Desperate for Help

Your progressing about as fast as I did, if that makes you feel a little
better. 🙂

It sounds like your stopping with the pedals vertical. Make sure to
put virtually ALL of your weight _on_the_seat_!! This way you preserve
your forward momentum and you can roll through the
vertical-pedal-position. Also be sure to sit straight up on the seat.
I think that's basically all you need to remember, though someone will
most likely tell you to look straight ahead and not at the ground.
(personally, that never helped me)

--
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Spudman said:

Your progressing about as fast as I did, if that makes you feel a little
better. 🙂

It sounds like your stopping with the pedals vertical. Make sure to
put virtually ALL of your weight _on_the_seat_!! This way you preserve
your forward momentum and you can roll through the
vertical-pedal-position. Also be sure to sit straight up on the seat.
I think that's basically all you need to remember, though someone will
most likely tell you to look straight ahead and not at the ground.
(personally, that never helped me)

Now that you mention it, I think that may be my biggest problem. I just
sort of start putting my weight on the pedals and half-standing
half-sitting without realizing it...maybe if I work on that (and start
looking straight ahead instead of at the ground), I'll progress a
little faster.

And actually, it makes me feel a lot better that you progressed about
as fast as I am. 😄

--
dudewithasock

'My Unicycling Journal'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44950)

768
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Everything aside, practice. You'll get it.

--
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it has been know to cause warts, ringworm, and diaper rash.
it may contain logic, poltical incorrectyness, pchycological nudity,
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Wait, so you have been registered here since september but only had a
uni for 4 days?

For tips, i would just say keep going, if you are making any progress
at all you will learn soon enough.

--
litldude2

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This might sound a bit metaphysical, but it helps me, I'm learning to
wheel walk right now and I feel like a complete beginner all of a
sudden:

Breath slowly. Visualize the action (including keeping the wheel going
round and round. I know, it does sometimes get stuck on part of a
revolution), eyes ahead and level, feel your center and keep the uni
underneath it.

You've probably seen a lot of the hopping and thrashing videos on the
forum, put that aside for now and think smooooooth. Focus. Balance.

This might sound contrary to much of what it said here, too. I learned
to idle before riding. Just back and forth with one hand lightly on a
fence, then letting go. Once I did that I practiced one rev forwards
one rev back. Gradually less clinging on the fence then I was off,
wondering what I should do when I got to the end of the driveway!!

Don't worry about your seat getting messed up. Better it than you,
eh!!

You're doing well.
Blake

--
podzol
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Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're learning way the heck
faster than I did. I only got to practice on Monday nights (didn't have
my own uni), and it took me two and a half to really learn how to go
about 20 revolutions. Then I got my own uni, and practiced insanesly
for about two weeks until I got it. Just remember the Gregor clan
motto, -Perseverando-, which means "persevering" in Latin. Practice,
practice, practice, then practice more. You'll get it. If I can do it,
anyone can. 🙄

--
subsonic87

Check out one of my latest favorite bands: 'Chagall Guevara'
(http://homepage.mac.com/mpeters/chagall_guevara/) (free downloads).
Also, check out my company, the coolest up-and-coming woodceilings
company: '9Wood' (http://www.9wood.com).
Or don't check 'em out. I understand.
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I remember having the same issue when I was learning. Not getting my
butt on the seat. I remember saying to myself as I would mount:"get up
on the pedals, sit on the seat, and pedal."

I've been riding for a couple months now, and I'm still learning new
things every time I ride. Be patient, and keep at it. It'll come.

--
Tim Morin
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just like diving... only picture good thoughts... clear your mind of
failure... and sucess will come

Chase

--
Unitik908

All hail the exhaulted Sigpoose, for he is forever king...
R.I.P Unibiker
R.I.P Gazzaloddi
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R.I.P Mitch Hedberg
R.I.P Peter Jennings
R.I.P Pope John Paul II
R.I.P James_Potters_Cat
YAMS

-last edited by the dave and sigpoose on 2005-09-05 at 08:56 pm -
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Didn't expect this many replies. Thanks to all of you for the support. I
will most certainly not give up, and will keep right on falling and
getting back on. 😄

--
dudewithasock

'My Unicycling Journal'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44950)

768
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Here I am practicing coker idle by my refridgerator with my sock
puppet!

