Hey fellas just thought i would get some feedback from unicyclists on a DT project i am doing for my year 12 major design oroject.
basically the system is kinda be a modified version of those old person walking frames. im gunna extend it, widen the wheels up so you dont keep kicking the frame, put rotating wheels on it (posibly with some form of brakes) an im also gunna make little pads to rest your for arm on for support an handles to hold on to.
I can unicycle reasonably well (by my standards, not yours :)), but i want to try to get my friends to be able to, as much as i enjoy watching them fail and hurt themselves.
Sounds a lilttle squirlley to me. there’s a circus routine where the performer rised two unis, one with a seat one one with handlebars. I read its actually quite difficult to do, would your project have that feel to it?
I liked to learn with something more secure to lean on. My son is learning in my hall way, braces against both walls, then one, a corner, then he’s off!!
How about make it an architecture project and design a unicycling environment!
Good luck! SOunds like a fun project and if it increases uni-awareness more power to ya!
most people here would not reccommend a training wheel system, as it only hinders getting the feel for balance.
Not to discourage you from your project at all! It’s a good idea, and if it appealed to non-riders to get them to learn, then power to it! There are already many ideas out for unicycle training wheels though, so do some research. You may get some good ideas and stuff from previous designs.
oh yeah yeah i thought bhout the whole balance thing, an thats why i think im gunna make it so that u can lower the whole thing so that u have to actually kinda lean over if u need something to lean on, or if u are really in trouble.
An the problem bout having something sturdy? thats why im trying to work out some way of having brakes for it, so you can have a sturdy object when u are starting or off balance, yet able to roll when u are on the move.
thanks for the feedback guys, it will help heaps. what other systems are there? ive had a look but i could find any that werent just bicycles, apart from some really shitty patents…
Tom Miller has a 2 wheeled unicycle. The wheels are just a couple of inches apart. I helped teach a boy to ride a unicycle in an afternoon. He started on the 2 wheel and when he got is front to back balance, started on a 1 wheel.
An older version of this, owned by Al Hemminger, has the wheels about six inches apart. A great learning tool for unicyclists, I even have a picture of Mrs. Hemminger sitting on it. She never learned to ride. I highly recommend trying one of those for your project. The nerdly name for it is “dicycle.”
Using support devices in front of the rider leads to bad riding posture. The riders seem to end up with a bent-forward riding posture and have a much harder time overcoming the bad posture than people who learned by other means. Lowering the handle level on your “walker” would make this worse.
Build a dicycle. Here’s a picture of a basic one. This was the prototype of the fancier one Tom Miller made later on. It was assembled from two basic Japanese 70’s unicycles. the same could probably be done with two unicycles with Torker-style bearing holders. On this “budget” version there’s nothing to keep the wheels together, so there is a tendency for the cranks to both end up at the bottom. You’d have to correct this to make it a good training uni.
Are the Hemingers you refer too related to Scott Hemminger? I grew up with him and a year ago when I saw him in town, I learned he’s a unicyclist. I let him ride my Coker and he let me ride his 6’ giraffe.
you should make it light enough to lift so you are normally not on it but if you are about to fall it would stop you, that way it doesnt hinder it infact helps by bringing down the upd number therefore you put less time into getting back up
I think the best thing for training would be some sort of portable wall.
Cause the best thing I’ve seen for learning is a regular wall. something you can put your hand on to help balance while you mount or to help regain your balance.
A wall is better than a rail because you can’t really hold onto it.
So the best thing would be some sort of wall that would move along next to you. but still be sturdy enough to lean on for support.
I totally concur, maybe a wheeled wall that someone else can tow along for you. it would have to be taller then the person learning so that they couldn’ grab the top and lean. However, I also think the whole idea is a bit unecesary. Why not just use an actual wall?
“Jimwahhh” <Jimwahhh@NoEmail.Message.Poster.at.Unicyclist.com> wrote in
message news:4ebb4e22921cab58c04292bb7ed32ca6.1zjupc@NoEmail.Message.Poster.at.Unicyclist.com…
>
> Hey fellas just thought i would get some feedback from unicyclists on a
> DT project i am doing for my year 12 major design oroject.
>
> basically the system is kinda be a modified version of those old person
> walking frames. im gunna extend it, widen the wheels up so you dont
> keep kicking the frame, put rotating wheels on it (posibly with some
> form of brakes) an im also gunna make little pads to rest your for arm
> on for support an handles to hold on to.
>
> so yeah, any feedback, ideas, whatever.
>
>
I don’t think in practical terms that it is worth it as a “uni-training”
project. Mainly because it spoils the fun and challenge of learning, which
is a major reasom people like us first climb on on of these daft machines.
yeah the dicycle is prolly a good idea, an i appreciate all your guys input but i actually need a completely new idea, thats why im trying to figure out ways to make the idea i have already work rather than just doin one thats already been done.
the whole thing bout getting bad posture? i think that can just be fixed by people knowing how to use the system, the way i was thinking it there is not just things for your arms to rest on, but also handles. this means that u can hold onto the handles (without getting bad posture) and when u lose your balance or go something u can lean down (or fall) onto the arm rests, which will hold your weight, and allow you to get up an riding again. this will hopfully be even better than the really light idea, which would be good, but also hard to make light enough and keep the strength.
the wall thing could work, but it would be incredible hard, for one, you need another person to tag along with it an also, when u lean on it you will be pushing up the top, which would mean that unless it is really reinforced an sturdy an heavy its just gunna fall over, an even worse upd…
an muniuni, i do agree, i worked for ages both with a wall an without, an i really did enjoy working on it like that, but ive seen so many of my friends get on it, fail miserably (sometimes hurting themselves) an not wanna try it again. the main reason i want to do a training wheel system is just so they have something to show for their bruises, scars an often loss of dignity =P
I like the idea. I’ve seen people using shopping trolleys quite successfully to learn to ride and I’ve used them to work on coasting. The two things that would make your idea better are a shape that forces good posture, and for two of the four wheels to be locked forwards so you can have some control over where you’re going. The thing about the shopping trolleys is they slide to the side easily since they (at least the ones I’ve used) have all four wheels free to twist around 360 degrees.
oh thats a good idea actually, having just the back ones rotating or something, it would also make it easier to have brakes if some wheels werent rotating…
an i didnt realise people used shopping trolleys, another good idea, mebbe ill try that with my mates.
how would u suggest shaping it for good posture? its a really good idea, but atm i cant think of a good design that really encourages good posture.
This was the prototype of the fancier one Tom Miller made later on. It was assembled from two basic Japanese 70’s unicycles. the same could probably be done with two unicycles with Torker-style bearing holders. On this “budget” version there’s nothing to keep the wheels together, so there is a tendency for the cranks to both end up at the bottom. You’d have to correct this to make it a good training uni.