I only started unicycling last July. It took me until October, before I
could go around the neighborhood. There were weeks in between of
little or no apparent progress. Now I'm getting ready for unicycling
the Tour de Cure charity ride (160 miles for bicycles!) at the end of
next month. What helped me the most is just carving out some time
every day to unicycling. Even if it's just five minutes of freemount
attempts per day, that's much better than waiting until the weekend for
a longer (and perhaps more frustrating) practice sessions. It's safer,
too; I think it is easier to fall in the beginning when getting
fatigued. After 20 minutes or so, there may not be much more learning
benefit. You are subjecting your body to an entirely new set of
circumstances and it takes constancy of effort in order to get
accustomed to the necessary body english and developing the right feel
for balance.
Some other practice activities that did not require much time per day:
1. Riding the unicycle up and down a hallway in my house a few times
2. Buying a unicycle for my daughter and learning together (she's
great inspiration and a constant reminder to keep trying)
3. Keeping the uni by the back door when I'm home and riding across my
driveway (~30 feet) a few times when I go out for the newspaper or
mail
4. Keeping the Uni in my car's trunk and finding a secluded parking
lot near work where I can practice on occasion for 20 minutes or so
during lunch
My family thought I was going nuts, at first. Now, at least they
accept that I am but that this is a much healthier form of mid-life
crisis than other activities I could have chosen. Good luck and keep
trying.
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abridged
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