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The Mullings of a Beginner


seage

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3 hours ago, seage said:

400km huh? How long did it take you to get up tho that? 

Took me 2-3 weeks of every day riding.:ph34r:

i forced myself out every day, and also off-roading took my skills up a few levels quickly.

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You're like a tiger pacing in a cage:D Hoping the weather allows for some outside riding for you soon.

And you are REALLY good already. These slow and narrow turns are much harder than you may think they are, and you're doing them very controlled. Very impressive. That is skill far above simply going out for a ride. Also happy to see you're doing the twisting thing.

4 hours ago, seage said:

But there is one cafe ive been dying to go back to, but the hills to get there...plus its a 10km ride.... I cant wait to take the wheel out there, because its just ridiculous. Its in the middle of nowhere on an apple orchard! On tuesdays I have to travel into the city, and was planning (once im better) to take the wheel to get to the train station. Ride the train, then use the wheel to get to my office in the city.

Perfect! There's nothing better than a destination for a ride that is doable yet maybe challenging (not so much at your level, piece of cake)! So the only thing that should be stopping you is the weather. Sure, it's always best to do what seems instinctively right, so if you want to wait until you are "good enough"... but you certainly are ready. And you learn insanely fast when you challenge yourself. Also, it's a lot of fun.

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Ok, so I watched the latest video (mostly) and I have one key observation/tip for when you turn.  Right now, when you turn right, lets say, You turn your wheel in sections by throwing your left arm behind you repeatedly; each throw creates another part of the turn.  Let's work on this, because this is not what you want to practice.  They say practice makes perfect, but what they really mean is: perfect practice makes perfect.

ONE correct way to turn at slow speed:

So, follow along.  Turning right: from straight ahead, twist your torso, shoulders, head, arms, as far as you can to the right (your legs will do what they have to do to accommodate the twist). To make it easier put your left arm out in front of you and twist it (along with your torso) as far to the right as possible. Your left shoulder should be facing forwards and your right shoulder backwards.  Simultaneously dip your right pedal smoothly but quite severely, even scraping the ground lightly  is ok on that smooth concrete; it wont throw you.  Your wheel will follow where your body is pointing, so try to look as far behind you to the right.  Keep the twist in your torso until you have reached the desired turn, then straighten up. With practice the wheel should be facing the other way no more that two feet to the right of where it was going  forwards just 2 seconds earlier, and one foot sideways is easy to achieve. This is a low speed technique ONLY.  There are many other ways to do this turn, but you can experiment with those outside with hundreds of miles under your wheel.  After a while you can do this same turn, by dipping the pedals hard right while simultaneously admiring a church steeple, let's say, over your LEFT shoulder, like it isn't even you making the turn. It's very cool and loads of fun, especially if people are gawking at you.

It sounds complicated and difficult,

Question:"say, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?".  Answer: practice practice practice"

Again, I'm not saying this is the only type of slow turn there are loads.  It's just one to practice properly.

Here's a video posted recently by @Atharif from France.  Ignore the toe drag ( or incorporate it, your choice) The reason I reference this video is to show just how much lean you can put into a wheel in a slow turn, and how small the turn can be.  This might be great practice for your basement, because some of us couldn't turn for shit, once we got up and riding.  I couldn't turn left properly for days, and every time I took my eyes off my path I would steer towards what I was looking at.  Drove me nuts.

 

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5 hours ago, seage said:

I watched this like 14 times, lmao. I was watching your videos even before I decided to commit and get my EUC. I was impressed before. But now that i'm riding myself and realize just how hard everything is, im doubly impressed. I cant even fathom getting good!

