Tackling the hills on my unicycles.

[podzol]

To preface, I was never much of a bike rider. In fact I dreaded
up-hills on my bicycle.

Why is it that I hills on my unicycle aren't that bad? I just slowly
chug and I'm at the top. Hills I never would have bothered with on my
bicycle.

Let me know about your experiences riding hills.

In relation to my ride today on some central PA hills, I also made this
post:

http://tinyurl.com/rmnke


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[phlegm]

On a bike, you're more likely to be in a higher "gear" than on your
unicycle. So, while the unicycle also requires energy to keep it
balanced, you're generally required to output less power than if you
were on a bike, at least on pavement. OTOH, when riding offroad on
steep hills, I think a bicycle can be easier.


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[podzol]

Thanks Phlegm. (cough...sneeze... snuffle :wiping nose on sleeve in
gratitude for your response: ) :)

I was feeling superhuman for a little while now, I just feel smart for
having a unicycle!

Makes sense. Well explained.


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[Tim Morin]

I've recently discovered how well I can climb hills on my Muni, and even
better when I don't use my handle all the time. I ride up an
escarpment at the start of my ride, and I find I can ride most of it
(except for the same few spots that always get me).

I don't find that I really enjoy climbing big hills, but I am amazed at
how well one can climb on a uni.


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[podzol]

Tim Morin wrote:
> I don't find that I really enjoy climbing big hills, but I am amazed at
> how well one can climb on a uni.



I don't really mind too much. I certainly get a charge after I am done!
I went riding with my kid today, he keeps up with me on his 20"
two-wheeler. About 3/4 the way up a mile long low grade hill, he says,
" THis is great I love it!!"

Just last year he would stop at the bottom of hills and walk his bike
up without even trying! to this made me happy.


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[Tim Morin]

I have noticed that (once I catch my breath), pedalling feels a lot
easier after riding up a hill.


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[Brian MacKenzie]

Tim Morin wrote:
> (except for the same few spots that always get me)




they don't get ME, need I come back there and learn ya all over?

before you get to the point of losing it, try to gain your composure
into a standstill and hop sideways uphill a jump or two and then
continue riding.

is one of these spots you're talking about with the corrugated pipe in
the road at the crest of the hill? (ride on the dirt path beside it on
the right)


--
Brian MacKenzie

Justonewheel: 'Just put the new uni together in the driveway stopped to
move the car and ran over the uni.'


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[pdc]

It's amazing how quickly one improves at hill climbing. This spring I
have started riding 10-12 miles a day on very hilly roads on my Coker.
I sometimes wear a heart moniter. When I first road the one big hill my
heart rate would reach 160 +. Now a few weeks later it only reaches
the upper 130's. I now don't have enough time to ride the distance I
have strength for.


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pdc

"What doesn't kill you strengthens you, what kills you strengthens your
mother"
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[Tim Morin]

Yes, Brian.. you'll have to come here and learn me.. but first, you'll
have to let me unlearn you.


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[wobbling bear]

I had the exact opposite experience.
being with rather muscular legs I could climb really steep ascents on a
bike.
On a uni I choked off very quickly.
But I work hard on that ("keep seated, keep seated, breathe, relax,
...") but steep hills are still far away on Muni and worse on road with
big wheels...!
I think I can, I think I can, I ought to reach the top!


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One Wheel : bear necessity
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[rob.northcott]

wobbling bear wrote:
> I had the exact opposite experience.


I agree. It seems the opposite for me as well. Hills (both on and off
road) that I can climb easily on a bike are a killer on a unicycle. It
seems odd, because the unicycle is lighter (although comparing my muni
and road bike, only by a few pounds) and with a 28" ish gear (26x3"),
so should go up hill easier than the bike. But I ride the bike up
those hills in a gear much higher than 28". I've always just put it
down to the fact that the unicycle takes energy to balance - as my
technique has improved I can get up more hills on the uni, but it still
drains my energy far more than a bike.
It's probably mainly technique - I consider myself a pretty experienced
and fairly good bicyclist, but only a mediocre unicyclist. People who
have more unicycling experience than bicycling would maybe find the
unicycle easier.


wobbling bear wrote:
> I think I can, I think I can, I ought to reach the top!


Isn't that something to do with Thomas the Tank Engine? :)

Rob


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rob.northcott

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[phlegm]

The grade and traction definitely make a difference in the relative
difficulty between a bike and uni. I'm guessing that what is
considered a hill climb for non-bicyclists may be very different than
what good bicyclists call a hill climb. What it boils down to for me
is whether I can keep a steady spin or not. If the traction is so poor
and/or the grade is so steep that I'm forced to do half a revolution at
a time, a bike would definitely be easier. But if I can spin nicely, a
uni seems easier because I'm not tempted to shift to a higher gear. ;)


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[Brian MacKenzie]

phlegm wrote:
> The grade and traction definitely make a difference in the relative
> difficulty between a bike and uni. I'm guessing that what is
> considered a hill climb for non-bicyclists may be very different than
> what good bicyclists call a hill climb. What it boils down to for me
> is whether I can keep a steady spin or not. If the traction is so poor
> and/or the grade is so steep that I'm forced to do half a revolution at
> a time, a bike would definitely be easier. But if I can spin nicely, a
> uni seems easier because I'm not tempted to shift to a higher gear. ;)




I also find that a 'steep hill' on abike can often be taken on a
unicycle more easily because you can, on the fly, take a path that is a
foot or two over that might be a easier path, where bikers need more of
a long line up the hill


--
Brian MacKenzie

Justonewheel: 'Just put the new uni together in the driveway stopped to
move the car and ran over the uni.'


