New riders how is your progress?

Hey, after riding for a month and a half my progress
stopped, because my unicycle broke. But now it has been 2
weeks more, and this is how I was 2 weeks ago. I made a 16"
hop. I can ride with one foot down the street. I cant idle
or ride backwards. I can do pedal grabs on to decent sized
objects, and can jump down, but i never made to to rubber. I
did ride a 24" sun, but Im getting a Summit soon. I can ride
as far as i really want without a upd. I havent really tried
for distance because i have an uncomfortable seat. I can do
a running mount, right foot mount, left foot mount, and a
mount where i run, and right away i only put my left foot on
the pedals. My right foot goes straight to the crown without
touching the pedals.

--
gpickett00 - Level 3.7

Bicycle is just a short way of saying unicycle with a training wheel.
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Hi One on One,

I’m 35, have a 24” German made unicycle (all I know about
it that I bought it from a market in Germany and it was
quite expensive) which I ride all the time, and a 24” Max
Traction back at home a Muni. Have put KH saddles on both
of them. I’ve been riding since November of last year, and
probably have around 40 may be 50 hours in the saddle, and
still consider myself a beginner. So I’m not that far
ahead of you. So what have I learnt so far, free mount
almost the same as you 75 percent and again left foot
only. I can ride for miles and miles only UPDing when I
loose concentration or feel tired. I can turn tight
circles left and right, figures of eight 1.5m. Only
recently have I been able to really stop and then start
again, and occasionally I can back pedal a rotation and
ride off. Although I took a nasty fall yesterday and
scared myself, luckily I wear elbow protectors and wrist
guards along with a hat so all I did was bounce, not a
single injury but I didn’t like it one dot.

So what am I presently working on? Well I can almost ride
backwards continuously down my training run, (that’s 3 metal
container which are about 5 ft from the wall of a building
giving me about 45 ft to ride along with support either
side), but I can’t do it in the open, I just don’t have the
confidence. I can just about ride, hop then ride off but
it’s an on and off affair. I’d really like to idle but I
can’t quite get it, I can feel it work once or twice then
I’m falling sideways.

What really made a difference to me was riding lots of
circles, both ways, and more the way I felt intimidated by.

So that’s my position. Suppose it’s six months of work. Good
luck, my email address if [email hidden] if you’d like
to chat MSN [email hidden]

JJ

--
Huthwaite - <bahhh>
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You're doing terrific gpickett00. I wish that I had started
riding when I was a lot younger, but never really thought
about the uni back then.

*"I can ride for miles and miles only UPDing when I loose
concentration or feel tired." Huthwaite*

That's what usually allows me to "work on" my freemounts.

*"Although I took a nasty fall yesterday and scared myself,
luckily I wear elbow protectors and wrist guards along with
a hat so all I did was bounce, not a single injury but I
didn’t like it one dot." Huthwaite*

Helmet and wristguards for me. I had a fall a couple of
weeks ago where I was riding slowly and just kind of fell
off of the seat. I slid down and landed with my leg wedged
between the crank and the spokes.

*"What really made a difference to me was riding lots of
circles, both ways, and more the way I felt intimidated by".
Huthwaite*

I will take your advice and work on my circles. Learning to
ride backwards is also next on my agenda.

Thanks, Duane

--
One on one
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Hmmm, first tried a spare unicycle once a week or so last
June. I could not cross the juggling club's hall until
November. Yes, *five months* to accomplish just that! That
goal was achieved the week after I bought my own unicycle, a
20" freestyle Nimbus X.

I'd say January was when I got the riding forwards and
various forms of turning steady, along with freemounting 75%
of the time (only right foot down). Over the past month or
two I'd got idling more-or-less sussed out (again, only
right foot down). The next task may be hopping (but they say
lock your knees and use your ankles, I don't understand how
the hell you hop with your knees locked!).

Also been on two outdoor rides with a couple of other riders
at the club which I find an absolute blast, especially those
wheelchair friendly (and thus unicycle friendly) subway
access slopes!

I just wish I had the nerve to ride around more between the
weekly juggling club sessions, doing more than just idling
while watching TV in the lounge. It's no problem riding with
two other people in a different town, but the moment I step
out my own front door with unicycle in hand, I sweat and
break out in a panic attack and have to rush back indoors.

