unable to go very far...

I'm 53, but this has been the same situation for two months! Learning is
a progression of steps and plateaus, but I've been at this same spot
for quite a while!

--
Unimichael
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You'll probably hear this from others, but here goes anyway. Place all
of your weight on the seat and pedal lightly. It is very common among
beginners to have this problem. So remember, heavy on the saddle, light
on the pedals. Good luck.

--
One on one

"That's going to end up in somebody's sig." - rob.northcott
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Unimichael said:

Most of the time I feel myself losing my balance and I jump off

Just a guess, but maybe you need to not jump off and instead figure out
how to correct your balance. I mean, the challenge of unicycling is
figuring out how to correct your balance while you are constantly
losing it. As you improve, you will correct more gracefully and
gradually, making it appear more controlled. Nonetheless, you will
always have to deal with losing your balance.

Make sure you're sitting up straight and looking straight ahead.
Falling off the front could mean that whichever leg is in the back at
the moment is pushing too hard on the pedal. Practice resting your
weight on the seat, and relax your legs as they come around.

Don't worry too much about the left turn. You'll figure out how to
ride a straight line eventually.

--
phlegm
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I learned by riding along a 4 footish fence. Going away from the fence
or turning left or right as the fence turned left or right was just too
frightening. So I just did laps along the 80 ft. fence, like swimming
laps in a pool. Two months after starting to learn on my 24" I got a
16" w/ a long seat post and could ride away from the fence and make
turns almost immediately.

I still don't have the courage to try the 24" again. But I can ride up
and down smooth driveway ramps and do figure 8's w/ diameters 15-20
ft.

Going on three months. I am 32 and still can't walk that great since
breaking my back in '99, but can walk better since starting uning!😄

--
skilewis74
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phlegm said:

...the challenge of unicycling is figuring out how to correct your
balance while you are constantly losing it...

I can certainly attest to this. I've been stuck on plateaus myself and
it seems only persistent practice gets me past that. There's been many
times that I thought I was going to fall off or keel over, but after a
few crazy seconds of wild contortions would surprise myself by staying
on and getting stable again. It's been a series of these *almost UPDs*
that has gradually increased my ability to stay on.

--
idiorythmic
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some people take 15 minutes to learn to ride some people take 6 months.
if you know anyone who uni's ask them to help you out, you may be doing
sometihng wrong, otherwise just keep at it, you will eventually be able
to do it.

--
tomtrevor

I was doing a wheelie on my bike and figured why not buy a unicycle.
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Unimichael said:

I'm 53, but this has been the same situation for two months! Learning is
a progression of steps and plateaus, but I've been at this same spot
for quite a while!

Maybe when you realized you can ride 50ft you stopped riding with
support?

What I suggest is just go back to the wall (or rail or other support)
where you started learning and keep on repeating riding along support
several tens times in a row paying attention to "all weight on the
seat" rule and riding as long as you can.
Do it say 20 times -- treat it as a warm-up. Only then start riding
touching support lightly, and then go on without support.

This is what helped me to get out of plateau; your mileage may vary of
course, but I think that repeating _as_your_warm-up_ easy stuff that
you learned before is a very good strategy -- builds up your confidence
before trying harder things.

good luck!

--
j-n
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Another suggestion.
I also am late to the unicycle game. Started riding about four months
ago. The technique I used was to use two push broom handles from the
local hardware(approx. $3.00 each) for balance. Used them like ski
poles. I have a long gravle road as a driveway and would mount the uni
with the poles and "walk" slowly to the gate and back, about 1/4 mile.
First trip took 45 minutes and I walked back. MANY UPD's. I did this
for about two months, had about a 2 week transition to 1 pole, used the
pole onley to mount for about a month and am now plateaued at freemount
with 5-10% success.
My longest ride without a UPD was monday of this week at 1 mile on the
track at the local school.
I feel that the use of poles helped me immensely because I was able to
ride,though with assistance, and was able to see my own progress as
balance and whatever elce happens improved.
Hang in there and keep rollin.

--
tumblebug rollin
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Try riding while pushing a grocery cart w/ smooth, not gittery wheels.

I also found doing a warmup using easier skills to be important.😎

--
skilewis74
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The advice folks have given above is valuable. Don't get discouraged.

My brother-in-law has the same problem you do. 50 feet is about his
maximum. His riding is a series of violent corrections that ultimately
dump him on the road. I'll echo the advice that says to sit with your
weight firmly in the saddle and pedal gently. I'll also add that I'd
recommend that you look toward the horizon, not at the ground. Golf is
the only sport where you should be focussing your eyes on the ground.
You never see high wire walkers looking down. This bit of advice
doesn't get a lot of attention in the uni world but I find it makes a
big difference. Best of luck to you!

