in NYC and we started talking bikes. We started talking about single-speeds and track bikes and for a while I was obsessed with the idea of getting a vintage track bike or a brand new single speed mtn bike from surly or IRO- I still might some day but the cash just isn’t there right now. Anyway, I started think about pedaling smoothly and reducing things down to their bare elements- so when the uni idea popped back into my head around the beginning of the year, it was a natural fit and I took the plunge.
Unicycling just doesn’t seem to get old for me, maybe because I’m always learning new things. I dreamed about unicycling for several years before starting, and it’s actually a lot better than I expected. Welcome!