--
gkmac - Shy Nervous Newbie
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I'm 16 and have been unicycling for a month or so. I can
ride a fair distance, but if I loose my concentration
(like thinking about how uncomfortable the seat is!) I
have to jump off.

I am working on being able to start without a telephone poll
for support. Also on the list is to be able to ride my
brother's 5' giraffe.

I don't have a uni of my own yet, gonna take care of that
tonight hopefully. Looking to get an older schwinn, like the
ones my brothers have.

It's great to hear other's experiences! Thank you all for
sharing 🙂

Bonnie

--
busnutmedic

"Hey, there go the wheelers!"
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I have been riding for 4 months, it took me 2 days to learn
to ride as far as i wanted. I can idle as long as I want I
can ride along like 10cm walls and almost along the rails of
train tracks for a bit, I think I could do that if I didn't
have a buckled rim and two bent cranks where the pedals
attach to the crank. I can ride backwards as far as I want,
I could ride one footed for about 15 rotations but gave up
after that because I have a really weak knee and it was
causing pain. I did a 3 and a half foot drop to grass
yesterday and imagine I could do one to concrete aswell. My
freestyle unicycle doesn't share the same opinion 3 foot to
3 and a half foot drops have buckled the rim, majorly bent
my cranks where the pedal attaches (my friends hate it when
they ride my unicycle, because theirs isn't skunted) and I'm
also bent my seatpost. I could also probably go higher drops
with a fatter tyre, mines like 1.85 or 1.8 inches or
whatever a freestyle usually comes with.

--
Robbie - Spoons Taste Good

There is no spoon.
I ate it.
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This made me think through my abilities. Haven't done that
in awhile. It's good to note progress, no matter the
magnitude.

I started riding in October of '03, so I guess I've been at
it for about six months. It originally took me about four
days of constant work to be able to ride forward, steer and
freemount reliably.

Over the last six months, I've learned a lot, mostly in
spurts where I spent a couple of days (constant work)
focusing on one or two skills. I tend to get incredibly
absorbed in practice - often for hours on end. I think this
is what best accounts for some of my 'rapid' progressions.
Also, I ride the uni to class every day, with a backpack
on. Nothing cements a trick such as one-footed riding
better than being able to do it with a heavy, shifting load
on your back.

Mounts (all with either foot forward): Standard freemount,
hop mount (seat in or out), suicide mount, side kickup
mount, one-foot mount (one foot on tire/fork other on pedal
and into forward one-foot ride)...

Riding: two-foot forward, one-foot forward (either foot,
fully able to do figure-eights), two-foot backward (did a
figure-eight yesterday!), stairs (max set to date: ~17),
idling (one foot, either side), frontspin/backspin, some
seat-out...

Hopping (either foot forward): seat in sidehops, seat out
sidehops (~1.5 feet in height), forward hops (enough to get
over curbs and do 180 degree hop twists), wheel hopping...

Working on: everything (but mostly wheel walking)

edit: I've been riding a 20" summit for about two months. My
first unicycle was a 20" torker, which began having crank
problems soon after I started hopping...

--
entropy - life in balance
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Hey everyone, Ive been riding for nearly 3 months, i dont
know how many hours i have but i ride everyday, this is what
i have managed to accomplish: Hopping (including with 180
spin), riding down stairs, idling, riding backwards, one leg
riding, drops (120cm highest ive bin) and some Muni riding.

--
munimanpete
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I started about the time gpickett00 did - so I have been
keeping an eye on his posts (and others) to measure my
own skill. Seems like I have been working on the opposite
skills. I can idle with either foot, ride backwards "more
smoothly than forwards" and most of my time has been
spent on rough-terrain and DISTANCE. I have cranked out
over 230 miles. Oh, and duaner taught me how to work on
speed - a needed skill because everyone here still seems
faster than me.

This week, I worked on hopping and can reliably hop up a
curb and such. I currently have no "direction" because I
really need to work on equipment (I have been going through
tires rapidly and other issues).

Today, I played Uni-Hockey for the first time - and had a
blast!!! I hope the guys do that more often. I may practice
it on my own. AFTER those games (about 3 miles of actual
riding) and after everyone left, I was able to do a
"routine" that I daydreamed of: 5 pedals forward, 5 idle
right, 5 pedals forward, 5 idle left, 5 pedals forward, 5
hops, and then 10 back, and (the hard part today) ride
forward again!

