How to ride a unicycle?

I learned to ride one as a kid and I'm sure I could still ride one today just not very smooth. I wore out the back of the seat on mine from it hitting the ground when I was learning. I do remember doing a number of 4 -5 mile rides but I wouldn't want to go much farther then that. Enjoy the Unicycle they are an attention getter.

I always wanted a unicycle and couldn't believe my parents would never get one for me for Xmas.

A bike shop I was at last week had a sign for unicycle lessons and it caught my eye. They all teased me I could join the circus as it was in town.

Have fun...maybe do some you tube searches..there seems to be instructions on just about anything on there.

There is a middle school aged kid who must live near me somewhere, because I see her riding her unicycle home from school from time to time.  It's a few miles easy.  Have fun with your new toy.

Me, at 17.  



I can still juggle, but haven't ridden a unicycle in ~30 years.

what...no unicycle porn?

I will have to post a picture when I can ride it.

Nice pic with the juggling!

ForTheLoveOfOregon 

Probably the best way to learn would be to start at a fence or some other support to help you get up into position.  Then just try to start pedalling forward with a slight, SLIGHT!!!! forward lean.  Make sure you don't have long shoe laces as it is not happy when you get one caught in the pedal.  Your upper body controls the lean front and back and your shoulders and hips control the side to side with some arm flailing for small adjustments.  Lean forward to go faster, backwards to slow down.  Avoid hills until you are quite good at it.  Also avoid steps and dirt hills until you are more comfortable.  You will get better at catching the seat when you crash, but you will probably destroy the back of the seat when learning.  The speed that you pedal also affects your position front to back.  So pedaling faster moves your body back and slower moves your body forward.  If you need to slow your speed you need to lean back and slow your pedally to counterbalance the effort, otherwise you go face plant.  

To start without any support you have your butt on the seat and one foot on one pedal at about half way up in back.  You then step down on the pedal (say with your left foot) while catching the right pedal with your right foot as it comes up.  You are then in a stall position where you need to lean slightly forward and get a bit of momentum forward or you will crash.  Don't try pedally backwards..... probably ever unless you are a real glutton for punishment 8).     

Edited by Baowolf 2010-05-05 6:56 PM

I saw a few on RAGBRAI last year.  They rode the whole thing.  How crazy is that?!?!

I remember last year I was biking. I was about 20 miles from town, no houses - just fields. Coming at me was a guy on a unicycle. I don't know what he was doing way out there but he was just pedaling along on that thing. That was one of the most unusual things I've seen while out biking.

thanks for the detailed instructions, I am using a fence as of now but there are a couple of cracks though and I have noticed that they totally throw me off.

As for doing the whole thing on a unicycle yes that is totally crazy.....

ForTheLoveOfOregon 

That's cool. I've wanted to try a unicycle.

One of the races in our region used to include a shorter unicycle race, which was particularly entertaining because they used the same downhill finish that they used for the bike race.

I watched a kid heading down that hill, arms out, and yelling "whooooooaaaaaaa" all the way... but he made it!  Probably one of the funniest things I've seen at a bike race.

My god I hope that's not part of the triathlon I registered for!

I read an article of a guy who does a bike race in Washington, up one of the mountains on a unicycle.  That is just nuts. 

A friend at work got his son a unicycle for christmas. He brought it in to work and all us old men got to relive our youth by riding it down the hall...It was a kick.  There is a whole new unicycle subculture out there. They "mountain" bike on them with special wide tires, do trials and there are unicycles with 36"  + wheels for "highway" riding.  This was one that was on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOLQtHl2Coc&feature=related

I learn how to ride mine  in the hall of my parents house..talk about finger marks! I retrieved it on my last visit..still a lot of fun.

Here is where I bought a couple for my nephews...you can spend as much as a tri bike if you like!

www.unicycle.com

The first day I worked at the bike shop, the boss asked me to assemble one then test ride it. I think that was my hazing!

There's a guy who rides one off-road here! I came around a corner on the MTB on some slick rock and he was riding side-sloped coming the other direction. Nutz!

I have always wanted to get one and learn...
Now, what did I do with that "spare" time?

I taught myself how to ride as a teenager. The first one I owned got all beat to crap from the learning process (the seat gets mashed when it hits the ground repeatedly). A couple years ago I grabbed it from my Mom's house when I was visiting and took it home to see if I could still ride it. No problem - it's like riding a bike; once you learn you never forget.

It's an excellent way to improve your balance and strengthen your core. I second the idea of having a railing to hold onto until you get the knack of it. You'll learn how to hop off quickly when you start to lose your balance.

I just tried to bring the seat up on the unicycle as my legs seem to be too bent but I have brought it up to the safety line and my legs are still bent.  I have really long legs.  Are there different sized unicycles?  Did I just manage to get my hands on a small one?  Any insight? 

You stole a unicycle and then bragged about it on the internet.  Ha!

Last year in the El Tour de Tucson, there was a group of unicyclists who rode the 66-mile course.  66 miles!

... ouch.

Dude, I think I saw you on an episode of the "That '70s Show."

ha ha, no did not steal it, it was out in someones garbage, you can find real gems on garbage day sometimes!