:D

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6 hours ago, seage said:

Tonights 8ish minute basement session. Just want to keep stepping on this thing at least once per day, even if i cant get outside yet. That comfort is there. Even when I dont mount properly or lose balance, i'm a lot more content. Im reacting to it quickly but calmly rather than getting scared and totally losing it. Again, of course, super slow speeds. Confined space. I'm ready to get back outside! Happy i'll be able to forego any street furniture to get on the wheel. Opens up more doors as by my house theres almost nothing to hold on to to initially get up on the wheel. And houseofjob was suggesting to try to get a little ride in everyday, even to the mailbox. But from my house to the mailbox theres nothing to hold on to, so i was kinda in a pickle. Now im cool! Im the infant version of one of you guys! LOL. (Watch me fall on my face the moment I try outside XD)

 

Congrat's.  It took me a lot longer to be able to do tight turns like what you're doing here, regardless of how sloppy they are. You're going to have a blast outside.

As an aside, those padded walls look perfect for crashing into :laughbounce2:

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9 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

I bet you’re gonna have so much fun when you finally go outside, it will go click click click and you’re off.;)

Went out today. There were clicks. But they were terrifying clicks LOL. And my legs go so tired! I was wobbling quite a bit when trying to turn. And slipped out on the wet/sandy nonsense they put down, haha. But it was still fun. A lot less scary than before. 

9 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Took me 2-3 weeks of every day riding.:ph34r:

i forced myself out every day, and also off-roading took my skills up a few levels quickly.

Im in that "I can KINDA do it, but im total ass right now!" point, hahaha. So much is still scary. But this is kinda like..day 1 of being able to actually go somewhere on it! So imma just enjoy the riiiiiiiide! Gonna go out everyday that i can!

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8 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

You're like a tiger pacing in a cage:D Hoping the weather allows for some outside riding for you soon.

And you are REALLY good already. These slow and narrow turns are much harder than you may think they are, and you're doing them very controlled. Very impressive. That is skill far above simply going out for a ride. Also happy to see you're doing the twisting thing.

Got that weather today! 5 degrees Celcius! Was so hyped. But its still a little dangerous around here with the wet roads fromthe melting snow, and the fine sand the construction crews put down everywhere. Got all in my pedals making it hard to grip with my shitass trainers, haha. But i managed XDD. A lot of the basement training really helped out when starting out, but i lost some of my nerve on the real road. I guess the surface is different, it was wet, so it did feel different so I was kinda....getting used to it. Plus, i  need new kneepads. They're too small and restrict my legs/kill circulation! 

8 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Perfect! There's nothing better than a destination for a ride that is doable yet maybe challenging (not so much at your level, piece of cake)! So the only thing that should be stopping you is the weather. Sure, it's always best to do what seems instinctively right, so if you want to wait until you are "good enough"... but you certainly are ready. And you learn insanely fast when you challenge yourself. Also, it's a lot of fun.

Today I was like "Okay, i want to get to that street over there! Once i got there my body was like "Cool, shuting down!" But i made it!!! And after I wanted to go home. Rode a whole stretch of road before getting nervous on a right turn and wobbling around a bit before stabilizing out then losing it again and stepping off, haha. So technically i made it, i just was going so slow after, i lost it. XDD. But yeah, gonna use it as much as possible! This feels like true day 1 of my real training, now that i know how to get around. I can really practice actually riding! 

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8 hours ago, Smoother said:

Ok, so I watched the latest video (mostly) and I have one key observation/tip for when you turn.  Right now, when you turn right, lets say, You turn your wheel in sections by throwing your left arm behind you repeatedly; each throw creates another part of the turn.  Let's work on this, because this is not what you want to practice.  They say practice makes perfect, but what they really mean is: perfect practice makes perfect.

