1st outing on my 29er

cathwood said:

*

I only have 3 problems really

1 - My left knee keeps clicking (any ideas what I can do about
this?)
2 - I need to get some different cycle shorts. The ones that I was
wearing has a ridge where a woman shouldn't have a ridge (although
they were specifically women's shorts). And they cut off the blood
supply to my varicose veins - now I have a big bruise. I don't suppose
many of you will have this problem.
3 - i'm having a problem getting my left foot onto the pedal when
freemounting, it lands sort of half on and half off. Then I can't move
it cos they are pinned pedals and the ridges under my shoe are caught
on them. Would using plastic pedals for a while sort this out or is
there a better way? (practice, practice, practice per chance?)

Cathy
😎 *

1. Get a new wooden leg IMMEDIATELY!
2. Go for padded shorts
3. Adjust your foot position when pedal reaches 12 o'clock

There, now you have no problems at all!

--
goldenchicken II

Olaf Johansson
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cathwood said:

3 - i'm having a problem getting my left foot onto the pedal when
freemounting, it lands sort of half on and half off. Then I can't move
it cos they are pinned pedals and the ridges under my shoe are caught on
them. Would using plastic pedals for a while sort this out or is there a
better way? (practice, practice, practice per chance?)

As your foot comes up to and over the top of the circle, you should be
able to lift weight off it and adjust its position without altering your
riding.

Sounds like you had a good ride! I'm desperately trying to clear my credit
card down so I can allow myself to buy a bigger wheel.

Cheers,

Stu
--
:wq!

Nice, Cath! It's amazing how many people see a 29er and find it the
"Wow, that's biggest unicycle I've ever seen" (which it probably is!).

1. Adjust your seating... rotate your foot on the pedal to change your
knee angle... press your knee more towards or away from the cycle's
centerline... wear a neoprene knee sleeve... change your seat height...
try a different saddle...

2. Try a different brand of shorts... try a different size of shorts...
try shorts with a longer leg... stretch the bottom leg band so that a
few threads snap and the band is looser...

3. Yup - practice, practise, practice, practise, practice, practise!

--
U-Turn - Cool water for the flame

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)
'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)
'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)
-- Dave Stockton
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Padded b*ke shorts, for sure

Over these I wear nylon shorts. Usually something like Columbia water
shorts or outdoor shorts or canoe shorts (can't recall). Often simply
men's bathing trunks. Similar construction and besides, I look
ridicoulous in women's bathing suits. [Talk about comments!!]

The ridge created by denim material can be 1/8 inch thick. Bad for all
humans with crotchal zones, M or F. The nylon seam is almost flat. These
pants also have pockets. I carry water (typically a recycled gatorade
bottle, I use these for months) in the back butt pocket. Any other
pocket and it joggles around. But in a [deep enough] back pocket it
rides quietly.

Men's swimming trunks also have that mesh liner. So if I have to, I can
take off the drenched b*ke shorts and just wear the bathing suit. Nylon
dries quickly too. This is good for when I'm riding to someplace I'll
stay for a while.

Cant do much about your clicking left knee. ...Try using your right
knee. Oh, one footing is doable on a 29er. Many positive comments from
Muggles will result. I like U-Turn's advice.

I agree with earlier comments re: shifting foot position. Its a little
tougher with pins, but you'll get good at it. You'll need the pins on
XCountry excursions. Don't switch.

Enjoy new toy.

--
Memphis Mud - Student of GrandMaster 2T

"winter in peanut butter comes turquoise" -Greg Harper
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Thanks for those comments.
I'm off to get a new wooden leg now and practice moving my foot later.

Cathy

--
cathwood - Lunicyclist

A thought is just a thought.

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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Differnt shorts sound like a good bet. I'm really picky when i buy cycle
shorts and look at the pad first, then the price, then the style. Some
of mine are "womens" some are "mens" I don't think the manufacturers
have given any thought to the pad design in some so called womens
shorts, they just make the legs shorter - as if we more mature women
want to expose MORE of our upper legs! - and the waists sizes smaller.

Edingburgh bicycle co-op do a good line in mail order if your LBS is
rubbish, I have some of their 3/4 length cycle tights and thier great.
Also it was no problem to return a pair of shorts that were not quite
as the web spec described ( the pad had a seem in the wrong place) and
get a promt refund.

Sarah
29ering since 2002

--
sarah.miller - SWUM unicyclist

South West Unicycle Meet
www.uk.unicyclist.com/swum.html
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Thanks for those comments Sarah. I have bought a couple of other styles
to try. One particular style seems to be much more comfortable. Never
thought of looking at men's though, I just assumed that women's would be
better shaped for women. I also find it hard to get women's shorts big
enough. They seem to thing that only teeny tiny women want to cycle.
Oh well.

Cathy

--
cathwood - Lunicyclist

A thought is just a thought.

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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cathwood said:

*
1 - My left knee keeps clicking (any ideas what I can do about
this?)
Cathy
😎 *

I had a similar problem when I first started riding Muni. My knee didn't
click but it would hurt. I originally thought that I was going to have
to give up unicycling.