I'm in Vermont this weekend and brought both my 20" and my 28". I'd
forgotten how much of a difference there is in the two. Maybe I'll
have some photos or video before the weekend is out.

--
patmoore

MY GALLERY (\"HTTP://TINYURL.COM/MHCHU\"😉
"When you're over the hill, you pick up speed!"

"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room."
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Several of you mentioned making sure my weight is in the seat, and that
may be part of the problem. I noticed one evening while wearing
compression shorts and basketball shorts over them, the combination
made me slide around on the seat a *lot*. I must be getting off the
seat slightly, and/or pedaling too hard.
But what about the 'Dismount'? If the monocycle always exits backwards,
could I be leaning too far foward?

--
Unimichael
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Unimichael said:

Several of you mentioned making sure my weight is in the seat, and that
may be part of the problem. I noticed one evening while wearing
compression shorts and basketball shorts over them, the combination
made me slide around on the seat a *lot*. I must be getting off the
seat slightly, and/or pedaling too hard.
But what about the 'Dismount'? If the monocycle always exits backwards,
could I be leaning too far foward?

I've only been riding a month, but I would say that if you are moving
around on the seat a lot, you don't have enough weight on the seat. The
shorts are not the problem. Concentrate on making sure you are sitting
on the seat. Don't look down, look forward. Got this advice from Harper
when I started. Keep reminding yourself. It seems counterintuitive
sometimes.

I am working on relaxing now, untensing my muscles. Lets me go
farther.

After a month, I still can't freemount yet, but I can ride as far as I
want. Only thing holding me back is fatigue. I've started getting up
early (0600-0630) every morning and riding at least 30 to 40 minutes.

Hang in there. It only gets more fun :-)

--Tom

--
tomkarches
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Unimichael said:

But what about the 'Dismount'? If the monocycle always exits backwards,
could I be leaning too far foward?

I find when I am teaching people, usually they fall off behind the
wheel, which is bad. You -want- to fall of the front, because that
means you are leaning forward, like you should be. Leaning forward
makes you pedal and keep going. When you're learning, it difficult to
lean -too far- forward, but as you get better, you'll learn to lean
backwards more as you slow down and more forwards as you speed up.

--
onelesscar

mmm...i love my qu-ax...
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I think tomkarches hit on a very valuable tip. I also ride 30-40 minutes
in the morning on the way to work. Everything is much easier in the AM
when you are fresh. I also think it's worthwhile to try to visualize
whatever you are trying to do before going sleep at night. seems to
program you for success.

--
tumblebug rollin
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patmoore said:

I'll also add that I'd recommend that you look toward the horizon, not
at the ground. Golf is the only sport where you should be focussing
your eyes on the ground. You never see high wire walkers looking down.
This bit of advice doesn't get a lot of attention in the uni world but
I find it makes a big difference. Best of luck to you!

I think that is my problem too; I can ride for a distance (~25 feet not
50 though...) after a freemount or mailbox-supported-mount, then I
*always* fall. I need to try that once I actually get my own. Also,
what is a "UPD"?

--
SNES350
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*U*n*P*lanned *D*ismount

Basically a fall.

--
onelesscar

mmm...i love my qu-ax...
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Everybody learns differently, don't they.

I still tend to look at the ground - in unicycling as I do in life.
Yesterday i rode 16 miles (after learning for about a year and a half).
Also, i always practice in the evening, after work. There is no time
before.

Whatever works for you. Just never give up and you will get there. Some
people take longer to learn than others. but that doesn't predict that
you will be a lousy rider (see Uni magazine for confirmation).

Cathy

--
cathwood

Say no to unicycle genre discrimination! - MrBoogiejuice

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

I'm 53, but this has been the same situation for two months! Learning is
a progression of steps and plateaus, but I've been at this same spot
for quite a while!

Yup, sound's like my experience. Some of us had to fight for every
inch. Doesn't hardly seem fair when there are some that just seem to
pick it right and can ride seemingly effortlessly. I don't have any
sage advice that will fix your problem but I can tell you to keep
hitting it. If you adopt the mindset that you will not let that
unicycle own you eventually you will push through the problem.

Keep at it. 😎

--
Trapper
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My ten year old suggested I stick my arms all the way out (I try to ride
looking 'cool', and fall off). It helped, putting another twenty feet
of distance before the dump.

It just seems so strange to me. If you can go fifty feet, you should be
able to go 500 feet, or five miles!

--
Unimichael
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