Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

General
1

I’ve been lurking here for a while, but now I think I have a good question for
all you unicyclists. I’m not myself a unicyclist (yet … due to no $$, but have
been infected with it through observing a good friend over the past year or
so.), so this may be a dumb question, but here goes …

How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or visual
reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or what?

I’m curious because at one time (not too long ago) I was also a student pilot
(also on hold due to no $$). In one lesson, after putting on the “hood” to
restrict my view outside the cockpit (for the “simulated instrument” lesson), I
was asked to close my eyes, tip my head downward, and tell the instructor what I
thought he was doing. At first it was easy, we were in straight and level
flight; then I felt the plane begin to descend and turn to the left. A minute or
so later, we leveled off, then began a right turn, and then a bit of a climb.
Finally, we were back in straight and level flight. Then I was told to open my
eyes and remove the hood. Turns out we were in a gently descending left turn the
whole time, with just a few bumps put it there. Turns out that without the
visual reference, I really had no idea what we were doing, which is why if you
ever fly into clouds or fog, you need to learn to trust those instruments. Your
other senses can easily deceive you.

So how is it on one wheel? Has anyone tried riding blindfolded? How was it?

Now that I’ve asked my question, I think I’ll return to my lurking, and see if
anyone has a good answer …

Thanks!!

Jim

2

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

>How do you keep your balance on a unicycle?

You keep moving. The goal in unicycling is to keep the wheel underneath you. You
do this by constantly moving the wheel and by constantly making changes in
pedaling speed. When you start to fall forwards you pedal faster to get the
wheel to catch up with you. When you start to fall backwards you pedal slower so
you catch back up with the wheel. Once you are moving, quick little twists of
the hip (and some waving arms) will keep you from falling to the left or right.

That is a much easier task than trying to delicately balance yourself over a
wobbly wheel.

How do you know when you’re beginning to get out of the balance envelope and
need to make a correction? It’s mostly by feel, the same way that you feel you
are getting off balance when doing any other activity. I’m sure that the inner
ear also plays a part, but mostly I think it’s feel. When you’re riding smoothly
(like on a big wheel Coker) you can feel it all in the pedals and that’s all the
sensory input you need.

john_childs@hotmail.com

Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

3

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

I would guess it’s a combination of inner ear/balance, feel and muscle memory
(like playing an instrument or driving) but don’t know how much part vision
plays. I think I’ll have a go blindfolded this afternoon and see what happens.
If you hear nothing from me, my next of kin usually checks this mailbox daily.

I too was once a student pilot, though they never made me do this test. My
worst day was when I actually switched off the fuel line in flight instead
of simulating it. Bit of a basic error. At least the altitude isn’t quite so
bad on a uni.

Jed Nichols

P.S. lurking is very bad for the knees.

At 22:43 28/06/99 -0500, James Short wrote:
>
>How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or visual
>reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or what?
>
>I’m curious because at one time (not too long ago) I was also a student pilot
>(also on hold due to no $$). In one lesson, after putting on the “hood” to
>restrict my view outside the cockpit (for the “simulated instrument” lesson), I
>was asked to close my eyes, tip my head downward, and tell the instructor what
>I thought he was doing. At first it was easy, we were in straight and level
>flight; then I felt the plane begin to descend and turn to the left. A minute
>or so later, we leveled off, then began a right turn, and then a bit of a
>climb. Finally, we were back in straight and level flight. Then I was told to
>open my eyes and remove the hood. Turns out we were in a gently descending left
>turn the whole time, with just a few bumps put it there. Turns out that without
>the visual reference, I really had no idea what we were doing, which is why if
>you ever fly into clouds or fog, you need to learn to trust those instruments.
>Your other senses can easily deceive you.
>
>So how is it on one wheel? Has anyone tried riding blindfolded? How was it?
>
>Now that I’ve asked my question, I think I’ll return to my lurking, and see if
>anyone has a good answer …
>
>Thanks!!
>
>Jim
>

4

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

> How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or
visual
> reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or what?

That’s an interesting question. There’s another just like it: How do you keep
your balance while walking?

I believe the same part of your brain controls balance during both activities
and I think it combines a variety of inputs from various parts of the body.

Certainly vision helps, but I don’t think it’s necessary (unless you want to
avoid running into things). Vision is probably more necessary when you are
learning than it is after your skills improve (i.e. your brain is properly
trained to use the other inputs it gets).

I expect that the inner ear helps sense change in movement. Your flight
experience shows that it can be fooled and needs to be calibrated with other
inputs though.

I have learned that feel is important. I can tell by feel if my center of
gravity is ahead of the axle (which means I need to pedal faster) or if it’s
behind the axle (which means I need to pedal slower). Most of this feel comes
through the seat (which is obvious when you think about
it).

Jim

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what
you don’t.

5

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

At 10:43 PM 6/28/99 -0500, you wrote:

>
>So how is it on one wheel? Has anyone tried riding blindfolded? How was it?
>
>Jim
>

My kids and I occasionally ride with eyes closed. We use a pair of tennis
courts. One person watches to warn if the blind rider gets too close to the
fence or net.