When I would free mount, wherever my foot ended up on the pedal, it
would stay in that position. Sometimes it wasn't as straight as it
should have been and would stress my knee on every pedal stroke. After a
few weeks of knee pain I, realized what was happening and was able to
relax and lighten up my "grip" on the pedal. Doing so allowed my foot to
adjust to the correct position. Pain went away almost immediately

--
One on one - Proud member of the UALW and GUA

"However, like the jet pilot, if the Coker rider tries to turn too fast,
he/she could black out."
-Memphis Mud

I went further than I had planned and had a testicle break at about 25
ks
-onebyone

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What kind of shoes are you using?

I am finding that I am going to have to invest in a pair of shoes more
suited to spiked pedals. I normally use lightweight hill walking shoes,
but they have quite an aggressive sole, and repositioning the foot on
the pedal is really hard. If I had a sole with out the heavy grips, then
I would be able to reposition my foot, without the worry of it coming
off the pedal.

Innes

--
innes - Unicyclist
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I wear flat soled tennis-style trainers. The soles are soft enough that
the pedal pins grip, but smooth enough that I can easily reposition my
feet when necessary.

Nice to read of your enthusiasm for the ride in the first post on this
thread, by the way. <<down to the beach and then rode 5 miles (there &
back) along the prom. It was a beautiful evening. Very still. The tide
was out (so the dogs were on the beach) and the sea was absolutely flat.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

paints the picture with just the right number of brush strokes.

--
Mikefule - The first cuckoo of unicycling

Sumer is icomen in, loud sing Mikefule!
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Yes, great description of your ride - I'm glad you are enjoying the
29er. I haven't been on the forum in a while, so what kind of 29er did
you wind up with?

I find that I ride my 29" more often than I ride the Coker or the 26"
these days.

As to your 3 questions:

1. My knees click too sometimes. I've learned to ignore it. Of course
my knees will be 50 years old this year, so I have finally learned how
they work. If your seat height is proper and you aren't having any
other knee problems, the occasional click can be dealt with!

2. I can't really comment on cycle shorts - the obvious gender
differences, and I am really bad about just going for a ride wearing
whatever I happen to have on at the time. I do a lot of rides in blue
jeans or cut-offs, but I really don't recommend that anyone do the same.
Well fitting and well-worn padded cycle shorts work much better, but it
is such a personal thing!

3. Keep riding with the pinned pedals - you'll thank yourself for
learning to ride them when you get caught in a sudden rainstorm, or
anytime conditions get a little slick. It is much better to learn to
"one foot" at least enough to position your feet than to wind up doing
the "unintentional one foot" when the pedals get slick. The
"unintentional one foot" almost always ends up in a spectacular UPD!

Good luck, and keep giving us these nice write-ups on your rides.

Chuck

--
Chuck Webb

I live in my own little world but its ok...they know me here!

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Thanks Chuck and Mikefule (an honour coming from you, if I may say
so).

The kind of shoes I wear are basic 'trainers' with some grip underneath
but not alot so I'm going to try harder to move my foot when I'm riding
now.

My 29er is the Nimbus model with the big Apple tyre. I did buy a knobbly
tyre to because I thought I would like that better but the Big Apple
felt so good that I haven't taken it off yet. In fact, it has made me
more enthusiastic about slick tyres so that I'm now not going to sell my
Nimbus 2 with hookworm tyre because I'm enjoying riding that again.

What a wonderful hobby/sport/obsession this is. Last night I went up to
the nearest mountain and was practicing up and down small grassy hills
on my onza. Once you've got yourself a fleet of uni's there's just so
much variety and fun to be had.
Tonight I will be taking my 20" nimbus 2 to the circus club and
practicing my idling and juggling while riding (which I managed to do
the length of the hall on monday, much to my great delight).

And one thing I've found is whatever I do on the uni helps whatever
else I do on the uni, which is generally about improving my balance I
think.

Cheers everybody.

Cathy

--
cathwood - Lunicyclist

A thought is just a thought.

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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Hi Cath,

All of the above plus "Keep enjoying ..."

Rgds
Chris

--
munidobs - Level - probably not !

"We have a firm commitment to Nato; we are a part of Nato. We have a
firm commitment to Europe. We are part of Europe." George Dubya
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OK Cathy, you've really got me wanting to get out there on my 29er and
master that nasty steep hill that goes down into our village, and then
up to the other end of the village!

You seem to be making so much progress I'm beginning to get worried
about whether or not you have been neglecting your family lately...

But anyway, well done you! 🙂

--
s7ev0 - Here comes the summer!

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was
to blame but us. Remember accidents? ~ sourced by GILD
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Quoted message said:

edit] I notice you call your 29er "her" - I think of mine as the "big
boy".

Yep, my 29er is a 'she', the onza is a tank and so is definately a 'he',
the other 2 are 'it'.

Quoted message said:

You seem to be making so much progress I'm beginning to get worried
about whether or not you have been neglecting your family lately

You needn't worry about that Steve, I've always neglected them - they're
used to it now. (They have to follow me to uni conventions to even talk
to me these days!)

😄

Cathy

--
cathwood - Lunicyclist

A thought is just a thought.

http://www.chuckingandtwirling.co.uk
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