When I went for my first ride on my SS with my geared buddies, their mockery went something along the line of: what's next, unicycling? That combined with Unigeezer's thread piqued my curiosity about unicycling. I would love to show up with a unicycle just to see my friends' reaction. So has anyone here on STR tried it? I watched a few Youtube clips on how to start. My balancing is not great despite the regular Yoga workouts, but I keep trying anyway. So anyone?
Yes, I have one sitting in the garage (anyone who knows me surprised?). I never spent the time to really learn how to ride it, though. I even have a good fence to practice against. Really, it's just like anything else: you'll get better at it with practice.
Don't listen to the nay-sayers! It's an awesome sport, the uni-community is friendly and very helpful. But also most people here are as well, and some of my best buddies are mtbers! Mountain Unicycling (MUni) is one of the most efficient and FUN ways to get in shape, and stay that way. Think about it; you can never coast, and you have no handlebars, shocks or frame to stabilize your ride, no gears to help go up hills. FARGO! You are pedaling every inch of the way, laser focused on balance, and it takes heightened levels of stamina, core strength and determination. Take it from me; I didn't even start riding till I was FIFTY, and now at 55, I',m in the best shape of my life, and love extreme uni more than ever! I've experienced so much, traveled to and ridden many of the most incredible trails, met great people, both one AND two-wheelers! So go for it! Here's a little news segment from Fox 11 news that aired last night to hopefully inspire you further! [video=youtube;H-eBkIiED2E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-eBkIiED2E[/video]
Actually, gears are available for unicycles by using the Schlumph hub. http://www.unicycle.co.nz/shop/unicycle-parts/hubs/complete-hubs/Kris-Holm-Schlumpf-Hub And suspension is also available. This is a unicycle with three shocks, handlebars, and disc brakes. It also comes with a removable training wheel. I saw this in a department store in Japan about 6 years ago.
Haha! that gave me a much needed laugh! I know all about Schlumpf hubs, and have one ordered for my new 26er. But read my post carefully; I said "no gears to help go *UP* hills". Schlumpf hubs do not offer a "low" gear for climbing. It gives the rider a high gear only, which is not going to help CLIMB hills. Also, no serious MUni riders would even consider a "shock" for a MUni. All the shock absorption we need comes from the high volume 3" wide tire, and our legs. We need the frame rigid and a shock would NOT even work for drops as you would be up OFF the saddle and on the pedals during impact. A uni shock would essentially rob the rider of power as it would change the length of the pedal stroke each time it would move up/down.
I know nobody would take that shock-equipped unicycle seriously. It's pretty funny. I really have no idea what market they're targeting with that thing. Although one could argue that you choose your unicycle wheel size partially for the climb. Your wheel size helps dictate your "gear-inches" per revolution.
For me, a particular wheel size is chosen for various reasons, but climbing isn't really one of them. The one exception was my Fargo climb. Some thought I would have used my 19" since it's the lightest and easiest wheel to turn. It would have also taken FOREVER to get to the top on that small of a wheel! I found that my 24 with a lighter rim and tire at high psi was optimum. My 19' trials which is used primarily for trick riding, and trials courses. My 24" MUni is used for the most extreme technical trails and for doing big drops. My 29er is used for more "XC" muni where the larger wheel provides more speed. My 36er is used mostly for road riding and of course, covers the most ground with each revolution. 560 for each mile.
I started with a street uni and it was tough to learn. There was a point where I felt like I would never be able to do it. I kept at it and it finally it started to click. Then I got the MUni and love it! Since then a few of my buddies have also gotten MUni's. One of them rode a uni as a kid and fell right back into it. My other buddy was a natural at it and within a few weeks was riding off road surprisingly well. He would spend a little time on it at lunch and then again after work. If you can put some time in everyday I think it will come quickly. Like the Unigeezer said it will give you a hell of a work out! I can spend 8 hours on the mountain bike and I would be more worked on a 1 1/2 hour MUni ride! If your local trails are getting too easy on the mountain bike try them on a MUni! Even the easy trails can be a challenge. My biggest problem now is finding the time to do it all!
Haha, way to go, that's awesome! I see you live in Granada Hills. I'll be riding Cheeseboro canyon tomorrow, starting around 7-7:30 to avoid the heat. You're welcome to join me. I'll be on my 29er!
Working and staying in Yucaipa currently so I will have to pass on the offer. Would love to hook up with you sometime though! I have seen some of your videos and am sure I could learn a thing or two from you!
So are there Unigeezer approved instruction videos? There is so much info, and I don't know where to begin. I would like to get one that is good for a beginner, but also something I won't grow out of too soon. Hopefully it will be one I can eventually take to a moderate mountain trail. You used to do it as a kid, so don't you think you were much better equipped than middle aged people who have never done it?
Unicycle.com is the place to go. Every type from beginner to advanced unis, and a huge knowledge base. I would agree that you should not start out with aa low end cheapie; they will not last long and are a waste of money if you're at all thinking about staying with it for a while. The nimbus brand is a very well made, mid-priced uni and the best size for off-road trail riding would be the 24 or 26er. The KH (Kris Holm brand) is the top of the line, but also a lot more money, but imo, worth every cent! And the cost for a high end uni is still a drop in the bucket compared to a high end mtb!
You will get a lot of this sort of comment when riding the Uni. It gets a bit old but I have learned to ignore it and I have a new respect for Circus Clowns that can do some amazing things on the Uni's! Be ready to stop and talk to a lot of people and plan extra time in your rides because a lot of people will want to talk to you about it! If you can find a flat surface with a wall or fence to hold onto that is helpful when starting out. Also just sitting on it and holding onto a couple of chairs on each side of you and rocking back in forth to feel the balance is good. You can do this while watching tv. After a while let go with one hand then try letting go with both hands. One thing I was doing wrong when trying to free mount was rolling the pedal back to far when I went to mount. I would end up with one pedal close to 6:00 and the other pedal around 12:00 and that is too high and it would be too hard to pedal from that position. You need to hop up while keeping the pedal from rolling back too much. I found a fire road with a berm on the side that I was able to put my right foot on the berm while my left was on the pedal. This way it was not to far for my right foot to go to the pedal and that made it easier to mount. You can do this with a curb or 4x4... Once I got that down I went to the park and freemounted on the grass. This was easier then on the pavement because the grass would keep the wheel from moving as freely as it would on pavement or dirt. Once you are riding around on the street and ready for the dirt it is similar to riding mtb. When you ride through a techie section on the MTB you want to stand up and stay light on the bike and float over the obstacles as much as possible. On the MUni you rise up off the seat a bit and basically you are walking on the pedals. You want to learn to ride holding on to the seat because when you are climbing you want to be pulling on the seat and when you are descending you will want to be grabbing that brake! This site is pretty useful too: http://www.unicycling.net/learn/index.htm Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
I t took me 3 days to get a handle on it but now I can ride while talking on the phone and drinking a beer. Get a uni and ride it! Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
You can ride one while talking on the phone and drinking a beer?!? That's it, Im getting one!..... NOT!!!!
Whatever your motivation is.. One thing is the UNI is a great core work out compared to a MTB, your using your hips and abs constantly
Yeap, I noticed that Umm..is there a way to ride it without looking like you always have a hand on the crotch?8-[
Sounds like good cross-training, at least. Anything that's fun, improves health and gets one outdoors has got to be a good thing. It's not for my back, but power to ya. PS: profnachos, if Christian rappers can grab crotch, I think it's okay for you.
