This weekend we got about 8 inches of snow at my home. So, today I decided to go for a ride in it with my muni. I was riding down the street when I heard a truck coming up behind me. I rode along the side to let them pass. As soon as the driver gets next to me, he rolls down his window and asks if he could ride my uni. I asked him if he had ridden one before because, I would hate to see him break himself trying to learn on snow and ice. He said the last time he rode was about 30 years ago in junior highschool. To my astonishment, he successfully freemounted his first try and rode around. Then, he rode it backwards, hoped off and said thanks. I always wondered whether the phrase “you never forget how to ride a bike” applied to unicycles. I figured that after a very long break from it, a person would have to spend some time relearning the basics. That’s not the case (at least with him). It was as if he had been riding regularly for those past 30 years.
I’ve got a pretty similar story. Over the summer my brother and I went for a lift assisted Muni ride in the White Mountains. Many people rode the lift to see scenery, and when we reached the top one man told us he used to ride 25 years ago. When he asked to try our Munis we were pretty surprised that he could easily freemount and then rode down a farely steep and technical slope. I guess you never do forget.
At my 50th birthday party my brother brought out the old uni because he knew that I had been riding one again. So each of my brothers and sisters, (well, 4 out of 5 of us), hopped on and rode the uni. It had been 30 years for most of us. One sister never was interested.
My twin sister could ride the uni again, even though 30 years ago she hadn’t ridden one enough to bother to learn to free mount or turn. Since October she has learned to free-mount and ride around the block on that old uni!
Several months ago, some guy stopped me at the park and asked if he could ride my unicycle. I did the usual “can you ride questions” and he said he used to ride 25 years ago. I loaned him my Summit. He jumped on, freemounted (second try), rode backwards and did some really tight little circles all while wearing cowboy boots.
He was impressed with the new unicycle technology. I was impressed with his riding.
I took up riding again after 20+ years. I still had my Schwinn 6’ giraffe. I got out the steel wool and polished the rust off of it. I got on and was able to ride forwards and backwards and idle right off. So I got myself a Muni and have been having a blast riding trails. I have been doing TRIALS on it as well. Never even thought of trials stuff back in the day. Can now hop up 12". For some reason I’m having a hard time with rolling hops(getting any distance).
this is true. my dad got a uni for me and my brother last xmas, and was able to ride it home from the store, after many years of never riding. we have since caught him in skill, though
I got a cheapo solid wheel uni for my birthday in 1973, and I rode it daily on a paper route till the seat broke off in less than a year and never rode another one. 30 years later this past March I saw a uni gathering dust at a bike shop and asked to try. I was immediately able to freemount and do laps around the shop, and had so much fun I bought it. Got my Muni this September, thanks to Doug I got to ride my first Coker last Sunday, and tonight I will be in a Christmas parade. Not only do you never forget, but the enjoyment of riding one never dies…
