I’m about to learn free mounting and have been reading up on it. An interesting post from a while back describes the wheel grab method that seemed to work well. Like the curb method, the wheel grab keeps the wheel stationary long enough for the rider to mount. http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78310
Anyone tried using a brake to accomplish the same? Would it work the same way?
Just a noob, I don’t have a brake. But it seems like it could be applied to learning to mount a brake equipped uni like a coker. At the least it can become yet another technique in the mounting bag of tricks.
This came up a few years ago, and a bunch of us tried it with little to no success. When you mount the frame and seat need to rotate around the hub. Using a brake locks the frame to the wheel, and eliminates that movement. So, if you want to mount it like a pogo stick it might work.
With a Coker it is much easier to do a rolling mount, or a jump mount. Until I got my Nightriders I could only do a rollback mount, and that was not going to happen with 125’s on a 36.
IMO you are selling yourself short if you learn to freemount by using some weird trick. Instead of braking you can freemount by walking with your uni and hopping on mid walk. The momentum gained by just a slow walk is impressively useful.
The best freemount video that I’ve found was made by Terry the unigeezer. He does a good job explaining it, even if it’s a bit cheesy. I know for me I watched the video several times before purchasing a 36er (the hardest wheel to freemount) and I was able to freemount my first try without even riding it beforehand. I probably got lucky learning that easily but with a little work anybody can do it.
Stupid IPAD. It should have said “Nightrider.” Apple should really do a better job with their auto-correction. I don’t have nearly this much trouble with my Android.
If you can freemount using a brake you are more than capable of doing a rollback mount. It is so much more difficult, that I would say a brake assisted mount would count as another mount altogether. I agree that it is a trick mount.
I think the brake’s useful in very much the same way as the wheel grab, to stabilize the wheel once you are halfway through the mount and the wheel is thinking about heading off somewhere. It cancels out the effect of variable terrain - you don’t have to compensate for uphill, downhill, squishy, a bump or dent just ahead or behind…
But having said that, I think it’s a lot easier to just grab the wheel when you need to, so I only use the brake if the wheel is muddy or I rolled through something. Something from a dog. Timing the brake is tricky, grabbing the wheel is easy.
My grand total experience with the 36" wheel is two attempts at mounting, but I grabbed the wheel and got right up both times, so I do vote for that method.
I wonder if a brake would make doing a rollback mount easier? The idea being you apply the brake after the wheel has rolled back to where it’s supposed to be. That is, not with one pedal at the bottom, but with the pedals closer to being level. It’s only a roll-BACK if your starting foot goes past the bottom, and comes up in the front. If you can get that part, then apply the brake while waiting for the proper moment to start pedaling. Should be less than a second but might help.
Otherwise, I don’t recommend using the brake as a mount assist.
Have you ever tried to use a brake to mount? From the way you describe it I would say not. A wheel grab works because it prevents the wheel from rolling, but allows the seat to move up over the wheel. If you use a brake it does the former, but also prevents the latter. I have tried, and I can say that the physics aren’t in favor of a brake assisted mount.
Sure, I’ve done hundreds - you don’t start the mount with the brake on, you grab the brake when you are up and your free foot is heading for the pedal. Grabbing the brake locks the wheel/pedal in place so you can just put your foot down where you were aiming. It does work.
Okay. I can see what you’re saying now, but still the timing and the super momentary brake action seem difficult.
The advantage of the wheel grab is that you can stop the wheel, get your weight over the axle, and let go of the wheel. It can be done for as long as you need it, and timing isn’t so critical.
I actually have quite a few full lock mounts under my belt and love them for downhill muni. I just start with my pedals in the right position with relation to the frame rather than ground. Certainly advanced technique though.