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WTB: Used Unicycle (26" or 24")...
At age 50 I've finally decided to make the leap from two wheels to
one! I'm a 6'1" fella with a 34" inseam, so I'm thinking that a unicycle with a 26" (or 24") wheel would be a suitable fit. I'm aimin' to use the cycle for campus commuting, as well as for possible short tours (once I acquire the requisite skills and confidence). I've looked at some rather swellish new unicycles (commuter and touring-type cycles) on-line, but I'm reluctant to slap down hundreds of dollars on a spiffy new unicycle at this early stage in my commitment to pedalin' on one wheel. Please contact me if you know of someone who's eager sell a good quality unicycle, say one with either a 26" or 24" wheel. I'm certainly eager to buy my first unicycle! Thanks! --carl |
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#2
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WTB: Used Unicycle (26" or 24")...
Carl Barrentine wrote: * Please contact me if you know of someone who's eager sell a good quality unicycle, say one with either a 26" or 24" wheel. I'm certainly eager to buy my first unicycle! Thanks! --carl * if u could give an indication of your upper price limit and your location (by continent would help, city would be better)u might get more of a response -- GILD - Waffle-tosser In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. -- Martin Luther King Jr. 'this will only take a minute...(fixed)' (http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/actions/un.htm) 'and while u're in a good-deed-doing-mood...' (http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com.) JUST SAY 'KNOW'! Namaste! Dave ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GILD's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/657 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/28015 |
#3
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WTB: Used Unicycle (26" or 24")...
You can often find used unicycles on Ebay. I would recommend a Schwinn with cotterless cranks. There should be lots of those around. But for the price you pay, you could probably get a brand new Torker. -- unibabyguy - Hunter-riding Municyclist ------------------------------------------------------------------------ unibabyguy's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/683 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/28015 |
#4
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WTB: Used Unicycle (26" or 24")...
Black (Stealth) Torker all the way! I just rode 40 miles on mine! Daniel -- daino149 - How's it going, Texas? A One That Isn't Cold Is Scardely A One At All ------------------------------------------------------------------------ daino149's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/933 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/28015 |
#5
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New Torker: My first attempts trying to ride...
daino149 wrote in message ...
Black (Stealth) Torker all the way! I just rode 40 miles on mine! Daniel Daniel et al. -- Thanks to all who responded to my inquiry about purchasing a used 24-26" unicycle. I bought a 24" Black Torker whilst I was in Fargo yesterday, and have been beaverin' about the task of learning to ride the thing. So far I've invested 'bout an hour attempting to ride with my left hand on the railing of the patio deck last evening, and spent another hour this morning trying to ride the inside perimeter of a local tennis court. I get the feeling that I'm making some progress, though I have to concentrate pretty hard--so much that I was pretty perspirey after each session--to (1) keep my back straight and (2) put my weight on the saddle, not on the pedals. (Thousands of hours bicycling has probably ruined me for unicycling!) After a couple of hours practicing, I've a comment and then a quick question about leg extension and placement of the foot on the pedals. As a cyclist, I 'clip-in' to my heel-less shoes near the 'ball' of the foot. But fiddlin' with this uni, I feel that I have more control on the unicycle when I wear a heeled shoe and make contact with the pedal in the arch portion of my foot. Here's the question: Is there a preferred or recommended way that I should place my feet on the pedals to maximize balance, control, and smooth cadence? My sense is that riding this contraption is heaps harder than riding my track bike--my hard-learned cyclin' skills don't seem to transfer well in the process of learning how to master this unicycle. For example, after over two hours pedaling, I can sometimes go about 2-3 crank revolutions before I feel the need to prevent a fall. Is this pretty typical? Candidly, I'm feelin' like a six year old, even though I'm 51 and have been bicycling since I was six. Thanks for any hints you'd care to share! --carl (A new uni from North Dakota) |
#6
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New Torker: My first attempts trying to ride...
Thanks for any hints you'd care to share! --carl (A new uni from North Dakota) Carl, I'll turn 43 here pretty soon and just started riding in July. It's amazing to ride today and recall the struggles of the first two weeks or so. These days I'm able to mount and ride a mile or two without dismounting quite easily. I've been working on rolling over speed bumps and scrap lumber. I've only one hint cause I know that like me you've read all the tips and faqs you could find. JUST KEEP AT IT. It's just going to take a bit of time for the neural connections between your butt, your brain, and your legs to figure out what needs to happen. Till then, try to relax and let the uni fall as it will. I'm also amazed at how much abuse the uni can take and how much one can beat up a seat in that first few weeks. I'd suggest taping the front and back of the seat to protect it a bit especially if you're practicing on asphalt or concrete. In the beginning I road around the inside of a tennis court hanging onto chainlink fence. It helped me figure out how to get on and peddle around the court grabbing chainlink but that's essentially what I learned... to hold on to something. In hindsight I did this longer than I should have. As soon as you can get several revolutions with assistance of a person, wall, rail, or fence then start working on going it alone. I found an empty parking lot that had quite a few light poles. Once I started getting in a few revolutions of freedom and UPD'd, the next light post was only a few yards away. You will hit the ground a lot. And in the most unexpected, ungraceful ways. Wear at least a helmet and wrist guards. OK well maybe that was more than one hint. Take Care. Have fun. It's worth it. -Cubby. -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#7
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New Torker: My first attempts trying to ride...
