Unicycle Advice
Am I right in remembering I have seen Scottie mention he likes to ride a unicycle? A strange question I know, but for some reason I feel I want to learn to ride one :lol:. I need to do something fun to get some exercise and I was thinking this might fit the bill. I have looked online on eBay and http://brandscycle.com/product-list/bikes-1000/other-1037/unicycles-1050/ and it seems they are all fairly similar. Would it matter which one a beginner starts with?
Scottie any advice on a newbie learning to ride a unicycle?
Scottie any advice on a newbie learning to ride a unicycle?
Post edited by Klepto on
Comments
Ahem.
Well I guess I could have sent him a message. :lol:
I just though I would post on the forum. You never know someone else might be mad enough to partake of the same passtime.
And,wow you responded to my post fast. Bored today eh?
yeah :(
Me too. Very quiet day at work. I hate trying to look like I am busy working while reading WOS. :lol:
buy one with two wheels
Ah, sage advise there Mel. Two wheels will probably be a lot less painfull!
wonder if you can get unicycles with stabilisers?
hmmmmmmmmm
Wouldn't that be a tricycle?
sod it just get an octocycle instead
...I chose not to participate.
if they were talking about sniffing each others pants or someat
Well, I did find this.
http://www.unicycletoday.com/how-to-ride-a-unicycle.html
So maybe I won't paralyze myself. I don't expect it to be easy though. Not much chance of making a prat of myself in front of people as my neighbors are too far away. Well there is my wife and kids but they already know I'm a prat.
Just keeping it real man!
I bet Scottie coud do it.:razz:
to get one or not...
it's all a balancing act
*gets coat*
there can only be 1..
reminded me, I saw a grown adult earlier on what looked like a kids bmx earlier who looked rather stupid, then again there are plenty more like that who do the same.
Get one with an engine.. :D
A good source for all things unicycle is Unicycle.com.
For example somthing like this may be good: http://www.unicycle.com/unicycles/beginner-series/sun-twenty-four-inch-flat-top-street.html/
However, what I will say when it comes to learning to ride you might find a 20" easier than a 24". However with these things comes a trade off. The smaller your wheel the slower you will go. To get speed on a smaller wheeled bike, you need shorter pedal cranks. However, the shorter the pedal cranks the greater muscle is needed to stop the uni, also shorter cranks are harder to ride than larger ones. On a 20" bike a crank size of approx 130mm down to 100mm is recommended.
Do not expect to learn to ride this thing in one week. If you practice all day every day you might just to it in two weeks. If you spend a couple of hours a night, then possibly one month to six weeks is expected, but ido not worry if it takes longer (it did for my wife). Stick with it and you WILL learn and when you do finally make your first 10-20 meters without holding on, its one of the the best feelings ever.
At first it will seem difficult even sitting on the seat. Put yourself in a corridor, or with to chairs either side and just practice sitting. Then try to move forward a little. Once you have mastered this find a park or lane with a nice hand rail to hold on to (with one hand), or a willing volunteer with a strong wrist. As you get better the amount of force needed to hold on will reduce until one day you let go.
I will also say, do expect your unicycle to tumble to the ground regularly, even once you began to be able to ride it. At first the smallest of cracks or lumps in the path or road will throw you off. Once your muscles get stronger, muscle memory and skill improves you will get more resilient to lumps and bumps. I can now bump down curb stones (most of the time). Some of my fellow hockey team members can ride down stairs (I must say it looks very impressive).
So yeah go for it, and post up lots of videos. I'd love to see a video diary or blog of one man's attempt to learn to ride a unicycle. Even just the occasional update in this or another thread.
I'm a bit short of money right now so I am not sure when I will be able to get one. But whenever that it is I will provide some updates. I was hoping to eventually be able to ride the backroads by my house but I am not sure they will be smooth enough, so I may have to go to a park or something.
I don't expect it to be easy, but it's something different and will get me some exercise and hopefully not too many injuries. :lol:
1 word, ebay 2nd hand. Well actually that was three words but you get the point.
I got mine 2nd hand, once I got better at riding it I just upgraded a few bits now I'm verry happy with it. Come to think of it there was never a time when I was unhappy with it.
three words Oo
The has been looking on eBay already and now I have a better idea of what I might need which is good. Although, she was threatning it as a Christmas present. I countered that with telling her it would be too cold to use it then, so maybe I will get it sooner. Mind you, the past 2 weeks it has may been too hot here. Yesterday was 106F!:-o I suppose I could threaten her with practicing in the house because there is air conditioning there!
2 words Craigslist Idaho.
(they have other areas to choose too, I chose Boise).
Jul 13 - Savage complete Unicycle - $35 (Boise) bicycles - by owner pic
Jun 27 - unicycle - 24'' fairly new - $60 (Boise) bicycles - by owner pic
Jun 21 - 6' Unicycle - $50 (Emmett, Idaho) bicycles - by owner pic
May 30 - Vintage 24" Schwinn Unicycle - $150 (Kuna) bicycles - by owner
Thanks Beanz. I might check those out.
So any other Wossers want to join me on this endeavour? It would be entertaining to hear about everybody's progress as they learn. I am thinking I might video my attempts and post online. That should provide some quality entertainment.
never got into unicycling but i can juggle...a bit, and i always tried learning the diablo, never managed that lol, used to hang around with some hippies that did that stuff, the missuses brother did it all too
http://boise.craigslist.org/search/?areaID=52&subAreaID=&query=unicycle&catAbb=sss