Mount a Unicycle
Riding a unicycle may take a while to learn, but anyone can do it with some determination and practice. The first thing you have to learn is how to mount it so that you can even learn to ride.
Steps
- Use a railing to put your hand on, so as to balance you while you put your foot on the higher pedal, much like when mounting a bike, and press down.
- Keep your other foot on the ground, while you mount on the saddle. Hold on to the wall while you place the other foot on the pedal. Push down and balance yourself. You have to push forward not just down on the high pedal. If you push down and not forward, nothing will happen or you will go backward.
- Pick up your inside foot, and put it on the inside pedal.
- Try to mount the unicycle without holding on to anything. Start in your original position and push hard on your right foot. Don't do it too fast or you'll lose your footing.
- Push up on the right pedal, get your left foot on the left pedal, and get your butt on the seat while it's lifting up, all at the same time. Then just start to pedal.
- Get a person to help you balance. Have them stand on either side of you. Put a hand on each of their shoulders. Look straight ahead, find something to focus on and keep looking at it. Do not put your weight on the spotters shoulders. Just keep them there for support. Keep your weight on the seat, or your feet will wobble up and down and you will fall off. Most people can learn to ride forward on a unicycle using the method described in this writing, with a couple hours of practice a day for one week. So, unicycles up dudes! And remember never never ever ever ever give up!
- Practice frequently. You need a lot more practice before free-mounting, and you should ride beside the wall using it for balance before trying to ride away from the wall.
Tips
- Once you can regularly go forward for more than a few pedal revolutions, you should begin to try to free mount (mounting without holding anything). Learning this skill early will increase your possibilities for riding.
- You can turn by moving your shoulders in the direction that you want to go, but you should be comfortable with going straight forward more than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} before you try this. You sort of just have to shift your weight. It sort of comes naturally. Sometimes it takes movement from the hips to get a sharp turn.
- Night riding is harder than day riding, but will often give you more privacy than day riding. Try to locate a well lit tennis or basketball court for practice.
- When many people think of unicyclists, they think of clowns and circus performers, but things a lot cooler than juggling can be done on a unicycle. Try taking the unicycle off-road or to an urban area where you can perform tricks.
- Join your local juggling and unicycle club for further instruction. They can teach you a lot of new techniques and tricks. And you will be able to ride in parades and other cool places.
- If learning against a wall, make sure you practice on both your left and right sides. This will help your body learn to balance better and not get used to learning one way or another.
- Unlike a bike, the unicycle rider needs to be balanced in every direction (left, right, front, back). The left, right balance is the same as it is on a bike and it doesn't need much thought when you are riding a unicycle. The front, back balance is more tricky. Balance in these directions is controlled by both leaning and pedaling. Lean gently in the direction you want to go, and pedal just enough to keep from falling over. Once you speed up you will be able to straighten out and sit up. Don't go too fast because you will not be able to keep up, and will fall.
- Look straight ahead and look down as little as possible. When you look down it sticks your butt out. This tilts your weight too far back and makes you fall backwards.
- Make sure that you are riding on smooth cement or asphalt in a low traffic area. It's a lot easier than riding on grass, dirt, or sand, and cars will make you stop and get off.
- One of the hardest parts of cycling after you can go for a while is the lack of gears. your legs may get really tired but your quads will build up.
Warnings
- Also, if you go faster than you can handle, most of the time, you will fall forwards. If you go too slow to keep balanced, you will most likely fall backwards. Just so you're prepared.
- Definitely, definitely, definitely wear shin guards if you are a beginner. You might lose your footing a lot, and it really, really hurts to get slapped in the shin with a unicycle pedal.
- Don't be afraid to fall, if you do lose your balance, you'll realize that 90% of the time the unicycle will just kick out from underneath you and you'll land on your feet.
- Tie your shoes well. If your shoelaces get caught in the hub, you can get hurt. If your laces are long tuck them into your shoe after tying them
- Be sure to wear protective items like a helmet and knee pads.
- Most people would think that a unicycle would be more dangerous than a bike, but it is not the case. The reason is that for someone to ride a unicycle, they have to always be in control. It is possible at any time to jump off the unicycle in any direction. There are two things you should watch out for to not get hurt:
- Don't try drops until you can ride standing up. The impact of doing a drop can hurt.
- The axle end of a Unicycle passes very close to the ankle bone on every revolution, and it's very common for beginners to lose skin at that spot. Find some way to armor the ankle bone while learning and you will be much happier.
- If you do find yourself falling forward, stop pedaling and let the unicycle fall. If you try to pedal forward faster to catch up, that's when you'll do a face plant!
Things You'll Need
- Unicycle
- Helmet
- Shin guards if you need them
- Gripper shoes
- Gloves ( If you are doing tricks )
