One solution is to figure out a way to armor or pad your Achilles
tendon. You could try some soccer shin pads turned around to the back
of the leg. There are many different styles and shapes of soccer shin
pads. One of them ought to work well for Achilles tendon protection.
What you don't want is something that restricts your ankle from flexing
properly as you pedal. You need to be able to freely flex your ankle in
order to pedal correctly.
The other solution is to stop falling off the Coker at speed. UPDs at
speed should be very rare unless you are the type of rider who pushes
the speed envelope. I ride conservatively and I am having difficulty
trying to recall the last time I had a UPD at speed where I would have
been at risk of the saddle hitting my Achilles tendon.
When I first got my Coker I was about a level 3 rider. I was able to
ride, but UPDs at 10+ mph were common. I was a UPD waiting to happen.
Then I started working on my freestyle skills. I now consider myself a
level 5 (although I've never been tested) with some level 6 and 7 skills
thrown in. I'm a much better rider now. My balance is better. The
better riding transfered over to the Coker. I'm now a much better Coker
rider than I was. UPDs at speed are now very rare. Low speed UPDs are
still common, from trying to do things like a sharp U-turn on a bike
path, but those aren't anything to be concerned about. If I was to push
my limits and try for speed I would be falling more. I keep my speed
reasonable and at a pace that I can maintain a comfortable margin of
control. For me, that means keeping my speed below 14.5 mph. Above
that speed and things start to get sketchy for me.
So work on your unicycling skills and your Coker riding will improve.
It may not seem obvious that learning how to wheel walk or ride one
footed on a standard unicycle will help your Coker riding, but it will.
The freestyle skills force you to improve your balance and control.
You'll find that you are riding well within the boundaries of the
balance envelope which means much fewer UPDs at speed. Look at the
people who are doing great things on the Coker and you'll find that most
of them are level 5 and above unicyclists.
--
john_childs - Guinness Mojo
john_childs (at) hotmail (dot) com
Gallery: '' (http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/john_childs)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
john_childs's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/449
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/36960
