beginner help!

i got my first unicycle several months ago, but never learned to ride
it for a variety of reasons (mostly, i dont have a chance to practice).
i'd like to remedy this.

i've read lots of tutorials, but nothing seems to help me ride more
than a few yards at most. so maybe i can tell you what i'm doing, and
you can tell me what i'm not doing.

the two things i try to keep in mind are "sit up straight" and "keep
your weight on the seat". the seat should be extended properly (the
full length of my leg when the pedal is in the down position).

my ride is the Torker CX, 20 inch I believe. the seat twists from side
to side sometimes. i think this is just because i fall off to the
side a lot. its a cheap unicycle, but im assuming it should be fine to
learn on?

i dont have a long fence to ride along. i usually start next to my car
(guiding with my hand) and take off into the abyss when i reach the
end. i'll make it 5 yards if im lucky. i feel like im totally missing
something, because i cant progress at all. i usually pick up things
pretty fast (im an avid juggler), but i guess the unicycle's something
new...

i don't step off prematurely, but i wouldnt say i fall off either. i
sort of stumble off the front, and land on my feet. if i manage to
ride a few yards, i start turning, usually to the right.

does it help/hurt to hold on to the seat? are there any sorts of
tricks i can use to improve my balance or help me find my center of
balance? i don't know what im doing wrong. please help!

thanks in advance,
jeff

Well, i'm just a noob, but I can ride further than five yards and am
picking it up fast...
Well, the main thing that helps me is the ability to control my abs -
that's where a lot of my fine adjustments seem to happen that jumped me
up to the area of riding half a block (with a planned dismount because
there was a nasty bit of terrain in the way and some obstacles that I
didn't want to UPD near)
If you're falling off the front, you're not pedalling quite fast enough
at that moment.
I haven't worked out if it's good or bad to hold the seat, but at the
moment I wouldn't personally suggest it, You want your arms held out so
you can flail them around for balance purposes.


--
JusticeZero
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I had my seat SLIGHTLY lower than what you mentioned. If your seat post
is turning just from your shift in weight, that needs to be fixed. I am
sure you can tighten the clamp or quick release. I learned by holding
onto my car, leaning SLIGHTLY forward and just going for it. Look ahead
as you ride and keep both hands free. Just keep practicing, you will
definitely get it. If you get tired, quit that session and try again
later that day or the next day. Be sure that wherever you are
practicing is wide open. If you start to turn, just keep riding in
whatever direction it takes you. Don't give up! I am sure everyone has
their own method, but this worked for me. Good luck!


--
DJack
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Hi Jeff,

Well I'm sorry to say there is no definative answer for your problem.
There are many factors such as age, weight, natural abilities, whether
or not your brain is willing to cooperate, and I highly suspect there
are several mystical requirements. I was 39, near 240 lbs, coordinated
as drunk moose, and with all this in consideration my brain was full
self-preservation mode when it came to dealing with me riding a
unicycle. Two of my kids tried and learned to uni in less than 15
hours. Me, I took over a hundred before I could get halfway down the
block. Why so long. Hell if I know.

There's a high percentage of folks that would have simply given up. I
really wanted it as a way to replace mountain biking since my neck
would no longer allow me to persue that. Now I have an Onza for the
trails and a custom Coker. The Coker has almost all my attention now.
In the last 16 days I've logged 146 miles. What's different between
then and now? Again, hell if I know. When I ride past people and they
ask how I do it I shrug and say "I'm not sure myself." I think my brain
gave up trying to protect me. Kinda like it said "Fine... go kill
yourself, see if I care." Suddenly I'm riding down the street and from
then on it was all about building up strength in the right muscles.

For some like me its frustrating to watch folks around you pick it up
and go with such seemingly little effort. I see that as a gift. I was
told by some wise mentors that I would appreciate riding more than those
that found little challenge in learning it. I encourage you to just
keep trying. Try different locations. I would change my learning
locations several times during a session, if only by moving across the
street.

If I learned anything its that anyone can truly ride a uni. It's all
in how bad you want it.

Good luck.


--
Trapper
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I learned to ride with ski poles and it helped -a lot!!- It's a lot
better then holding on to something to get your balance and then
plunging into the un-know. even with the ski poles it took me a good 4
months to learn though. It takes longer for some people while some
people learn in an hour or two. Good Luck and have fun!!


--
Goats_On_Unicycles

Dave Coleman wrote:
Perhaps he has a large herd of cyber goats ready to butt our peripherals
and ram our..... RAM

Or perhaps not... we shall see...


'MY -GROOVY- GALLERY'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/?g2_itemId=218412) *
Unicycle For Goats!!!!!* PM me if you want in!
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I learned by riding under a clothesline. I'd grab on and ride and pull
myself up for ballence. After a little while I ued it just for
comfort. I wouldn't hold on to your seat if I was you. It just gives
you less balence when your new to this sport. I think my clothes line
method works pretty darn good I learned in less than a hour. But I
don't give up easy. Everyone is different don't rush yourself.


--
bcwheelriderguyhehehehehe

tobogonist wrote:

-maybe, fueled by his amazing skills and shockingly short learning
time, he has attemted a backflip, pulled it of, gone for a double and
died?-
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five yards is further than 98 percent of the people you know could get.
good job.

The thing that helped me the most at your stage was letting go and
flailing as MUCH as possible. if you feel yourself tipping to the side
oversteer to that side. I'm talking the wheel turning about 60 degrees
about twice a second.

I needed to pretty much bury any dignity I had left to learn how to
ride; you never get it back, but its worth it :-D




--
Sgaterboy
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Yeah, I'm a slow learner of unicycling too. It's worth it though. Don't
give up for at least another couple of months.


--
cathwood

Cathy

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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Jeff,

Your unicycle is fine for learning. It's probably harder to learn
while holding onto the seat--I learned by flailing both arms wildly.


Other than pedaling faster to keep from falling off the front, you
could try putting less pressure on the pedal in the back as it rotates
up to the front. I wouldn't worry too much about turning while you're
learning. If you find yourself veering to the right, let it happen.

Good luck!


--
phlegm
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Jeff,

I can sympathize completely. It took me entirely too long (in my
opinion) as well. In fact, I bought the uni as a fitness machine but
quickly found out that it was much more suited to exercising my sense
of humility.

Here is how I got over the this agonizing stage: find yourself a
couple of dining room chairs with tall backs. Set them back to back
with a few feet between them. Get yourself up on the unicycle while
holding on the backs of the chairs and try for a foot position of 3
o'clock - 9 o'clock. Then when you feel ready, let go of the chairs
and try to do one pedal revolution. THEN STOP and go back and do it
again. Don't let yourself ride to the point of UPD. Repetition is the
key and with this method you could probably do this 40 or more times in
a short session.

If this is too easy, do the same thing but with 2 pedal revolutions or
it's too hard go with half a pedal revolution. Doesn't really matter,
but it's important that you thoroughly practice what you can do
successfully and make the most of your practice sessions.

I found that 15 minutes of this per day made a big difference in my
learning curve.

Good luck and don't give up!


--
abridged
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