DVD now available: 'Training Wheel Not Required'
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[Jerrick]

For me, both were hard at first, but now they are both easy to do, if
I'm on a bike, or a uni.

I used to wear 10-pound ankle weights on each ankle (duh) while riding
up a 5 mile grade that is behind my house, I would do that everyday for
a summer, at first it was extremely hard, then it became easy, then I
took off the weight and was able to fly up the hill on my regular BMX
bike, now i can ride up any hill I've tried without taking a breather
and i can keep my speed rather high.

On my uni, all it took was a little time, at first i would ride up a
hill and get tired, 2nd time i did it i changed my technique, how i was
sitting a little, and leaned forward more and can go up any hill I've
tried. =p


--
Jerrick

~*~!I ride for Christ, Fun, Challenges, and a lot more, so leave me
alone about it!~*~

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[gkmac]

On my weekly park ride there is a mean uphill about 100 metres long on a
gravel track. It's not that steep so it wouldn't be bad, except that
half a mile before is a subtle gradient, one of those ones which you
barely notice by sight, but your strength starts dipping away very very
gradually...

It took me about two months of practice before I could get up it in one
go, not sure whether that was down to building strength or perfecting
technique.

phlegm wrote:
> If the traction is so poor and/or the grade is so steep that I'm forced
> to do half a revolution at a time, a bike would definitely be easier.
> But if I can spin nicely, a uni seems easier because I'm not tempted to
> shift to a higher gear. ;)

So which is the correct technique to use?

- Spinning nicely while sitting down?
- Standing up pulling on the seat while powering half-revs at a time?

Or is it a bit of both?
Tim Morin wrote:
> I have noticed that (once I catch my breath), pedalling feels a lot
> easier after riding up a hill.

Not for me it doesn't! After uphills it feels exactly like my tyre has
deflated, except it hasn't. If I don't stop to rest I can still ride
along, but it takes a few good minutes for my strength to come back.


--
gkmac

"It's a marvellous thing to see, someone in full flight on the
unicycle." - Stuart Maconie, Radio 2
"Oh no! Both my toes have gone numb!" - Joe Hodges
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[Jerrick]

I think it is a little bit of both, you don't want to just start
powering up a hill unless you need to, cause on a low hill, you can
just ride up them fluidly, they only time i have to power up hills are
the ones that are troublesome to even walk up lol


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~*~!I ride for Christ, Fun, Challenges, and a lot more, so leave me
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[phlegm]

gkmac wrote:
> So which is the correct technique to use?
> >
- Spinning nicely while sitting down?
- Standing up pulling on the seat while powering half-revs at a
> time?
>
> Or is it a bit of both?



Definitely both, depending on terrain, but constantly standing up and
powering over a long stretch is unbearable, at least for me.


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phlegm
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[steveyo]

podzol wrote:
> Let me know about your experiences riding hills.


Does 'this ride up Whiteface Mtn.'
(http://home.nycap.rr.com/rduhan/race2005/) or 'this ride up Mt.
Equinox' (http://home.nycap.rr.com/rduhan/equi2005/) count?


--
steveyo

steveyo

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[Tim Morin]

I was riding up some fairly steep hills today, and I tried focussing on
staying in control, and not going too fast. Whenever I see a tough
area coming up, I tend to power up and ride through it quickly. But I
often lose control.

It went well... I still wasn't able to make it all the way up, I did
manage through some spots I couldn't before.

I used to ride the same hills on my bike, and I remember it being
difficult at first, but it got easier after a few weeks.

I'm having trouble mounting on up hills. Any suggestions?


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[Brian MacKenzie]

Tim Morin wrote:
>
>
> I'm having trouble mounting on up hills. Any suggestions?



1) practice practice practice (ya ya ya)

2) start with your muni angled to the side of the and make your first
pedal stroke or two more across the trail than up it

3)work on a more proper place to set your pedals before hill mounting,
for example, try with your first pedal more up/back in the revolution
than how it is typically down on flat ground

4)non hill practice...make sure you can mount with your dominant/first
foot in any position along the revolution


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Brian MacKenzie

Justonewheel: 'Just put the new uni together in the driveway stopped to
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[nachos]

i tried to go up this hill in back of my house... and.. yeah... i like
go up to it.. and... like... fell forward... it was funny...


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nachos

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[GizmoDuck]

gkmac wrote:
> It took me about two months of practice before I could get up it in one
> go, not sure whether that was down to building strength or perfecting
> technique.
> So which is the correct technique to use?
> >
- Spinning nicely while sitting down?
- Standing up pulling on the seat while powering half-revs at a
> time?
>
> Or is it a bit of both?



Both. By standing up you use different muscles and give them a break,
and it's useful to power up over steep bits.
Don't just pull up on the handles when you are standing though, you can
rest you weight on the handle just like when you are standing up on a
bike.


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GizmoDuck

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'Laos Unicycle Tour' (http://www.laosunitour.org)
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[Jerrick]

I was doing this today, and i was pretty much sprinting up all the hills
i was riding on.

Stand up about 1-ibnch from the seat, and really hold onto your handle
really hard, as if your holding yourself by your hand, then pedal, i
found it was very easy that way.


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