I have wondered "why am I unicycling?" What is my direction
with the sport? What is my goal? To impress others? To
impress myself? Both? To ride as well as I do on a mountain
b*ke? Make a video? What . . . ?!

Annoyingly enough, I didn't come up with an answer. (I am
the type that doesn't like doing unless there IS a goal.
And so with that situation, I have just enjoyed reaching
little goals. I am pretty sure I have been inspired to work
on 1 foot this week. And I am sure I will get all obsessed
over it, and learn it (both feet this week). Then, I will
tell a few people "hey I can 1 foot." Finally, I will
wonder why I tell people I reached another goal - or what I
will do when I have reached all of my goals. The biggest
thing I want to do well is a 180 off a small set of stairs
- land and ride off backwards. It really goes no farther
than that. Then what?

The cycle will end someday. There will be no more goals. I
will eventually be a "good" rider (in my own eyes). And like
other "projects" I do, I will probably have no more desires
- save one:

I am sure that I will always want to ride with good people.
onefiftyfour, Dave Orchard, duaner, BigWheelTex, etc. Maybe
one day I will also get to play street hockey (or
something) with Dan Heaton, Kris Holm and Darren Bedford.
These are men I have met and I continue to be impressed
with them - not so much by their riding but by their
character. We need more women.

*That* was the magic I have felt in unicycling today. The
magic that will continue after the magic of learning
grows faint. I only get to be a newbie until the next
*social* newbie comes along. Hopefully by the time that
time comes . . .

--
ChangingLINKS.com - member

Wishing you Happiness, Joy and Laughter,
Drew Brown
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I would classify my progress as slower than I'd like it to
be.

I have been riding since 22 Feb this year (the day after I
got the uni) and currently have 9.5 hours in the saddle. I
know that's not much but I work full time, have 2 kids (14
and 4) and am a single mom. The EX takes the kids every
other weekend but I have so much stuff piled up to do
practice time is hard to find. My brother (who stays with
me) is a great help. He's also over 6 foot - the perfect
height to support somebody on a coker!

I know I'd be better if I practiced more, but I hang on to
the little victories. I'm doing better than I ever thought
possible. I feel so light when I step up into the saddle
now, as opposed to the dead weight I was when I began. I
have so much more confidence in my abilities. A fall that
once left me a shaking wreck now finds me leaping back into
the saddle so as not to waste any practice time.

I hope to be riding unsupported by the end of the week. If I
am Dave (GILD) owes me a beer. If I'm not I owe him one.

Jayne

--
Jayne ZA - Learning to ride on a Coker

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

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Jayne, you are at a massive disadvantage. I learnt on a 24”
and then rode a 20” a little some time back it was way way
easier. A Coker (can’t remember what tyre size that is)
which is just way too difficult for myself to even consider
riding and I can ride my 24” okish after six months. Your
riding may be slower than you like but when you’ve finally
sussed it you’ll be able to ride them all easy.

--
Huthwaite - <bahhh>
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One on One: Sounds like you are right on track, or a little ahead of the
game. Starting at age 46 isn't an easy task. I started at 41, two years
ago. If you remain interested in unicycling you will likely find the
challenges and achievements never stop coming. Just a few words of
advice:
1. wear pads. The first few months will be much less
painful, and you will likely be more confident to
try things.
2. read the skill levels, and ask plenty of questions here.
The lower skill levels may look boring, but they include
and important variety of things you should try.
3. try to remember your progress, and look for improvements
to encourage yourself. Most skills are combinations of
many subskills, all which can be improved. While you are
practicing a skill expect to seem to get nowhere at
first, but over a few days things will improve.
4. follow your own pace. It sounds like you don't have too
many other unicyclists around yet, but us oldbies can get
injured easily and we don't heal too quick. (Excepting
Iron Man Harper)
5. find and befriend other unicyclists. This is the biggest
help of all. Even if you practice alone most of the time,
unicyclists are a special breed.
6. have fun!

