Balancing logic (or something like that)...

If I can ride slowly and confidently along a 2m x 5cm plank (raised
20cm) 5 times in a row, then why can't I ride along a similar 10m long
plank?

I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation but I'm puzzled given
the fact that I was riding it slowly. I guess I've never had the chance
to try a 10m long plank under the same conditions but I strongly doubt I
could do it. I was also riding it backwards which is something I'd
never tried before. It's great fun!

Andrew

P.S. I'm doing some northshore style riding at a school fete tomorrow.



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andrew_carter wrote:
*If I can ride slowly and confidently along a 2m x 5cm plank (raised
20cm) 5 times in a row, then why can't I ride along a similar 10m long
plank?

I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation but I'm puzzled given
the fact that I was riding it slowly. I guess I've never had the
chance to try a 10m long plank under the same conditions but I
strongly doubt I could do it. I was also riding it backwards which is
something I'd never tried before. It's great fun!
*


Could that be why?

If you did try the 10 and fail, was it before or after you went 5?

Danie


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andrew_carter wrote:
*If I can ride slowly and confidently along a 2m x 5cm plank (raised
20cm) 5 times in a row, then why can't I ride along a similar 10m long
plank?*

Maybe it is this? If you ride the 2 m long plank you may have
accumulated some side-to-side imbalance by the end of the 2 m, but
that's not a problem because you then ride off it. However if the plank
continues it -is- a problem.

Klaas Bil


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If you ride the 2 m long plank you may have accumulated some
side-to-side imbalance by the end of the 2 m, but that's not a problem
because you then ride off it.
Yeh, I guess you're right. I haven't come across any 10m x 5cm things
but I'd love to give it a try.
My question is why can I ride a 6" wide curb, which is raised about 6"
off the ground, but I can't ride a foot-wide raised section which is 2
feet off the ground? Oh, I know. Fear.
It's interesting isn't it. I'd have no troubles freemounting something
20cm wide on the ground but today on one about 1.5m up I could only do
it about 1/3 of the time. It's really frustrating. I guess part of it
is because I wasn't trusting myself to put my weight on the seat as
much.

Andrew


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You balance a unicycle like this: the unicycle starts to fall, and you
move the wheel in that direction until the contact patch is slightly
'ahead' of the fall.

On a narrow plank, that presents no problems in the forward/backward
directions, because it's a simple matter of accleration and
deceleration.

But the side to side balance on a narrow strip is difficult. If your
centre of mass ("centre of gravity") moves 3 inches to the right, an the
plank only lets you move your wheel 2 inches to the right, then you're
in trouble.

On a short plank, you will have enough control to keep the unicycle more
or less on the vertical. On a longer plank, minor errors will cause a
certain amount of wobble. Your attempts to correct the wobble may be
imperfect, and the small errors will accumulate until you run out of
"wobble room".

Practice and confidence will reduce the problem, but it will always be
there, whether you make 1 metre, 5 metres or 10 metres.

There is the other method of balancing to consider: arm and upper body
waving. As a physics problem, this is complex. If you simply shift
some of your weight to the right, there will be an equal and opposite
reaction. This means that the unicycle might become more vertical, but
the centre of mass of the combined unicycle and rider will not have
moved laterally. So you you're no better off. (A leaning unicycle or a
leaning rider - either way, you're out of balance.)

However, more can be achieved by circular movements of the arms. If you
move your arms like aeroplane (airplane) propellors, then as the arm
moves outwards over the top of it's travel, it will have more effect
than when it moves back inwards at the lower part of its travel. I
think the term is 'angular momentum', but I'm sure someone will correct
me.

Anyway, practise, and set steadily increasing goals and you will
improve.

Good luck.


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Also consider: is the actual skinny you are riding physically as
stable?

Different length example:
Given a 2x6 board (approx 1.5"x5.5" or 4cm x 14cm).
If the board is 6 foot (2m) long supported only at the ends,
- then it will be relatively stable for it's whole length.
If the board is 30 foot (10m) long supported only at the ends,
- then it will have a pretty good amount of flex, particularly in the
middle.
If the board is 30 foot (10m) long supported every 6 feet (2m),
- then is likely (at least) as stable as the 6 foot (2m) board.

Different height example:
If a very solid pipe is bolted to the concrete ground
- then is will not noticibly shift at all.
If the same solid pipe is bolted on 3 foot (1m) supports
- then it may shift noticably unless both:
- - the supports are quite solid, and
- - the bolts are solid and have no play

*Note: In either of the above cases, better skill will _definitely_
help*, because with better balancing skills, your adjustments should be
smaller, so the skinny will move around less. And, with the skinny
moving around less, balancing is easier, which means you should be more
on balance, and your adjustments will be smaller yet, so the skinny will
move around an even lesser amount. And, with the skinny moving around
an even lesser amount, balancing is even easier yet, so ...

duaner.


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andrew_carter wrote:
*If I can ride slowly and confidently along a 2m x 5cm plank (raised
20cm) 5 times in a row, then why can't I ride along a similar 10m long
plank? *
You can. But some part of your brain or body may still need to be
convinced. Sometimes you can't convince yourself completely until you've
done it a few times. Just keep at it.


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For the longest time (which continues even now) I could not ride
elevated skinnies (or WIDIES in my case) because of what my brain told
me. I first tried walls that dropped off 12" to 24" on one side, were
flat topped about 12" wide (this is REALLY wide), and had grass on the
other side at the top of the wall. They were essentially retaining
walls. My brain ALWAYS told me, "fall to the side where there is grass
and no drop NOW!" Even when I reversed direction I would always fall
immediately to the safe side even though it was the other direction.

I am slowly overcoming this obstacle of "common sense" by repetition as
others have pointed out. I have ridden elevated skinnies as high up as 5
feet and as narrow as 6 inches but I always fall to the safest side and
frequently when I don't really have to bail. You will overcome.


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harper wrote:
*For the longest time (which continues even now) I could not ride
elevated skinnies (or WIDIES in my case) because of what my brain told
me. I first tried walls that dropped off 12" to 24" on one side, were
flat topped about 12" wide (this is REALLY wide), and had grass on the
other side at the top of the wall. They were essentially retaining
walls. My brain ALWAYS told me, "fall to the side where there is grass
and no drop NOW!" Even when I reversed direction I would always fall
immediately to the safe side even though it was the other direction.

I am slowly overcoming this obstacle of "common sense" by repetition
as others have pointed out. I have ridden elevated skinnies as high up
as 5 feet and as narrow as 6 inches but I always fall to the safest
side and frequently when I don't really have to bail. You will
overcome. *


Well said Harper. Me too! --chirokid--


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