Reinvent your normal MUni ride

[Sofa]

Well everyone, I must say that if you have a MUni saddle with a handle,
you probably use that handle too much...I discovered I did.

I was riding mildly technical singletrack here the other day. I thought
to myself it might be fun to ride the rest of the way without using my
handle. (although there are some steep hills that if I wasn't using my
handle, I'd be walking, so I skipped the experiment on the
handle-neccessary climbs)

Boy is it fun! You soon releaze that you overuse the handle without
noticing. I found getting back to my roots in mountain unicycling with
no handle (or knowledge of using a handle) incredible. You have to a
lot more concentrating on finessing yourself through, instead of merely
plowing through/over.
(one of the reasons I love riding the Coker on the trails)

I discovered it was a better leg workout as well. I came away from the
riding feeling alot happier with the ride.

Try it.


--
Sofa - You Tu Tu Tuni?

I nominate myself for funniest avatar ever
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[U-Turn]

I used to enjoy a fun exercise where I'd ride down a semi-rocky trail
with my fingertips on opposite hands touching each other. Like
what's-his-name in The Matrix with the pills.... :rolleyes: The
challenge was to roll over everything in sight without letting my
fingertips lose their connection. I used to do this exercise for ice
skating and it transferred well.

However, I can't do that anymore because I've trimmed the frame, lowered
the seat quite a bit, and made some saddle changes that make it slip out
when I stand up unless I'm holding the handle. It was fun while it
lasted, though!

I still do the rolling thing, but now I use the handle a lot for
unweighting. However, the more one-foot riding I do on the 20"er, the
better and better I make use of finesse in rocky, rooty situations.

George Peck would think us ungraceful and full of overkill, eh, Sofa?


--
U-Turn - Small fish, big pond

Weep in the dojo... laugh in the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

-- Dave Stockton
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[hopeful]

I don't really use a handle that much when off-roading, unless i'm
hopping or going DOWN a steep hill. You guys use a handle to go UP
hills too? could someone please explain this technique to me?


--
hopeful - Street Performer

a sawzall...!? why not just use an axe. -- Jagur

Long live the Lotus -- Mojoe
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[Sofa]

pulling up is FANTASTIC when climbing

pull up on the saddle, stand up and mash on the pedals (while still
keeping the circley motion) and as the hill gets really steep, you'll
see your seat way down behind you through your legs, it great for
climbing!

Now I want to go ride only by using the handle :mad:


--
Sofa - You Tu Tu Tuni?

And there's a picture of a Tunicycle
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[U-Turn]

hopeful wrote:
> *I don't really use a handle that much when off-roading, unless i'm
> hopping or going DOWN a steep hill. You guys use a handle to go UP
> hills too? could someone please explain this technique to me? *
By pulling up on the handle as your foot presses down on the pedal, you
can gain more pressure on the pedal than just your weight.
Theoretically, this allows one to go up steeper hills than without the
use of the handle. In addition, using the handle on uphills gives one
quicker access to hopping and unweighting, so it also allows one to go
up rougher hills than without.

However, good, solid circular pedaling technique and body/hip action is
worth three or four g's of pressure.

George Peck's use of no-hands hopping and unweighting is difficult with
the modern CF/air saddles and heavy fat tires, wide rims, and heavier
axle/hubs. But they have allowed faster riding, negotiation of rougher
ground, larger drops, and, surprisingly, even higher hops.

Use of the handle on the flats is really helpful when rolling roots in
succession. Your pedal position is almost surely not going to work out
at some point. You can still unweight and roll the obstacle even though
your pedals are in a very weak position.


--
U-Turn - Small fish, big pond

Weep in the dojo... laugh in the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

-- Dave Stockton
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[James_Potter]

I used to use the handle way too much, too. And I'm trying to convince
my friends to not use it. It's tons o' fun, but they just don't
agree....


--
James_Potter - Rubiks Cube CHAMPION (almost)

-This post *would* be in the most replies thread, if *GILBY* hadn't
killed it.-
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[Sofa]

On the other hand, sometimes it's fun to do the 20km lap here as fast as
I can do it. On these rides, I am generally holding the seat handle
almost the entire time.

It's quite effecient, where you can plough over stuff, never having your
body bounced upwards out of whack with your pedal stroke.

my fasted time on a 24x3 muni is one hour and 22 minutes.

That's only 18 minutes slower than one of my laps around on my MTB.

I love passing mountain bikers on the trail and losing them.


--
Sofa - You Tu Tu Tuni?

And there's a picture of a Tunicycle
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[ubersquish]

i bent one of my cranks pushing my uni down some stairs, which makes it
handle really funny. but i'm also suddenly tons better at riding. so
symmetrical cranks are a luxury?


--
ubersquish
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[Mikefule]

I seldom pull on the handle for more than a few difficult pedal strokes
on a steep section. I often ride with my fingers lightly resting on the
underside of the handle, because that way I have an extra point of
contact with the uni which helps me to sense what the wheel is doing on
uneven ground. This gives me a lot more delicate control, leaving me
free to stand up or sit down as the situation demands.


--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

Growing up is giving up
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[hopeful]

Yes, symmetrical cranks ARE a luxury. When I first started riding MUni
on the LOTUS, it still had a cottered hub (which can be seen in the
gallery) and by the time I tacoed the rim, there was at least 5" of play
between the cranks back and forth before the rim went squish.


--
hopeful - Street Performer

a sawzall...!? why not just use an axe. -- Jagur

Long live the Lotus -- Mojoe
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