Unicycling ...

[Paul - xxx[_2_]]

No2 son (15) is taking a short taster course in unicycling at school!
Part of the 'festivities' surrounding the opening of a new set of bike
sheds/lockers/showers etc.

So how hard is unicycling?

He's never done anything like it before, hasn't got an intuitive sense
of balance, though No1 (18) son did, and generally is the one who will
fall over when fell-walking or climbing.

He's also been signed up for bicycle polo, football and a number of
other games and things with a cycling bent ... I believe there is a
demonstrater 'bent (actually 3 I think) showing up at some point this
week too ... ;)

Currently he walks to school, about 2 miles, as there hasn't previously
been any bike sheds but now he can cycle, and he's ecstatic about it ..
;)


--
Paul - xxx mobile ....

[Danny Colyer[_2_]]

On 01/11/2010 15:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> No2 son (15) is taking a short taster course in unicycling at school!
> Part of the 'festivities' surrounding the opening of a new set of bike
> sheds/lockers/showers etc.
>
> So how hard is unicycling?

It's easy :-)

Learning to do it, however, is very, very hard, and physically very intense.

If he's only 15, reasonably fit and is able to walk without difficulty
then I'd say that determination and opportunity are far more important
than having exceptional balance. If he really wants to learn, has
sufficient time with a properly adjusted unicycle and receives good
advice, he'll do it.

--
Danny Colyer <http://www.redpedals.co.uk>
"I'm riding a unicycle with my pants down. This should be every boy's
dream." - Bartholomew J Simpson

[Paul - xxx[_2_]]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> On 01/11/2010 15:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> > No2 son (15) is taking a short taster course in unicycling at
> > school! Part of the 'festivities' surrounding the opening of a new
> > set of bike sheds/lockers/showers etc.
> >
> > So how hard is unicycling?
>
> It's easy :-)
>
> Learning to do it, however, is very, very hard, and physically very
> intense.
>
> If he's only 15, reasonably fit and is able to walk without
> difficulty then I'd say that determination and opportunity are far
> more important than having exceptional balance. If he really wants
> to learn, has sufficient time with a properly adjusted unicycle and
> receives good advice, he'll do it.

You're right ...

<Proud>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35295373@N00/5139314818/

Shows him last night when he got home .. he isn't actually touching the
wall, it just looks like it due to the flash/contrast.

;)

He went to school on the bicycle for the first time this morning, with
a small video clip on his memory card showing him balancing then moving
off on the unicycle ... ;)

I have issues when I try it ... ;)

--
Paul - xxx mobile ....

[Peter Clinch]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> If he's only 15, reasonably fit and is able to walk without difficulty
> then I'd say that determination and opportunity are far more important
> than having exceptional balance. If he really wants to learn, has
> sufficient time with a properly adjusted unicycle and receives good
> advice, he'll do it.

Sounds about right. I don't have exceptional balance and learned in my
late 30s without anyone to impress but myself and nothing but online
tips. It took months before I could ride more than a few meters, but I
did get there.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[[email protected][_2_]]

On 2 Nov, 08:57, "Paul - xxx" > wrote:
> Danny Colyer wrote:
> > On 01/11/2010 15:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> > > No2 son (15) is taking a short taster course in unicycling at
> > > school! *Part of the 'festivities' surrounding the opening of a new
> > > set of bike sheds/lockers/showers etc.
>
> > > So how hard is unicycling?
>
> > It's easy *:-)
>
> > Learning to do it, however, is very, very hard, and physically very
> > intense.
>
> > If he's only 15, reasonably fit and is able to walk without
> > difficulty then I'd say that determination and opportunity are far
> > more important than having exceptional balance. *If he really wants
> > to learn, has sufficient time with a properly adjusted unicycle and
> > receives good advice, he'll do it.
>
> You're right ...
>
> <Proud>
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/35295373@N00/5139314818/
>
> Shows him last night when he got home .. he isn't actually touching the
> wall, it just looks like it due to the flash/contrast.
>
> * ;)
>
> He went to school on the bicycle for the first time this morning, with
> a small video clip on his memory card showing him balancing then moving
> off on the unicycle ... ;)
>
> I have issues when I try it ... ;)
>
> --
> Paul - xxx * *mobile ....- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You must have confidence in him - letting him unicycle indoors, and
sooo close to your bottle of single malt! ;-)

Colin

[Paul - xxx[_2_]]

wrote:

> On 2 Nov, 08:57, "Paul - xxx" > wrote:
> > Danny Colyer wrote:
> > > On 01/11/2010 15:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> > > > No2 son (15) is taking a short taster course in unicycling at
> > > > school! *Part of the 'festivities' surrounding the opening of a
> > > > new set of bike sheds/lockers/showers etc.
> >
> > > > So how hard is unicycling?
> >
> > > It's easy *:-)
> >
> > > Learning to do it, however, is very, very hard, and physically
> > > very intense.
> >
> > > If he's only 15, reasonably fit and is able to walk without
> > > difficulty then I'd say that determination and opportunity are far
> > > more important than having exceptional balance. *If he really
> > > wants to learn, has sufficient time with a properly adjusted
> > > unicycle and receives good advice, he'll do it.
> >
> > You're right ...
> >
> > <Proud>
> >
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/35295373@N00/5139314818/
> >
> > Shows him last night when he got home .. he isn't actually touching
> > the wall, it just looks like it due to the flash/contrast.
> >
> > * ;)
> >
> > He went to school on the bicycle for the first time this morning,
> > with a small video clip on his memory card showing him balancing
> > then moving off on the unicycle ... ;)
> >
> > I have issues when I try it ... ;)
>
> You must have confidence in him - letting him unicycle indoors, and
> sooo close to your bottle of single malt! ;-)

Heh, he's in a back room there, more a work/hobby/playroom than
anything else! It's probably safer than outside on the concrete, and
the grass at the moment is wet and soggy. However he did go outside
and while he's fine going straight, he has issues turning, but even
that's coming along nicely.