And yes, my kid thinks I'm nuts when I ask him to take pictures of my
nonsense.

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--
podzol
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NEVER QUIT! Quiters will get NOTHING out of a lifetime
Besides if it was easy, everyone would be on 1 wheel 😉

--
Daytripper63
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exactly!
keep at it. I was at it for a total time span of two months, because i
could never get my hands on my own uni. I borrowed a couple family
friends' unis, and then got my first one from my aunt, and its seatpost
was like 3 inches long and it hindered me a lot. Keep at it.

--
abbabibble

Cheers, Mat.
-----------------------
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you might try using ski poles when you practice

--
Daytripper63
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Many have already said weight on the saddle, look ahead, smooth,
circular pedal strokes. One important thing is that you learn from
mistakes. That said, make mistakes. Don't step off when you're about to
fall, keep going until you fall off. When you start to fall, learn to
correct. Afterall, when you're riding a unicycle you're constantly
falling and correcting.

To make sure your weight is on the saddle, adjust the saddle height
correctly. When you are sitting on the saddle with your heel on the
down pedal in its lowest position your knee should be straight. To
learn, maybe an inch lower will help. Each time before you launch, look
ahead, remind yourself to settle into the saddle and do it, and remind
yourself to make smooth pedal strokes. Then ride until you fall.

--
harper

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

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This is still my nth post....*AWESOME!!!*
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dudewithasock said:

Is this slow progress normal?

Looks about normal. You can read about learning time of others, and
even use an Exel spreadsheet to predict your own learning time (before
you can ride 50 metres). Go to
http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/agelearn_short.htm

Quoted message said:

Should I keep just practicing the way I
am? Any random tips?

Hopefully some useful tips for you (especially from the freely
downloadable booklet "Learning to Unicycle" by Andrew Carter and me),
on
http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/uni_beginners.htm

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"erectile function trumps public image - David Stone, commenting on the importance of seat comfort"

podzol said:

And yes, my kid thinks I'm nuts when I ask him to take pictures of my
nonsense.

Why do you think they invented the self-timer function on cameras?

Daytripper63 said:

NEVER QUIT! Quiters will get NOTHING out of a lifetime

Very true, untill recently someone on the forum had this Lance Armstrong
quote in their siglines:

Quoted message said:

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or
a day, ... If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

They just paraphrased it to:

Quoted message said:

Pain is temporary.
Quitting is forever.

podzol said:

This might sound a bit metaphysical, but it helps me..

Breath slowly.

And on an even more basic level, just breathe.
It sounds odd but a lot of people will gulp in a lungfull of air and
hold it while they attempt a feat of some (real or imagined)
difficulty.
Unless you're taking part in a breath-holding competition, there is
almost no activity in this world where holding a chestfull of breath is
going to help you. Doing that causes your upper body to be stiff and
immobile and especially on the unicycle where you need micro-movements
and -adjustment of your upper body to help with balance, this doesn't
help.

Sit on the uni.
Hold onto your support.
Take a couple of calming breaths and imagine yourself riding away.
Focus on sitting on the seat.
Focus on looking at the horizon or a door on the house across the
street or a tree in the distance, anything, just make sure you're
looking up and not at the ground.
Focus on turning the pedals over smoothly.
Focus on taking one more breath and when you're about 3/4 the way thru
breathing it *out*, ride off.

And don't worry too much about pedalling as fast as you can. Riding a
unicycle is a very controlled activity. Trying to pedal too fast won't
really help you.
Keep it controlled.

And breathe.

--
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Don't panic. If you're frustrated with yourself and the uni right now,
take a break for a day or so and then get back to practicing. The most
important is not to give up entirely and best way to do that is to have
fun practicing.

--
Borges
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Don't panic. If you're frustrated with yourself and the uni right now,
take a break for a day or so and then get back to practicing. The most
important is not to give up entirely and best way to do that is to have
fun practicing.

--
Borges
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Don't panic. If you're frustrated with yourself and the uni right now,
take a break for a day or so and then get back to practicing. The most
important is not to give up entirely and best way to do that is to have
fun practicing.

--
Borges
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