The balancing seems only slightly harder than with eyes open. It is hard to
estimate your location after riding for many seconds.

Jock Young

This message produced with 100% post consumer recycled electrons.

6

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

James Short wrote:

> How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or visual
> reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or what?
>

I have been able to ride on a smooth, predictable surface (a tennis court or an
asphalt parking lot) with my eyes closed without any great difficulty. However,
for me the visual input is extremely important while riding on trails. I am
constantly reading the trail 2 to 5 meters ahead and subconsciously making
countless adjustments to the position of the wheel relative to the center of
mass, speed and size of the obstacle to be cleared. The most frequent reason
for me experiencing an unintended dismount (fall) is a bump or obstacle that I
hadn’t noticed and so didn’t make the adjustments needed to clear the object.
The bump can often be very small, something I would have easily cleared if I
had been aware of it. If I am going slowly I might have enough time to adjust,
but usually I am riding fast enough that and once I have felt the bump it is
too late to make adjustments. Areas where mixed shadows and unblocked light
under trees make irregularities in the trail hard to see are especially
difficult for me.

John Hooten

7

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

When you are flying you are moving through 3 dimensions. The airplane flies
due to lift generated by the wings. Your body is reacting to gravity as well
as centrifugal forces generated by this lift. If your instrtuctor had the
airspace he could have flown the plane inverted and dove toward the ground,
your body would have experienced the same feelings as if you were in level
flight and climbing.

Because you only ride in 2 dimensions, although some of you have probably ridden
in at least 5 or 6, down will always be down and up will always be up. Your
inner ear would play a large part in the balancing in only 2 dimensions, while
it is entirely useless when flying or moving in 3 dimensions whilst blindfolded.

8

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

If there were no obsticles, I could ride just as good with eyes closed as with
them open. But Im afraid I could get so relaxed and the risk for a fall
increases I’m sure. No spills yet!

For me , feeling the weight on the pedals is what its all about. Automation from
practice. It must be subconcious. I wouldnt consider myself to have better
balance than any average joe

chris

James Short <james_short@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:7l9fds$j76$1@nntp1.atl.mindspring.net…
> I’ve been lurking here for a while, but now I think I have a good question for
> all you unicyclists. I’m not myself a unicyclist (yet … due to no
$$,
> but have been infected with it through observing a good friend over the
past
> year or so.), so this may be a dumb question, but here goes …
>
> How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or visual
> reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or what?
>
> I’m curious because at one time (not too long ago) I was also a student pilot
> (also on hold due to no $$). In one lesson, after putting on the “hood” to
> restrict my view outside the cockpit (for the “simulated instrument” lesson),
> I was asked to close my eyes, tip my head downward,
and
> tell the instructor what I thought he was doing. At first it was easy, we were
> in straight and level flight; then I felt the plane begin to descend and turn
> to the left. A minute or so later, we leveled off, then began a right turn,
> and then a bit of a climb. Finally, we were back in straight
and
> level flight. Then I was told to open my eyes and remove the hood. Turns
out
> we were in a gently descending left turn the whole time, with just a few bumps
> put it there. Turns out that without the visual reference, I really had no
> idea what we were doing, which is why if you ever fly into clouds
or
> fog, you need to learn to trust those instruments. Your other senses can
> easily deceive you.
>
> So how is it on one wheel? Has anyone tried riding blindfolded? How was
it?
>
> Now that I’ve asked my question, I think I’ll return to my lurking, and
see
> if anyone has a good answer …
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jim

9

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

Well James… Owing to the responses that you got it wasn’t such a dumb question
was it? :slight_smile:

As to the fellow posing the question about riding backwards I wonder how easily
the mind could get used to riding backwards while looking into rearview mirrors
(as what are available that attach to helmets). Would it be easier then looking
over your shoulders constantly.

Christopher Grove (also a lurker, waiting to buy his first Uni)

PS… hehe maybe I should learn to crawl first eh!? :wink:

James Short wrote:

> I’ve been lurking here for a while, but now I think I have a good question for
> all you unicyclists. I’m not myself a unicyclist (yet … due to no $$, but
> have been infected with it through observing a good friend over the past year
> or so.), so this may be a dumb question, but here goes …
>
> How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or visual
> reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or
> what?..

10

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

My advice is have a go and do your own research :slight_smile:

I have this evening re-learnt the knack after an absence of ten years (I was
barely able to ride when I quit). Of course I am very unstable, but one
evening’s practice is worth a hundred comments from experienced riders. My
spectacular falls seemed to go down well anyway.

