Unicycling after 50

Hopefully that will change soon.
So how did you find your way onto here?

:100:

I’m truly impressed by the different methods to fall that are presented in this thread. In my case it’s mostly a case of “Oh, I’m sitting/lying on the ground whereas a blink of the eye ago I was happily riding my unicycle. What happened?”
Honestly, things often happen so fast that I don’t have the chance to take any active measures - I’m usually the passenger, not the pilot.
A couple days ago a buddy hinted at some dust that was on the back of my shoulder. I replied by thanking him for pointing this out, and by mentioning that I fell twice while municycling. His disbelief was quite amusing :laughing:. But looking back, I hope that the dust is prove that I did the roll presented in the video above - in such a fast and natural way that even I didn’t notice it :slight_smile: .

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For me it’s a matter of training my brain with similar experiences. I was a skateboarder a million years ago and I trained in American Kenpo. I know a little bit about how my body handles falls (the good and the bad). In a higher speed fall there’s usually a moment, as the fall starts, when I can guide what’s about a happen but the rest of the fall is on auto-pilot - executing the slide, or a roll, or a cartwheel (only did that once, have never been able to do one on demand). It’s mostly instinctual behavior my brain has learned based on how well my previous falls have prepared me for this one.

The most important prep is putting on all the pads before the ride starts of course :slight_smile:

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That is pretty much it, though I sometimes catch the seat unless it is fast. Knowing when to step off is important, though I couldn’t tell you where in the cycle I do it.

I hear horror stories of riders getting bitten by the pedal pins during dismounts but I only experienced pedal whacks in the very early stages. It hasn’t happened since I advanced to unicycles with pinned pedals.

In my early days I had a couple of incidents where I stayed on too long, didn’t get clear and the unicycle ran into the back of my leg, with my left ankle ending up between the crank and the spokes. Unfortunately that space is considerably narrower than my ankle, especially the width my ankle quickly became afterwards.

The first one was the worst on a 20 with straight cranks. The second was on a KH 26 with Moment cranks that flared out so there was a little bit more room.

After that I got some high ankle shoes and made sure to get off before I really lost control.

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I have had some bad UPDs in the past but fortunately they have been few and far between over the past few years. This year I have had only one that had me hit the ground. It happened so fast, I was on a trail I ride all of the time and was smoothly riding at around 7 miles and hour on my 29er. I believe I became fixated on a group of people walking towards me and missed a rut in the path that took my wheel to the right unexpectedly, I tried to compensate but it was to late, I went down and my hands hit first, thanks to my killer 8 wrist guards I was not harmed except for my pride. The on coming walkers were concerned for me, which I responded “ I’m ok, it happens, not often but it happens” I have to admit I do not know how to fall properly and to be honest I don’t see how it is possible to react quickly when you are going down and you have but a split second to react. I mostly have gone down arms / hand first as that is what my body does. I have been very fortunate. In order to train your brain to roll instead of sticking your arms out you need repetitive training which I have never done and honestly it seems like something you need to do in a gym with a mat and someone to teach / assist you.

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I must say, for a second I considered to UPD more in order to train falls. But by doing so, they wouldn’t be UPDs anymore, so that’s not really a plan :wink:

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In all seriousness: after recovering from knee surgery, my wife came out for a jog while I took my 36er for a test ride and I told her “I’m going to fall now, don’t be surprised”. I did it to check that I still felt comfortable falling off before I went out for any real rides. More “Planned Fall” than UPD but still, not too far off


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in my experience doing a shoulder roll is nothing explicity linked to special purposes. It is a sort of reflex action that executes automatically. I guess the only way to train is to do lots and lots of shoulder rolls.

I attended Judo as a child and there we did shoulder rolls in every training. This became so automatic that even now 50 years later the program is still active. And it is in fact the only helpful skill i learned there. And i guess it often saved me from injuries in my younger days. I had one UPD with the uni where i rolled over. Normally i can just let the uni go and stay on my feet because i am not fast, very cautious and leave the uni quickly. The drawback of leaving quick/soon in case of danger, is that it very often results in failed attempts e.g. to master a part of a trail.

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same for me: I learned that practising Aïkido (55 years ago) and still manages to train (practising Taï Jitsu)
 But sometimes the fall is so sudden that I have no time to roll over
 crash!

I’ve finally managed my first yike ride since turning 50. Two years after turning 50!

4.2 miles on the 29er, mostly along the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, then a 1.8 mile walk along the riverside path, before rejoining the railway path and riding 5.3 miles home.

I was expecting to ride alone, but when I invited my son he was keen, so I had company.

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@Bug72 still riding @ 58 whenever I get the opportunity.. I still like to challenge myself and learn new skill’s. A few issues with my feet and legs which makes walking uncomfortable and running very difficult, regular uni riding usually helps, and is much lower impact, so I can still exercise and stay trim.

It does not stop me riding muni, but I dont do anything to extreme and I always wear safety gear, just because I dont heal so fast and dont bounce so well anymore.

The hypershell exo has really helped regain leg strength and really opens up a few opportunities, I might not normally take on.

Uni riding is excellent for mind and body, so I will keep going as long as my legs can keep turning the pedals.

I do miss group rides, but trying to keep up with riders 20-30 years younger, aint happening anymore. So I content myself with what I can manage and enjoy, whilst still learning and pushing myself.

I learnt to ride a free wheel flick flock uni @55, just to prove I could ride it and coast, and that I did, It took 3 years hard work, but I did it

I have a friend at 66, still riding muni and strong as an ox :rofl: never too young.

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and the dog never walked further away than the length of the line? And thereby pulling you out of balance?

MUNI in Salzburg

After a longer time with very few unicycling I started MUNI again


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The important part is you are still there and out riding. Keep at it!

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It looks like you ride really good on very diverse terrains.

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Yes as long as the terrain is not too steep or too much rocks i can do.
I earlier days we were always a small group riding together, so it was more fun and riding with the young generation keeps also young :slightly_smiling_face: .
Here are some of my Videos:

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I can post this one also, because I was after 50 :rofl:
And it was one of the best tours with so many riders

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You can post videos of before 50 riding. I think it shows inspiration to continue riding after 50 and maybe more importantly to restarting. We have a lot of riders restarting after many years of not riding.

Love the videos.

:rofl: no I can’t because I startet unicycling with 50

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