ONE correct way to turn at slow speed:

So, follow along.  Turning right: from straight ahead, twist your torso, shoulders, head, arms, as far as you can to the right (your legs will do what they have to do to accommodate the twist). To make it easier put your left arm out in front of you and twist it (along with your torso) as far to the right as possible. Your left shoulder should be facing forwards and your right shoulder backwards.  Simultaneously dip your right pedal smoothly but quite severely, even scraping the ground lightly  is ok on that smooth concrete; it wont throw you.  Your wheel will follow where your body is pointing, so try to look as far behind you to the right.  Keep the twist in your torso until you have reached the desired turn, then straighten up. With practice the wheel should be facing the other way no more that two feet to the right of where it was going  forwards just 2 seconds earlier, and one foot sideways is easy to achieve. This is a low speed technique ONLY.  There are many other ways to do this turn, but you can experiment with those outside with hundreds of miles under your wheel.  After a while you can do this same turn, by dipping the pedals hard right while simultaneously admiring a church steeple, let's say, over your LEFT shoulder, like it isn't even you making the turn. It's very cool and loads of fun, especially if people are gawking at you.

It sounds complicated and difficult,

Question:"say, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?".  Answer: practice practice practice"

Again, I'm not saying this is the only type of slow turn there are loads.  It's just one to practice properly.

Here's a video posted recently by @Atharif from France.  Ignore the toe drag ( or incorporate it, your choice) The reason I reference this video is to show just how much lean you can put into a wheel in a slow turn, and how small the turn can be.  This might be great practice for your basement, because some of us couldn't turn for shit, once we got up and riding.  I couldn't turn left properly for days, and every time I took my eyes off my path I would steer towards what I was looking at.  Drove me nuts.

 

Thanks mate!! This was super good information. I tried to incorporate some of it on my ride today. The super basic, garbo version, but it helped! I dipped my pedal pretty close to the ground and twisted with my upper body for a tighter turn after going down the curb and actually stayed on! I noticed i got a little nervous being out there on sketchier ground, but the wheel kept me stable and i was able to ride it out...for a while. LOL. And lmao, I laughed so hard at your comment about admiring the church steeple. Geez XD. I can only hope to get that good! Haha! 

I noticed control under low speeds and control under higher speeds was totally different, I think I was still going rather slow so i was compensating for it a little, but i would wobble going faster probably due to thinking about it. I actually started going pretty fast when i just kinda stopped worrying for a while, but then clicked back into reality when thinking "Oh, i should stop, lock the knee an---" As usual, my overthinking ruins me! But im gettting better. Baby steps.

Im gonna keep practicing as you say. From riding faster, to figure 8's, to slower turns. Ive got a lot to cover, and i suppose i have forever to learn it, so its not too bad! I DID notice, when i was still getting used to the wheel, say on day 3, i was turning any which way. Probably because i wasnt thinking "im not good at turning x direction" so its another mental hurdle for me to step over. 

But anyways! Point! I shall practice it all! And I'll try to kill the bad habits early!

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6 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Congrat's.  It took me a lot longer to be able to do tight turns like what you're doing here, regardless of how sloppy they are. You're going to have a blast outside.

As an aside, those padded walls look perfect for crashing into :laughbounce2:

Thank you! I was out there today and it was exhilarating. Nerve wracking because of the roads condition, but amazing to just be like...gliding along, looking around. Everytime I got out of my head for a moment, it was like I was floating, haha. And yeah, but if I do that, my family would have me crashing into a coffin. That I'd pay for LOL. And id hear the sound of dirt crashing onto said coffin, while im inside. 

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Alright yall! Todays session outside! Super sketchy conditions! I need to clean my pedals because the sand is all in them. And with running shoes with 0 grip on the base for anything other than a track, I was slipping like no ones business. And that road i went down in the video, i rode all the way down it and around and the wheel slid whenever i tried to turn around. Even on wider turns! Its like loose sand. I'm even careful on it on my bike. It was worse when said sand and water got on the pedals! I may as well have built a sand castle.  

Oh, i have a question! Does anyone know where one can get big kneepads? The ones I bought are XL, and they LOOK big, but they dont even fit around my lower leg, at my calf! Now, i may have a stomach, but my legs are not THAT big. Mainly toned from cycling, and these things were actually cutting off circulation a bit because of how tight i have to strap them just to be able to get the velcro to stick (and not even where its supposed to. I have to jimmy it and stick it to the velcro from where the back flaps connect right in the center, i stick it to that part. It wont reach across to the other side where its supposed to - hard to explain). I felt it was forcing me to bend my knees more than I wanted to, which was making it harder to ride and a lot more energy. I got tired very quickly. After i took em off, i could feel the blood start moving again, and my legs are kinda sore! Damn.... The ones I have now are these. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0000ASZAA/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nflwCb7F0PQQQ

 

Anyways, to the video. Even with that nonsense, I did my best! No excuses!!#!@#$ I think i did really well! I just filmed this section, but I rode up the 2 streets there. Messed up my turns. And then after grabbing my phone, i rode home! I had to take a big right turn, but got scared and wobbled out over to the left and right before catching it, but i was almost idled, tried to move again and was going directly for the curb so i hopped off, haha. Got back on and rode home and even over a speed bump. Had a slight right lean down the street, but i made it! Sorry for the long reports every video! LOL. I'm kinda like this. I hope you enjoy my ride though! 

 

 

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3 hours ago, seage said:

Alright yall! Todays session outside! Super sketchy conditions! I need to clean my pedals because the sand is all in them. And with running shoes with 0 grip on the base for anything other than a track, I was slipping like no ones business. And that road i went down in the video, i rode all the way down it and around and the wheel slid whenever i tried to turn around. Even on wider turns! Its like loose sand. I'm even careful on it on my bike. It was worse when said sand and water got on the pedals! I may as well have built a sand castle.  

Oh, i have a question! Does anyone know where one can get big kneepads? The ones I bought are XL, and they LOOK big, but they dont even fit around my lower leg, at my calf! Now, i may have a stomach, but my legs are not THAT big. Mainly toned from cycling, and these things were actually cutting off circulation a bit because of how tight i have to strap them just to be able to get the velcro to stick (and not even where its supposed to. I have to jimmy it and stick it to the velcro from where the back flaps connect right in the center, i stick it to that part. It wont reach across to the other side where its supposed to - hard to explain). I felt it was forcing me to bend my knees more than I wanted to, which was making it harder to ride and a lot more energy. I got tired very quickly. After i took em off, i could feel the blood start moving again, and my legs are kinda sore! Damn.... The ones I have now are these. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0000ASZAA/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nflwCb7F0PQQQ

 

Anyways, to the video. Even with that nonsense, I did my best! No excuses!!#!@#$ I think i did really well! I just filmed this section, but I rode up the 2 streets there. Messed up my turns. And then after grabbing my phone, i rode home! I had to take a big right turn, but got scared and wobbled out over to the left and right before catching it, but i was almost idled, tried to move again and was going directly for the curb so i hopped off, haha. Got back on and rode home and even over a speed bump. Had a slight right lean down the street, but i made it! Sorry for the long reports every video! LOL. I'm kinda like this. I hope you enjoy my ride though! 

I have those Triple-8 knee pads and love the. I bought large.

There are two parts to these knee pads. There are the non-stretchy wide Velcro straps and then the stretchy Velcro loop straps.

The non-stretchy straps barely fit on my legs, even the smaller part of the leg below the knees. I don't know what they were smoking when they decided the length of these straps. Maybe they were designed in China where most people are skinny?

Here's the thing; these wide straps are not needed. Their purpose is to hold the kneepad in place until you can secure the stretchy straps. So don't bother attaching them, and if they get in the way, I would cut them off.

Is this what you are talking about? Do the stretchy straps fit OK without cutting off the circulation?

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1 minute ago, Marty Backe said:

I have those Triple-8 knee pads and love the. I bought large.

There are two parts to these knee pads. There are the non-stretchy wide Velcro straps and then the stretchy Velcro loop straps.