Arnold the Aardvark

http://www.foxholly.demon.co.uk ICQ# 30592054

11

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? That’s a very good question.
Apparently good unicyclists are using their God-given talents to ride (which
means they have the ability to sense/feel things like their center of balance
easily). In terms of research into the question of what it takes to ride a
unicycle easily, there is a well- documented account contained in an 1981 book
titled How to Cure Hyperactivity by Anita Uhl Brothers, M.D., et. al where it’s
reported that a FDA approved medicine called Bonine temporarily improved the
ability to do things like ride a unicycle easily as the medicine somehow
temporarily improved the ability to balance a little. The book is available
through the national library system. Hyperactivity is an older term for
ADHD/ADD. The book by Dr. Brothers, M.D., of Berkeley, California, et al.
discusses ideas like distractibility, short attention span, paying attention,
concentration, the inner ear, hearing, balance, sensory perception, motor
movement, memory, and dyslexia. It’s the most reliable account I know which
directly addresses the idea of the balance needed to ride a unicycle or
pogostick successfully (especially for those who find the idea almost
unimaginable). Good balance is also needed to work one’s way around a sailboat
easily in a brisk wind. The ideas of unicycles, pogosticks, sailboats, planes
(flying), and roller coasters are all inner connected it seems to me.

          In article &lt;7l9fds$j76$1@nntp1.atl.mindspring.net&gt;,
           "James Short" &lt;james_short@mindspring.com&gt; wrote:

> I’ve been lurking here for a while, but now I think I have a good
question
> for all you unicyclists. I’m not myself a unicyclist (yet … due to
no $$,
> but have been infected with it through observing a good friend over
the past
> year or so.), so this may be a dumb question, but here goes …
>
> How do you keep your balance on a unicycle? Is it through sight or
visual
> reference, inner ear sense, feel, combination, or what?
>
> I’m curious because at one time (not too long ago) I was also a
student
> pilot (also on hold due to no $$). In one lesson, after putting on the “hood”
> to restrict my view outside the cockpit (for the “simulated instrument”
> lesson), I was asked to close my eyes, tip my head
downward, and
> tell the instructor what I thought he was doing. At first it was
easy, we
> were in straight and level flight; then I felt the plane begin to
descend
> and turn to the left. A minute or so later, we leveled off, then
began a
> right turn, and then a bit of a climb. Finally, we were back in
straight and
> level flight. Then I was told to open my eyes and remove the hood.
Turns out
> we were in a gently descending left turn the whole time, with just a
few
> bumps put it there. Turns out that without the visual reference, I
really
> had no idea what we were doing, which is why if you ever fly into
clouds or
> fog, you need to learn to trust those instruments. Your other senses
can
> easily deceive you.
>
> So how is it on one wheel? Has anyone tried riding blindfolded? How
was it?
>
> Now that I’ve asked my question, I think I’ll return to my lurking,
and see
> if anyone has a good answer …
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Jim
>

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what
you don’t.

12

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

=> I believe the same part of your brain controls balance during both
> activities and I think it combines a variety of inputs from various parts of
> the body.

    You hit it right on - the cerebellum controls motor skills such as
    balance and hitting a baseball. However, if you remove vision from a
    person who isn't blind, vertigo will come into play. Ever go on a
    rollercoaster through a tunnel with many turns? Maybe you go into it in
    a right turn and come out of it in a left turn - you won't know unless
    there are visual ques.

–
Justin Maas
57.1 Hours Dual

13

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

My son’s first trick after he learned to unicycle was riding with his eyes
closed. He was VERY proud of inventing it himself! On our first ride anywhere
beyond our street, we were riding side by side and he slowly just rode into me
and fell over. I asked what he was doing and he said, “A new trick, riding with
my eyes closed!” I laughed so hard I crashed.

And I agree with Jock - besides running into things, it’s not difficult. How
about a “Blind slow race”?

—Nathan

Jock Young <youngwis@eburg.com> wrote:
> At 10:43 PM 6/28/99 -0500, you wrote:
>>
> >So how is it on one wheel? Has anyone tried riding blindfolded? How was
it?
> >
> >Jim
>
> My kids and I occasionally ride with eyes closed. We use a pair of tennis
> courts. One person watches to warn if the blind rider gets too close to
the
> fence or net.
>
> The balancing seems only slightly harder than with eyes open. It is hard
to
> estimate your location after riding for many seconds.
>
> Jock Young

14

RE: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

> I would guess it’s a combination of inner ear/balance, feel and muscle
> memory (like playing an instrument or driving) but don’t know how much part
> vision plays.

For all of you out there who haven’t read THE UNICYCLE BOOK or THE COMPLETE BOOK
OF UNICYCLING by Jack Wiley, a blind Long Islander named John Lizza learned to
ride in the late 60’s, at around age 40. Other blind persons have learned to
ride as well.

You can get the Complet Book from the Unicycling Society of America:
http://www.unicycling.org/usa/

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone

jfoss@unicycling.com http://www.unicycling.com

15

Re: Unicycling and Balance (and Flying)

c_thomas_wild@my-deja.com wrote:
> Good balance is also needed to work one’s way around a sailboat easily in a
> brisk wind. The ideas of unicycles, pogosticks, sailboats, planes (flying),
> and roller coasters are all inner connected it seems to me.
>

Balance is not a necessary trait in flying. While a good unicyclist can
probably remain mounted with his eyes closed, it’s been demonstrated, even by
very coordinated blind people, that it won’t suffice for keeping an airplane
right side up.