Freemounting the 29er

Hi anyone who is the slightest bit interested.

I have recently been struggling to freemount my 29er (since I put 125
cranks on her). I think (tentatively) that I've cracked it.

(I do the rollback mount).

The trick seems to be to put my right foot on the pedal with the toes
pointing outwards. This seems to give it more of a steady rollback.
It's then cruicial to put second foot firmly full onto the pedal to get
a firm roll forward. And wahoo, I'm off.

Sorry if I've bored anyone.

Cathy


--
cathwood

A thought is just a thought.

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------------------------
cathwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9425
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

I guess whatever works for you is good. I started riding my 29er a few
months back and now I don't miss too many freemounts. I too have 125
cranks. At first it was a real challenge but like anything else related
to this sport, it gets better the more you do it.

At least you are freemounting.


--
Wheel Rider

A man can fail many times but he isn't a failure until he begins to
blame someone else. - Waite Phillips
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wheel Rider's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/10656
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

I almost never use a roll back. I do a static with a slight forwards
push. Also, if you lean the unicycle slightly sideways, then the force
of your leap into the saddle is diagonal, wich somehow makes it
easier.

Surprisingly, short cranks make mounting easier on big wheels - if you
use a static mount.


--
Mikefule

So, do you ride with a club?

No, but I carry a heavy spanner.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mikefule's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/879
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

I remember how weird and awkward it was the first time I tried to
freemount my 28" (coming up from a 20"). Keep working on it, and with
time you won't think twice about freemounting it.


--
cegli

I like to unicycle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
cegli's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/10585
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

I guess its a smaller jump to the forward pedal.

Mikefule Wrote:

Surprisingly, short cranks make mounting easier on big wheels - if you
use a static mount.


--
mscalisi
------------------------------------------------------------------------
mscalisi's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4961
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

Mikefule Wrote:

Surprisingly, short cranks make mounting easier on big wheels - if you
use a static mount.


Maybe this is because longer cranks have more torque so they are more
tempermental with preasure which can cause them to roll from a static
horizontal position easier.


--
cyberpunk

The following is the fault of a random google search and catboy.

"Baby Laughs : The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
cyberpunk's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8923
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

Mikefule Wrote:
Surprisingly, short cranks make mounting easier on big wheels - if you
use a static mount.


Curious--I have found quite the opposite. With shorter cranks I find it
distinctly harder to mount. Shorter cranks mean you have to jump up
higher, and then you have less torque to help you deal with any
imperfections in your jump.

Mind you, my experience is with a 36" wheel, so maybe the extra jump
height isn't as critical on a 29".

I'm with you on the static mount though. Roll back is fine on small
wheels, but static or rolling mount really wins out on big wheels.


--
Bruce Dawson
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Dawson's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/1299
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

this may help- I started practicing static mounting with a small
stone/kerb/chav wedged behind the the wheel to prevent rolling back.
eventually I reduced the prop until I could do it on the flat.


--
mikepenton
------------------------------------------------------------------------
mikepenton's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7090
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

Hi, Cath! I hope all's well in Wales. Is there going to be another meet
soon? I was happy to see you'd pulled it off in August. Good luck with
those!

As for the 29" mount Q: Yeah, avoid the rollback if you can. As others
have noted, rolling back tends to force you to use a great deal of
force to stop the wheel and then make it go forwards. There are balance
issues with that as well. And you don't have to have the uni straight
before you -- it should def'ly be tilted outside (if you're a righty,
it should tilt to the left). You need a big hop (you're not that tall,
so I know), so have the right crank a bit above the horizon, then push
it back a tad (not that full half-rev -- just a few inches). Then swing
the left foot onto the pedal. Meanwhile, your arms and upper body can
help. Start with your arms low, then raise them forward (like reaching
for sth in front of you) as you mount. Then, once you're up, I tell my
Jewish friends to daven. That's the prayer style you see at the Wailing
Wall (and in orthodox synagogs) where you lean back and forth. In this
case, just do a quick forward lean.

You have to be careful not to let the left pedal rise up to 12 o'clock
or you risk having the uni shoot out behind you and you could get
injured. Practice next to a street sign or lamppost to get the arms and
davening thing down.

Good luck! And regards to Stu et al.


--
David_Stone

Dictator for Life,
NYUC
------------------------------------------------------------------------
David_Stone's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3834
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764

Hi David and everybody.
Thanks for your contributions. I use the rollback mount with all my
unicycling. It seems to work for me. Eventually I will learn other
mounts and to do it with my other foot.

I hope all's well in Wales. Is there going to be another meet soon? I
was happy to see you'd pulled it off in August. Good luck with those!


Yes we are going to have another meeting. Stu has made a unilateral
decision to team up with a guy called Tom (who does trial biking but
has been lured into unicycling at the last meeting) to hold a joint
unicycling and trial biking trials comp. They would charge people for
entering and would have a 'free' unicycling day on the Sunday.

I had a bit of a strop cos no-one asked me but I'm cool with it now. It
has both advantages and disadvantages, but we'll see how it goes as to
the formatt of any other meetings.

Will say hi to Stu for you.
( A note of sadness, however, is that the circus club that some of us
used to belong to is no more. Due to one thing and another it has shut
down for now).

Anyway, thanks for the comments guys.

Cathy


--
cathwood

A thought is just a thought.

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------------------------
cathwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9425
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/43764