I was surprised how quickly he got it. I can just about do it for a
few seconds, after about an hour, but within a minute or three he was
pedalling the length (about 18') of the room!

--
Paul - xxx mobile ....

[Danny Colyer[_2_]]

On 02/11/2010 08:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> You're right ...
>
> <Proud>
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/35295373@N00/5139314818/

Excellent, thanks for the picture.

Is he riding on carpet there? That's even harder, because the pile
tends to drag the wheel in one direction or the other.

--
Danny Colyer <http://www.redpedals.co.uk>
"I'm riding a unicycle with my pants down. This should be every boy's
dream." - Bartholomew J Simpson

[Paul - xxx[_2_]]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> On 02/11/2010 08:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> > You're right ...
> >
> > <Proud>
> >
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/35295373@N00/5139314818/
>
> Excellent, thanks for the picture.
>
> Is he riding on carpet there? That's even harder, because the pile
> tends to drag the wheel in one direction or the other.

Yup ... we found that out about a quarter second later!

He'd come across the lino floor onto the carpet. He's also found that
grass is softer to land on but has similar problems to carpet and that
concrete isn't soft to land on, but easier to ride properly on. The
hall was best to learn in, wood floor, and as he could almost touch a
wall each side to aid balance it gave him a lot of confidence. Fore
and aft movement was OK, but side to side was a bit harder to work out
for him, hence the hall working well for him, I guess.

We found that seat height is pretty critical to start with, but he's
already experimenting ... He's hoping to go to school on it by the end
of the week, 2 (ish) miles! I don't think he realises how tiring it is
yet.

He's learning fast .. ;)

--
Paul - xxx mobile ....

[Peter Clinch]

Paul - xxx wrote:

> The
> hall was best to learn in, wood floor, and as he could almost touch a
> wall each side to aid balance it gave him a lot of confidence. Fore
> and aft movement was OK, but side to side was a bit harder to work out
> for him, hence the hall working well for him, I guess.

I learned in my hall. After some time at that my Dad was visiting and
put down a new floor there and I felt it would be rude to keep cycling
up and down on the new one. Actually a blessing in disguise as though I
hadn't realised it I was at the point where getting away from anything
to grab made me get the balance sorted, as opposed to just falling off.
Also forced me to get up to speed with free-mounting.

> He's learning fast .. ;)

Makes you sick, doesn't it? ;-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[Tony Raven[_3_]]

Peter Clinch > wrote:

> I learned in my hall.

Me too & the plasterwork still bears the scars!


--
Tony

[Ian Smith]

On 2 Nov 2010 08:57:36 GMT, Paul - xxx > wrote:
> Danny Colyer wrote:
> > On 01/11/2010 15:57, Paul - xxx wrote:
> > > No2 son (15) is taking a short taster course in unicycling at
> > > school! Part of the 'festivities' surrounding the opening of a
> > > new set of bike sheds/lockers/showers etc.
> > >
> > > So how hard is unicycling?
> >
> > It's easy :-)
> >
> > Learning to do it, however, is very, very hard, and physically
> > very intense.
> >
> > If he's only 15, reasonably fit and is able to walk without
> > difficulty then I'd say that determination and opportunity are far
> > more important than having exceptional balance. If he really
> > wants to learn, has sufficient time with a properly adjusted
> > unicycle and receives good advice, he'll do it.
>
> You're right ...
>
> <Proud>
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/35295373@N00/5139314818/
>
> Shows him last night when he got home .. he isn't actually touching the
> wall, it just looks like it due to the flash/contrast.

Looks good. Be even better if he clears the approaching armchair.

Also, I find unicycling in socks much harder than in shoes, so well
done.

From your account, I'd say he's at the fast end limit of normal. I
went to a 'try unicycling' session at university and got to the stage
your son seems to be at in 2 to 3 hours solid work. I could get going
along a wall, then do a few turns of the wheel without wall
assistance. I learnt going along a wall that turned a corner, so you
had a few metres of wall and then suddenly out in empty space without
anything to lean on.

I then spent the next day skipping lectures to go by train to London
to buy a unicycle, and the day after skipping lectures to practice in
the college car-park. The day after that I rode the unicycle to
lectures (though 'dismounted' quite a lot too).

The fastest I saw was someone that was riding tens of metres and doing
controlled left and right turns by the end of the two hour taster
session. The slowest was the girlfriend of one of the unicycle club
members - she could do about three turns of the wheel unsupported,
after having attended club meetings most weeks for two years.

regards, Ian SMith
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