Cubby wrote:
JUST KEEP AT IT. It's just going to take a bit of time for the neural connections between your butt, your brain, and your legs to figure out what needs to happen....I'd suggest taping the front and back of the seat to protect it a bit especially if you're practicing on asphalt or concrete....I found an empty parking lot that had quite a few light poles. Once I started getting in a few revolutions of freedom and UPD'd, the next light post was only a few yards away. You will hit the ground a lot. And in the most unexpected, ungraceful ways. Wear at least a helmet and wrist guards. Cubby-- Thanks for the swell advice! I guess it does take some time to 'rewire' the ol' neuromuscular physiology for pedalin' a unicycle. The light pole notion seems like a doable idea! I'll give it a try afetr a few more days grapplin' with the McKinley chainlink fence at the local tennis court! I'll tape-up the plastic on the seat too--smart idea! Finally, I purchased a set of used wristguards, and elbow and knee pads at a local thrift store. Wearing that gear (including my bicycle helmet), I feel like a gladiator. Learning to ride a uni must be 'bout as abusive as playin' rugby in the Walmart parking lot! Thanks for your advice, Cubby! --carl |
#8
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New Torker: My first attempts trying to ride...
MUNIYETI wrote: ...Lastly; I found a saddle height far lower than my normal bicycle saddle height works best for me. The saddle height is really important. I practiced with a too short seatpost and it took quite a lot of time. Too high is also not a good option. While holding on to a light pole, wall or similar roll one pedal down. Saddle height is right when your leg is almost straight, but you shouldn't have "force" the leg down, like while riding a bike. Your foot should be horizontal, if you know what I mean. -- joona - )-O --Neat Real men use the same razor to shave their beard and legs ------------------------------------------------------------------------ joona's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4436 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/28090 |
#9
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New Torker: My first attempts trying to ride...
MUNIYETI wrote:
I know if you've read through the posts here the number 1 thing that is suggested is to "put your weight on the saddle"...this advice did not work for me initially, the high center of gravity (coupled with ingrained "bike balance" mentality of having most of the weight supported by your legs) made me nervous and wildly unstable. I found I made better progress in learning by gradually increasing the "saddle pressure thing" as I felt more comfortable. Muniyeti-- Oh, I certainly agree with you! As a cyclist I rarely put the whole of my weight on the saddle--one's weight is transferred to the bicycle through the feet (to the pedals) and hands (to the handlebar) rather than to the saddle, and this is especially true when starting. (And starting is the first hurdle of mastering the unicycle, I think.) The weight of the bicyclist, the distribution of his or her weight (or the center of gravity?), relative to the angle of the seat tube and crankset, is waaaaay different than that of the uni rider! Old habits die hard! Day 3: I spent another hour at the tennis court this morning. After about 45-minutes of rather sluggish progress, I was finally able to--in an accidental flash of luck, I think!--pedal 5 or 6 revolutions! Gads! I was balancing, not touching the fence with my gloved left hand, and was really moving. Then I got scared, perhaps because of the speed on the 24" wheel, and I launched myself forward and off the uni like a gazelle. It's not much. But for me the 5-6 pedal strokes was a wildly important Day 3 milestone. I sure do a heck of a lot of perspiring whilst fiddlin' with this Torker. What a workout! I don't think there's a relazed muscle in my body...not even my eyelids! This is perhaps why it's taking me so long to get the hang of it. I have a hard time relaxing. Riding a bike is very relaxing. Not so, yet anyway, on the uni! Toodles! --carl |
#10
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New Torker: My first attempts trying to ride...
Carl Barrentine wrote: Day 3: I spent another hour at the tennis court this morning. After about 45-minutes of rather sluggish progress, I was finally able to--in an accidental flash of luck, I think!--pedal 5 or 6 revolutions! Gads! I was balancing, not touching the fence with my gloved left hand, and was really moving. Then I got scared, perhaps because of the speed on the 24" wheel, and I launched myself forward and off the uni like a gazelle. It's not much. But for me the 5-6 pedal strokes was a wildly important Day 3 milestone. I sure do a heck of a lot of perspiring whilst fiddlin' with this Torker. What a workout! I don't think there's a relazed muscle in my body...not even my eyelids! This is perhaps why it's taking me so long to get the hang of it. I have a hard time relaxing. Riding a bike is very relaxing. Not so, yet anyway, on the uni! Toodles! --carl I'd recommend you stop holding to the fence, now that you can do a few revolutions. You may end up with a nasty habit of leaning to one direction. I practiced by getting up while holding onto a wall and rode away from it. Just like Cubby said, start holding to a light post or something like that and ride away from it. This way you get more practice on balancing and propably learn a bit faster. And remember, never look down. Look at the same point all the time. And about that sweating part, you'll learn to relax while practicing. When I made my first about 400 meters (1/4 mile) ride, I sweated about 4 litres. Or more. This was while learning to freemount. Now I can ride continuosly about 2 miles and it's quite easy. -- joona - )-O --Neat Real men use the same razor to shave their beard and legs ------------------------------------------------------------------------ joona's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4436 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/28090 |
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