Sometimes when I read the "I can hop 6ft and I've only been riding for three days" type of posts it feels like I don't make any progress at all. But the other day I was riding down one of my usual routes (slightly 'off road'😉 on the coker and I was holding the handle with both hands, just cruising. When I remembered the last time I had made the same journey on my 29er, about 6 months ago. I remembered being slightly ashamed because my arms were waving all over the place trying to keep my balance on the uneaven track. Now I was cruising no handed. I guess I must be making progress after all.
Cathy
-- cathwood
Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice
Good job. I still struggle riding with both hands on the saddle. Can't go more than about 15 meters without having to let go and flail. I'm quite impressed with your progress.
I'm glad I wrote this before going out to practice freemounting the coker. 3 freemounts in 20 mins. Sigh. Still some way to go yet then 🙄
Cathy
PS underdog - I certainly didn't do the whole 6 miles with both hands on the handle. Some of the uphill stuff I even do with both hands kind of reaching in front of me. I just happened to remeber when I was riding down a particular stretch of path that I couldn't do it 6 months ago without flailing.
And I'm too chicken to do curbs higher than 5cm on the coker.
-- cathwood
Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice
Congrats on the progress Cathy, it's a really great feeling when balance becomes instinctive and automatic. I find that once the balance is automatic, part of the challenge is just to *believe* you can do things, so as to commit to them - otherwise you end up bailing prematurely.
Btw, offtopic, I built up that Nimbus 29er with a Kenda Klaw and 150mm cranks - it looks great and it absolutely rocks! It's quite fast (less so than the coker, obviously) seems to ride OK on tarmac and off so far (although took a while to get used to steering). I did some fun offroad, including some steep / narrow slopes, and it feels tremendously controllable and grippy. Having the 29er in this configuration differentiates it better from the 36er.
-- mark williamson
Dave: Just a question. What use is a unicyle with no seat? And no pedals! Mark: To answer a question with a question: What use is a skateboard? Dave: Skateboards have wheels. Mark: My wheel has a wheel! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mark williamson's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/11301 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/53416
Well, congrats on the progress! I thought I was the only one who couldn't do the 1' drop(it's actually 6" in the skill levels, but the one I have is 1'😉 except on my 20"! Apparently I'm an extreme unicyclist, and I wanna get into unicycle dancing or at least hockey but the only club in here is the Puerto Rico B-ball club...I can't idle...rats! And it's about 2 hrs. away...
-- Andy912912
Need for (low) speed!Level Bored!Plain Crazy!I reject your reality and substitute my own!(Adam, Mythbuster)I now ride for Christ(though I always did, now I'm in that group) but I still need my daily dose of (low) speed! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andy912912's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/12601 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/53416
Always strikes me as missing something though - all that effort to learn to ride a hands-free vehicle, and when we get confident we keep both hands on the handle.
nice one cathy. That's what I like about unicycling, you come back to try what was a dismal skill a while back is suddenly really easy! one cheat for the freemount (although not technically cheating I suppose) is to grab hold of the wheel in front and pull yourself up that way... I think it worked second time for me - not nice if the tyre's mucky though!
Glad you're enjoying your riding. Hardly had chance to ride for a few weeks now.🙁
-- Mikefule
"We begin in the madness of carnal desire and the transport of voluptuousness; we end in the dissolution of all our parts and the musty stench of corpses." Arthur Schopenhauer. Philosopher and pessimist. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mikefule's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/879 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/53416
nice one cathy. That's what I like about unicycling, you come back to try what was a dismal skill a while back is suddenly really easy! one cheat for the freemount (although not technically cheating I suppose) is to grab hold of the wheel in front and pull yourself up that way... I think it worked second time for me - not nice if the tyre's mucky though!
MMM and dog muck is a big problem around here. Especially riding in the dark. I don't realised I've picked it up until I get that sweet aroma!
Freemounting downhill works very well - I usually manage about 80% of the time.
Cathy
-- cathwood
Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice
I'm glad I wrote this before going out to practice freemounting the coker. 3 freemounts in 20 mins. Sigh. Still some way to go yet then 🙄
Cathy
PS underdog - I certainly didn't do the whole 6 miles with both hands on the handle. Some of the uphill stuff I even do with both hands kind of reaching in front of me. I just happened to remeber when I was riding down a particular stretch of path that I couldn't do it 6 months ago without flailing.
And I'm too chicken to do curbs higher than 5cm on the coker.
Probably one of the things I love so much about unicycling is that there are so many aspects of riding that you can use to measure your improvement. Like all of a sudden realizing that you're nailing your freemounts or that you've just ridden a couple of miles without flailing. Then you think back to the time that you couldn't have dreamed of doing that. I'm always concentrating on two or three skills that I really wish I could do and I get really frustrated at times. Then I think back to when I couldn't even freemount or ride around the neighborhood without a UPD or...
There's always a challange and always a feeling of accomplishment with unicycling. Wonderful sport, eh?
Probably one of the things I love so much about unicycling is that there are so many aspects of riding that you can use to measure your improvement. Like all of a sudden realizing that you're nailing your freemounts or that you've just ridden a couple of miles without flailing. Then you think back to the time that you couldn't have dreamed of doing that. I'm always concentrating on two or three skills that I really wish I could do and I get really frustrated at times. Then I think back to when I couldn't even freemount or ride around the neighborhood without a UPD or...
There's always a challange and always a feeling of accomplishment with unicycling. Wonderful sport, eh?
Absolutely fantastic!
Cathy
-- cathwood
Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice
