Want to learn to ride a unicycle? READ THIS.

[Fubbles]

Ok so you are interested because you are viewing correct?

to start with that's a good thing.

First things first you need a unicycle if you have not got one already. I recommend a 20" tyre which is thick (BMX tyre.)

Once you have your unicycle or waiting for it it is important to get as much adrenalin as possible and get ready to fall off allot.

Most people seam to think a unicycle is all about balance? Well I have no balance (well didn't have.) I have one hip higher than the other and a twisted bone in one leg also. this caused me to go to one side when I walked. I thought unicycle would be impossible. But because I was determined and tried my hardest I proved myself wrong. that's what you need to do bet yourself wrong.

Ok now you got the unicycle right? first of all don't think you can get on and ride it because you wont be even able to sit on it right trust me.

Ok which foot do you kick with? I use my right foot. so when I get onto the unicycle I would put my left foot on the pedal first and point the left pedal to the ground. this means my right foot is in the air on the other pedal.

I find a fence the best way to learn, try to find a fence before you try to get onto the unicycle.

Ok fence found you can't sit on the unicycle right? I'm guessing you already tried. you will now need to get close to the fence and get onto the unicycle you should start to feel a bit wobbly and you will just want to go and be able to ride at about this point. My advise is DON'T just keep thinking you can do this though (its going to help).

btw I forgot to say there is a back and a front on a unicycle. (the pedals are usually labelled L and R.)

Ok this is how you actually start to move on a unicycle.

Hold onto the fence with your dear life (this is going to hurt.) sit on the unicycle as I said above, but make sure there is as little weight as possible actually on the pedals of the unicycle. most the weight should be on the seat. you have a choose now to iver arch forwards or stay as straight as you like. (chose which ever feels more comfy.)

now start to rock backwards and forwards on the unicycle remember to put most the weight on the seat and as little as possible on the pedals. keep doing this till you feel comftable with it. do not try ride off you will fall trust me.

Ok so you can role back and forward on the spot right? now comes the moving away (this is tricky.) ok as soon as the pedal goes forwards you are going to feel like the unicycle is about to pull away. ignore this if you fall you fall get over it.

while still holding onto the fence (with one hand.) try to pedal forwards. if you feel you are falling to the left lean into it and then lean right quick. this should make the balance even out. same with if you falling right learn right then left quick. backwards and forwards are a little different. you will need a friend to watch the main bar on the unicycle to see if its straight because more often than not it will be but wont feel like it is.

ok look forward at something just focus and try blank your mind of any sense of balance you need and just relax (remember all weight on the seat and little on the pedals still.) ok so you have one hand on the fence and you can sit and go on the spot while holding onto fence coftabley? now push forward still holding onto fence and try work your way down the fence bit by bit. each time try putting less and less pressure on the fence with your hand. eventually after a few days or weeks when feeling comftable with the one hand on fence lightly. try to let go and go by yourself on the unicycle. at times it will feel like you are falling just do what I said above about the leaning and try to ignore this. you need to learn to right yourself when you loose control. once you learnt this you can go for miles trust me.

ok so now you can get along the fence with your hand lightly and you can go along the fence and let go at times right? just keep on doing this letting go more and more each time. eventually you should be able to just get onto the unicycle while holding on the fence and just peddling off (this is an amazing feeling trust me.)

now you want to learn to get onto the unicycle without a fence right? this is called a mount to do this you will need to put the pedals central so both feet are level. you push back on the pedals then forward really fast. then try to ride off. this can take weeks to learn but this is really the last thing you need to learn.

now you can get onto the unicycle and ride for as long as you like right?

now you can fully unicycle almost everyday you balance and stuff should get better and better. eventually when its good enough you can try different riding methods. such as crouched down and droopy looking (grate if you are dressed as a clumsy clown, it really adds to the character.)

so you can now fully unicycle why not learn to juggle on a unicycle? there is no end to the things you can now do. practise practise practise that's all you now need.


By the way during learning you will feel you are rubbish and cannot ride the unicycle. but you should enjoy getting on it and trying correct? never think to yourself its impossible I did it and managed it right? if I can you can. anyone can learn trust me I have seen 4 years olds riding a unicycle.

a basic principle of unicycle is it will take you just over 2x as long as it took you to ride a bike.

I practised on mine for 5 hours a day for 4 weeks and learnt almost fully.

my girlfriends still in progress due to the weather conditions over here.

the best type of a fence you can use is a tennis court fence. or a fence with large holes on the pavement. The grass can be hard to learn on.

Remember always were elbow and knee pads.



I hope this helps you any more info or tips needed just give me a buz. enjoy riding your unicycle and your new skills. unicycleing can really add you your charictor and open a hole new range of tricks.

[tim]

I'm not sure I grasp why one would want to ride on a surface with large holes in it. Or is what you meant large openings in the fence?

Is riding a unicycle anything like riding a bike with no hands?

[Scruffy]

great article, Fubbles. I took the liberty of posting it to the article section.It belongs there. thabnks for the informative post. I tried to ride a unicycle one . I almost had it balanced front to back when I went over sidewatys. The whole ordeal lasted about a seventeeth of a second.....
Made a satifying smack when I hit the floor though 8)

[Fubbles]

agh i ment a tenis cort fence? you no on the sides of a tenis cort they have them massive long fecne's usualy? they have them on schools aswell to stop people getting in? they have larger holes than a standerd garden fence. perfect for grabbing hold off when you are about to fall.

i forgot to say "dont hold onto the seat" it does work but it will put you off balance and it harder to learn.

the best type of groud is astroturff or solid flat pavment with no cracks in it.

you can ride a unicycle almost anyware. there is a sport were people ride unicycles off road on clift edges and stuff. nuts if you ask me but i suppose it would be fun. very skilled though.

oh also when you feel you are really going to fall more often than not you will fall forwards. just do a little jump. this way you hand on both feet with no hard done. when i just i grab the unicycle from under my legs aswell. this stops the unicycle falling to the groud.

any yes in a way it is like riding a bike with no hands. feels a bit different on the old bum though. kinda like when you ride no handed down a kurb if you have ever tried it?

[Scruffy]

I just can't imagine extreme sports with a unicycle. I thought keeping my head above my ankles while riding was a challenge enough.....