20 metre barrier

wilbert said:

*I've been riding for a few weeks now (2 hours/week).
I can ride about 20 metres but not much further.
Has anyone else found that you get stuck at a certain distances. Or is
it just me ??? 🙁 *

welcome to the board!

no, it's not just u
the solution is as simple as practise, practise, practise
u can speed things up by focusing on a couple of things
basically u need to do whatever got u 20m far, just do it a lil' bit
better
a lil' bit smoother
i'll guess that u're probably coming off when the pedal on the down arc
gets 'stuck' at the bottom
this is caused by u shifting your weight from the seat to your feet
when u start feeling slightly unstable on the seat, it's a natural
reaction to put more weight on your feet in order to try n regain
stability
to ride the one-wheeled-wonder, u have to find your body's 'Override'
switch for this instinctive reaction and relax into the seat
as in horseriding, your stability lies in putting your full weight on
the seat
make sure it's acomfortable one
2hrs a day can easily get pretty uncomfortable, adding to your 20m woes
as your boohiney just can't be sitted upon any more
do some searches on 'seats', 'comfort' and 'sore' (and similar terms) to
find threads with oodles of advice on how to make your seat more
comfortable

make sure u're not looking down on the ground when u ride
focus on the horizon, or opposite wall
this helps with a good posture for learning to ride the uni

check that u're not suddenly hitting a bit of uphill at the 20m mark

and try n make sure that u roll the pedals over as smoothly as possible
and that u don't manically speed-up as u go
this will throw u off pretty quickly
it must be as controlled as possible

how did u get into uni in the first place?

--
GILD - Waffle-[censored] and Time-bider

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice 'Roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) Longworth
I'm going to memorize your name and throw my head away.
-- Oscar Levant

'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GILD's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/657
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

Great avdvice above by Gild as above.

I got stuck on a variety of skills and the ulimate solution was always.
Sit on the seat!

And practice, practice, practice.

Also let go of the rationale thinking and let your muscles start taking
over. They have a mind of their own and are invariably right!

--
unixtc - Sit on the seat!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
unixtc's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8030
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

Like you I only get in a couple of hours a week and I know that
feeling!! Both the 20m barrier and the pain! But trust me, it all comes
in time.

I'm about 6-7 weeks into this now, and it's all about practice parctice
practice! and possibly a decent uni?

I did a 4-5 mile off road ride a couple of weeks back which was great
fun!
I can ride down steps (6 is about the best I've done)
Ride along and hop up kerbs - good skill for continuous riding without
having to dismount all the time.
This weekend I rode along a wall 2ft high and 1 brick wide for about 6m
- that was an amazing feeling! My skills had progressed this far!😄
Riding along this wall also made for the need for polishing up my near
on non-existing drop-off skills, or becoing a mess on the floor!

As for 'normal' basic skills - turning sharp each way has suddenly
appeared from nowhere. I will admit I really need to work on these basic
skills. I can't even idle yet! 😕 ....... but I'm sure it'll
all come with practice practice practice, after all, I've only owned a
uni for 2 months and don't get the chance to play as much as I'd like.

I did get a decent uni (Onza 24" Muni) which I'm sure has helped me.

--
jonjon - One wheeled sterilization master

..... where's your big shoes and squirty flower?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
jonjon's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7862
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

Thank for the good advice guys.

Gild, I'm sure you've actually seen me ride as your advice is spot on.

I don't seem to be able to keep a smooth pedal action.... fast slow
fast.... and I tend to fall at the slow bits. I'll try and find that
override switch 🙂

I'd always want to ride a uni and about 4 weeks ago saw one in a local
(Leicstershire, UK) bike shop. After a week both myself and my daughter
got hooked and she sort of pinched the uni, so I bought a 20" Trainer
from Unicycle.com in the UK.

Just added the KH seat. It makes so much difference 🙂

So it's off to practice practice and more practice.

Of course my daughter just rides off into the sunset shouting " Come on
dad keep up"

--
wilbert
------------------------------------------------------------------------
wilbert's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7967
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

Blimey! I saw the thread title and thought someone had sidehopped over
a 20 metre barrier!:eek:

Keep practising. Soon it'll be the 5 mile barrier. Good luck.