--
iunicycle - Old back, new cricks
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Quoted message said:

I just wish I had the nerve to ride around more between
the weekly juggling club sessions, doing more than just
idling while watching TV in the lounge. It's no problem
riding with two other people in a different town, but the
moment I step out my own front door with unicycle in hand,
I sweat and break out in a panic attack and have to rush
back indoors. gkmac

I know what you mean by heading out on your own. I started
riding on my back deck until the deck got too short. It was
a nice safe place to learn, handrails and no spectators.
Then I found a secluded tennis court where I took my 5 and 2
year old kids to ride their tricycle and 2 wheeler on
training wheels. That was a good place plus I had the 2 kids
for security.

Next I finally bit the bullet and rode down the side street
near my house. I was a bit nervous about riding a unicycle
in public, but I survived and now I actually look forward to
cruising down the road. I've had positive comments from
people that I stop to chat with.

Quoted message said:

I have been riding since 22 Feb this year (the day after I
got the uni) and currently have 9.5 hours in the saddle. I
know that's not much but I work full time, have 2 kids (14
and 4) and am a single mom. The EX takes the kids every
other weekend but I have so much stuff piled up to do
practice time is hard to find. My brother (who stays with
me) is a great help. He's also over 6 foot - the perfect
height to support somebody on a coker! Jayne ZA

I give you a lot of credit for learning on a Coker
expecially with your distractions. The only thing that might
make it more of a challenge is if you try doing it while
blindfolded. Keep up the good work. You'll get there.

Yesterday I got to practice for about an hour, mostly on
turning. I was able to do left hand circles. Once I got my
first circle, I got into this groove thing and just kept
going in a circle. Was very cool. Still working on the
right turn.

My left foot freemount is now at about 90-95 percent
successful.

--
One on one
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One on one said:

*I give you a lot of credit for learning on a Coker
expecially with your distractions. The only thing that
might make it more of a challenge is if you try doing it
while blindfolded.*

You know, that could be a good idea! It'll make it harder to
worry about falling if I can't see the floor. 😉

Jayne

--
Jayne ZA - Learning to ride on a Coker

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

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I've been riding just under 4 weeks now. I'm cleaning long
(a mile or so) moderate technical singletrack on the
downhill and some short uphill sections. I've begun to stick
the odd bunny-hop on the trail, and when I stick it, it
feels awesome so I can't wait till I'm hucking big drops.

I just go a real MUni right before this weekend and the 3"
tire makes such a difference. Deep sand and loose rocks are
not near as hard now. Almost feels like cheating.

I've been riding until I can barely walk then I take a rest
day and start riding again.

--
jrutkows
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OK. You guys all make me sick. I always knew that I was balance
challenged but this it rediculous. I'm 49 and I've been at it about 6
weeks now on a Torker 20" almost every day. Sometimes 15 minutes,
sometimes an hour. I've lost track of my total time but I'm estimating
a bit over 20 hours now. I still feel incredibly lucky if I go 10
meters without a UPD. And a freemount is but a distant
dream.🙄 My normal riding session consists of hanging onto a
pole or a fence, riding 7-15 pedal strokes in a relatively uncontrolled
left hand circle with arms flailing and then losing my balance. Then I
walk back to the pole and do this again, usually about 100 times and
then go home, sweat soaked and frustrated. Still, I'm VERY determined
to figure this out. I've got a friend who rides at about level 3 and
he's watched me and can't figure out where I'm going wrong. I want to
be able (someday) to do some serious distance riding for fun and fitness
but I gotta be able to get across the damn tennis court first!!😠

--
underdog - level 0.5 rider

I feel a lot more like I do now than I did when I got here.
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Quoted message said:

I'm 49 and I've been at it about 6 weeks now on a Torker
20" almost every day. Sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes an
hour. I've lost track of my total time but I'm estimating
a bit over 20 hours now. I still feel incredibly lucky if
I go 10 meters without a UPD.

I wouldn't feel too bad about your progress if I were you.
I put in my first 30 hours in less than a week, and
immediately thereafter began riding to classes. When I
work on learning a new skill, that's pretty much how it
goes - I have intense, long (4-6 hour) sessions until it
clicks, and then use the skill as much as humanly possible
in everyday riding.

The other big help is riding the uni -everywhere-. That can
take some guts at first - especially when faced with the
possibility of falling off in front of people you don't
know. If you ride all the time, you gain confidence and get
over it. The more confident I became with my riding, the
more I rode in more crowded areas.

--
entropy - life in balance
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