So after a week on my new Nimbus Oracle 29er I’m back to where I was with my 19er. This video is my first attempt at turning.
Learning the 29er
I’m tempted to remove the pedal spikes:
After that injury I got wrap around guards. I get that the pedal spikes - studs keep my foot locked down, but are they really necessary for a beginner?
If not, how do I take them off, and can they be put back on later?
Not really necessary, although if you ride in the wet, I would personally want more grip than the plastic pedals offer. But you can just try it out yourself 
Look closely, there is a hex like on a bolt head on them. Use that to unscrew them (and to screw them back in later).
The very first time this happened to me, I went home and ordered shin guards. I recommend Lizard Skins personally. Can get’em on Amazon. I will NOT ride without them now.
As for the pedals - maybe consider a new set because you may want to save the metal spiky ones for later. Fyxation Gates are all-plastic yet have some grip. People claim that it makes it much easier on your shins than metal spikes, yet still have some grip like spikes. I actually just got a pair. Haven’t tried them, but yeah, the idea seems good.
Happy to follow your story!
I switched to the plastic fixation pedals and the odessy pedals on all of my unicycles, they are very similar. they will not do as much damage as the metal pins. I also find them easier to readjust my feet.
Your feet are supposed to go on the pedals not your calves 
Just kidding!
Those pedal bites are a badge of honor, we all have them.
Get yourself some regular plastic pedals without the metal pins, they are fine for riding around on the streets.
Your looking good 
keep on trucking
Looking great! I’m about to start the same journey you are on only I am starting with a 26” and eventually want to end up on a 32 or 36 (and a 29” muni for light trail riding). Sorry about your pedal bite. Looks painful. I’ll definitely be watching your posts. I would love to hear your lessons learned the hard way so I don’t have to repeat them.
Keep up the great work.
NewCreature
So I have a preference for the spiky pedals because the grip is better, but you can get spiky plastic pedals that don’t take chunks and break the skin,
I only recently transitions to all spiky pedals but my ones before we’re the DMR Vault pedals, I think they are available most countries.
It’s a good in-between as other have said the plastic pedals/cheaper ones can be very slippery if you don’t have the right shoes on or in wet conditions.
I think that grippy pedals are what most people come to prefer with experience, but in the beginning they seem problematic. Personally, I’d just go ahead and remove the spikes with the correct tools if you have them or with anything else that will do the job if you don’t. They’re dirt cheap pedals and if you want a pair I will donate some to you for the cost of shipping. Myself, I’d remove the spikes and then if you want grippier pedals in the future upgrade to something better.
Hey , only 2 long gashes?
My worse “spiked” pedal accident left 4 lacerations. It looked like the claws of a bear got me.
Good thing I had liquid bandaid in my car. However, I put that on after my ride.
I must have scared many people with blood dripping down my shins.
A few things I did afterwards:
a.) I wore my knee pads down along my shins. This was mostly a confidence builder. Unless, I was practicing a new stunt, I found them totally unnecessary.
b.) I “selectively” removed most of the spikes but kept the inner spikes towards the crank.
c.) Realized I didn’t really need spike grips unless riding on wet grass or mud. Which, I don’t. So, I finally tried all plastic pedals. They actually have molded on spikes, so you still have to be careful. However, the scratches you get are minor and not as “surgically deep” as from the aluminum weapons.
I learnt to ride with no supports. I’ve not really had trouble with pedals hitting my shins, having practiced emergency dismounts thousands of times before I could ride.
A bit like this?
Join the club @climberartist ! Yep those are badges of honor. The point of spikey pedals is obvious when you go offload as you want to feel almost clipped to the uni. Having said that, the ones you have (standard on KH unis too IIRC) have spikes but the grip is not even that great. On my muni/large wheels, I have some Nukeproof Electrons which are like having glue under your shoes, and on my 24" city rider, I have the plastic ones with small molded spikes as described by others here - might be Odissey or one of those BMX brands.
Thanks, it’s been a fun journey. I don’t have any secrets other than watch youtube tutorials. I’ve taught a lot of people to climb, and the main thing we say to beginners is to “Put some miles under your rock shoes”.
It might be the same for unicycling? Put some miles under your tire? I’m still a raw beginner…but it’s definitely an addictive sport.
I’m hoping I can stop falling off before my ankle gives up the ghost. I broke it back in the eighties and it does not like this new sport. My two big goals now are the free mount and dismounting off the back…gently
You might want to look into buying some high top bicycle shoes if you don’t have them already. Personally, I won’t skimp on the safety gear. I’m too old and have too many prior injuries.
What I’ve found as far as progression goes is that there are some skills that are largely a matter of just having the confidence to try them and others that will only develop with lots and lots of practice.
Things that appear harder than they actually are for beginners IMO would be hopping, riding while standing and riding off curbs. Get up the nerve to try any of these and you’ll likely find yourself doing them in short order. Wait until you’re feeling confident with your mounting and dismounting before trying them though.
Things that really take time and practice are idling, hopping with skill and control and riding or hopping over obstacles. In my own experience, you’re not going to master any of these in just a few hours.
Lol. Since we’re sharing:
This was pretty recent and the scabs have since turned to a mixture of classic scar tissue and purple surgery scars.
Everything is from two falls during the same MUNI ride. I had just switched from 24" to 27.5" and had the seat too high to bail gracefully during MUNI. The falls themselves weren’t bad, but they were going downhill and I landed on the pedals with momentum to spare. Darn you, pedal spikes! I made two changes after this:
