VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Deirdre

Extreme Unicycle Racing.

In Sweden.

No— really.

http://vimeo.com/1457766
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Lizden · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:07 am Post subject:

ok...wow..... Gasp

And they say downhill skiing is dangerous! Shocked

L.
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Bruce · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:44 am Post subject:

Man, if they ever fit those with a coaster gear and brake so they don't have to pedal every inch, they'd be even more scary.

B
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richvoice · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:24 am Post subject:

Several years ago, I mentioned to my wife that I'd always wanted to learn how to ride a unicycle. So she bought me one for Christmas! It was even harder to learn than I expected, at least partially because I was in my 40s, not my teens. Read all about it at http://richonaunicycle.blogspot.com!

In any case, back to the topic at hand. I'd LOVE to go to a Unicon, and if they ever hold one in California, I'll probably try to make it. MUni (mountain unicycling) has become popular in the past decade, but given the amount of time I have to spend on it I'll probably never get to that level (besides which it wouldn't be my first choice: I started mountain biking in the 90s, but went back to road riding because I just like it more; if I ever get more skilled, I'd probably opt for a 36" road wheel instead of a MUni wheel).

That video may be extreme to non-unicyclists, but the fact is that some riders are truly amazing and do substantially more extreme things. Google Kris Holm and you'll probably run across a video of him riding a rail on the edge of a bridge. And for some beautiful freestyle unicycling, Google Kaori Matsuzawa; this is from "Defect," a pretty cool unicycling DVD.

Fun stuff!

Cheers,
Rich

todd ellis · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:04 pm Post subject:

i'm intrigued ... yet frightened.
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asnively · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:50 pm Post subject:

Wow!
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Mandy Nelson · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject:

wow. I had to watch the whole thing with my eyes closed.

Rich, that's fantastic that you have one! I've always wanted to try but it wouldn't be pretty. Funny I'm sure, but not pretty.
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ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject:

Wow - what is interesting about watching this is that you have so much control - well, once you get good at it - it looks like you have lots of control - speed, direction, stopping...
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Lizden · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:55 pm Post subject:

Stopping...yeah...stopping is what I think I'd have the most problems with! Shocked

....although my husband says I have an aversion to stopping on skis too....I feel the need....the need for speeeeeed! Inoccent

L.
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Michael Schoen · Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject:

Interesting that unicycling does NOT look like fun.
I know a guy in Albuquerque, a surgeon and family guy -- who unicycles as a hobby... never could understand that. He does long distances.
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richvoice · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:44 am Post subject:

Michael, where's your sense of adventure?!? Unicycling is all kinds of fun! It's a fun conversation starter: I learned (and am still practicing) at a local park that's shared with an elementary school, and several times while I was out classes of kids would come out for their daily exercise hour, or whatever it was called. I can't tell you how many times a kid would pass by me and ask, "Is that hard?" or "Can you ride it yet?" Once I was actually riding, I got a few "Hey, that's pretty cool!" which was, well, pretty cool. Smile

And lots of dog-walkers offered lots of encouragement.

I'm learning on a 24" wheel, which is sort of a multi-use size. 20" wheels are mainly used for trials (hopping, grinding, tricks, etc.), and larger 29" and 36" wheels are mainly used for distance, which is what I'll hopefully work up to before I'm 70. Your friend in Albuquerque probably has one of those.

Connie, you definitely do gain more and more control as you learn. And most of that control comes from your core muscles (along with your arms flailing about). In fact, learning to ride was what finally brought my back issues to a head: since I didn't have strong core muscles, my lower back was taking too much stress, and I finally had to deal with a problem that had been slowly worsening for many years. I'll never have a "good" back, but hopefully all of the stuff that I'm doing now will help over the long haul. And once I get more competent, unicycling should actually help as well.

And Mandy, I saw a picture of you in a yoga pose in a different thread. I'm sure you learning to unicycle would be pretty. Smile

And while you were learning, yes, funny as well. Laugh

I can still see the hundreds of tiny dents in the concrete where I started learning (fortunately they're from the pedals and other parts of the unicycle, not from parts of me.) The usual progression -- for people not still in their teens -- is several days of: get on, try to pedal, fall off. Then a few days of: get on, pedal once or twice, fall off. Then a few days of: get on, pedal a few times, get distracted by the fact that you actually travelled several feet, fall of. Finally you get to the point where you can stay on for 50 or 100 yards, and the learning curve gets a bit more shallow. Of course, everyone learns at different speeds; some older folks learn quickly, and some younger folks take a long time.

Freemounting is the challenge I'm still facing (and without the ability to freemount, you're pretty much stuck riding where signposts and other support structures are plentiful). I've done it twice -- out of many hundreds of attempts. Some day I'll look back and wonder why it was so hard.

Sorry for rambling. Unicycling is one of those things that gets me going. Smile

Cheers,
Rich

Michael Schoen · Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:26 pm Post subject:

I did run with the bulls in Pamplona a dozen times.
I was a war correspondent
But one wheel drive? Nah.
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TheVoiceOfBob · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:04 am Post subject:

That is really amazing! I struggle with those types of trails with TWO wheels. I tried to get my wife involved. Her trail riding lasted 5 minutes.
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Frank F · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:13 am Post subject:

So if you really want a challenge, try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MutvUfQcmMg

I thought about doing this, laughed about it, and forgot about it. But these do look like - ahhh - fun. (Can you see ME on a pair of those?????? hahahahahaha)

Toodles

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donrandall · Guest

I wanna see 'em do a wheelie.