--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

Everyone should be fatuous for 15 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mikefule's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/879
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

I think I need to practice a lot more for that 🙂

--
wilbert

And I always thought kids were ankle biters :eek:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
wilbert's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7967
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

wilbert said:

*Of course my daughter just rides off into the sunset shouting " Come
on dad keep up" *

get a coker

:p

--
GILD - Waffle-[censored] and Time-bider

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice 'Roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) Longworth
I'm going to memorize your name and throw my head away.
-- Oscar Levant

'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GILD's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/657
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

wilbert said:

*Of course my daughter just rides off into the sunset shouting " Come
on dad keep up" *

Well, as somebody who has watched FAR TOO MANY youngsters arrive at the
club, get on a uni for the first time, and be riding around within what
looks like minutes, I can empathise. They seem to think I'm joking when
I invite them to stand behind my car so I can reverse over them - go
figure.🙄

Just remind yourself that you have all those extra years of muscle
memory of NOT UNICYCLING to overcome and you'll feel much better.
Actually - remind yourself that you are of legal drinking age and do
that - it works faster. 😉

Jayne

--
Jayne ZA - Downsizing to a 24

Being a statistician means never having to say you're certain

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jayne ZA's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4878
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

A really good way to get over that barrier and get to ride more smoothly
is to play unicycle hockey.

Seriously, there was someone at hockey in London who came along without
being able to ride 5 feet, let alone 20 metres, the rate of improvement
is much faster when you've got something else to think about. It's also
a great way to learn how to mount, as you have a stick to lean on to
help you get used to it.

Coincidentally, there's unicycle hockey in Derby every tuesday, at
Darley Fields, whatever the weather. We have all levels of rider, from
'only riding for 3 weeks at juggling club' to 'having played quite a lot
of hockey and ridden unicycles loads'. Details of hockey are below in
case you're interested. It's well worth the trip from Leicester if
you're out that way.

Joe

floodlit 5-a-side pitch at Darley Fields in Chester Green Derby.
8.00-9.00pm on Tuesday so turn up at 7.45ish so we're ready to go as
soon as the court is free.
IF you've got your own stick bring - we've probably got 8 or so sticks
at the club but the more the merrier and if you can make sure that er is
some form of end protector on the end of the stick to minimise the
chance of injury. And if theres a chance that your one wheeled steed can
be sporting plastic pedals that would also be a good thing

Directions
From Nottingham:
Head to Derby on the A52 when you reach the pentagon island take the 3rd
exit the A61 (sir Frank Whittle Way) when you reach the small traffic
island next to the Alfa Romeo garage turn left and then immeadiately
left again. Follow the road over the bridge and to another small traffic
island. Follow this road straight to the end and the pitch is on the
right at the bottom of the road.

Map:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetma...=337650&A=Y&Z=1

So anybody is welcome and there'll be a possibility of a cheeky half
afterwards - If you can let me know who might attend with contact
details [roland(at)suttonuk(dot)com] then I mail out any further
information. and a mobile number so that you can ring if you get lost.

--
joemarshall - dumb blonde
------------------------------------------------------------------------
joemarshall's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/1545
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

I did it. I got through the 20 metre barrier and can now ride until I
hit something. :eek:

Any advice on turning would be welcome 🙂

--
wilbert

And I always thought kids were ankle biters :eek:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
wilbert's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7967
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

I did it. I got through the 20 metre barrier and can now ride until I
hit something. :eek:

Any advice on turning would be welcome 🙂

--
wilbert

And I always thought kids were ankle biters :eek:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
wilbert's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7967
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

I did it. I got through the 20 metre barrier and can now ride until I
hit something. :eek:

Any advice on turning would be welcome 🙂

--
wilbert

And I always thought kids were ankle biters :eek:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
wilbert's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7967
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710

wilbert said:

*I did it. I got through the 20 metre barrier and can now ride until I
hit something. :eek:*

brilliant!!
it's official now, that's one more of us and one less of them

wilbert said:

*Any advice on turning would be welcome 🙂 *

😉 the best advice on turning was suggested on this forum somewhere by
someone
i've been dead keen to figure out who because i quote it quite often and
want to be able to give credit where it's due
the advice went something along the lines of
'ride straight at a wall and don't hit it
then remember what u did to not hit it and do it again'

turning on a uni is a remarkable 'knacky' skill and once u get it, u'll
realise how incredibly difficult it can be to try n explain
counterbalancing and hipsway are but two of the terms used to confuse
new riders
get hold of the 'Search' function at the top of the page to read thru
the reams and reams of threads on the issue
somewhere in there u'll find an explanation that makes sense to u

i stick with the simplest possible version
it worked for me and if it works for u will save me a crapload of
typing😉

while u're riding along, look in the direction u want to turn (look
90degrees from the direction u're riding in)
when that side pedal comes over, step down on it just a lil' harder than
u normally would (a bit of trial and error will sort out how hard)
this will cause the uni to twist and u'll be facing in the desired
direction
practise this both ways from the start
one will be possible
one will not
yet
hang in there

--
GILD - Waffle-[censored] and Time-bider

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
alice 'roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) longworth
i'm going to memorize your name and throw my head away.-- oscar levant
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GILD's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/657
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/35710