The non-stretchy straps barely fit on my legs, even the smaller part of the leg below the knees. I don't know what they were smoking when they decided the length of these straps. Maybe they were designed in China and where people are skinny?

Here's the thing; these wide straps are not needed. Their purpose is to hold the kneepad in place until you can secure the stretchy straps. So don't bother attaching them, and if they get in the way, I would cut them off.

Is this what you are talking about? Do the stretchy straps fit OK without cutting off the circulation?

They may be a little bit of a different design on mine, or I got some defunct version. On mine, there are the 2 sections just like yours. The wider velcro with a little give, but not much stretch. And then i have a stretchy elastic band around the Top, and a stiff, no flex one on the bottom.

I attached pictures so you can see what im talking about. Do yours look like this too, or did these guys actually run out of materials and give me a busted version? Because Id love these too. They're beefy and nice. 

IMG_20190204_204313.jpg

IMG_20190204_204343.jpg

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22 minutes ago, seage said:

They may be a little bit of a different design on mine, or I got some defunct version. On mine, there are the 2 sections just like yours. The wider velcro with a little give, but not much stretch. And then i have a stretchy elastic band around the Top, and a stiff, no flex one on the bottom.

I attached pictures so you can see what im talking about. Do yours look like this too, or did these guys actually run out of materials and give me a busted version? Because Id love these too. They're beefy and nice. 

IMG_20190204_204313.jpg

IMG_20190204_204343.jpg

When I get home tonight I'll check the exact construction of mine.

Are your narrow straps too short (both the top and bottom)?

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1 minute ago, Marty Backe said:

When I get home tonight I'll check the exact construction of mine.

Are your narrow straps too short (both the top and bottom)?

The top narrow strap is perfect because its elastic. Its got a good amount of flex but still tight enough to stay secure.

The bottom one there has literally 0 give and is way too short. Its barely making it to the middle of my calf after ive looped it. and no amount of pulling is going to do anything. The only way to keep it secure is to stick it to the fat straps velcro, but even then its cutting into my leg. 

And thank you for checking. 

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13 hours ago, seage said:

I think i did really well!

Yep you got it, and now it takes just a few weeks and you will stop thinking and just ride like on a bike.

In the first weeks i was concentrating on so many things, when my feet where like 1cm off i got the wobbles etc.

But as soon as you stop thinking it’s easy. 

My biggest mistake was to squeeze the wheel between my legs, i got the wobbles every time, was really scary, as soon as i let the wheel loose between my legs the wobbles where gone, click.:D

And i enjoy watching your videos, you seem like a really nice guy. ;)

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3 hours ago, seage said:

The top narrow strap is perfect because its elastic. Its got a good amount of flex but still tight enough to stay secure.

The bottom one there has literally 0 give and is way too short. Its barely making it to the middle of my calf after ive looped it. and no amount of pulling is going to do anything. The only way to keep it secure is to stick it to the fat straps velcro, but even then its cutting into my leg. 

And thank you for checking. 

OK, mine are identical to yours. The problem with the bottom strap is they only put the matching Velcro on a small spot. I can see if you have particularly manly calves, it wouldn't fit.

On my new knee/shin guards from Leatt, I have a similar issue. What is it with these companies? With the Leatt, two of the tree straps were too short in a similar manner. My wife was able to sew some additional Velcro patches on the existing straps and now they work beautifully.

I don't suppose you have a wife that sews? :)

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58 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

OK, mine are identical to yours. The problem with the bottom strap is they only put the matching Velcro on a small spot. I can see if you have particularly manly calves, it wouldn't fit.

Yeah....just not working out so well for me... Ive found a temp work around for now, in using the fat strap as the opposite velcro thingy... But its not ideal and still a bit tight. But its a hell of a lot better and less restricting. Also i stopped using the fat straps at the top as well and just the thin one and that really helps with mobility and stops limiting me from straightening/bending my knees. At least its a start. 

1 hour ago, Marty Backe said:

On my new knee/shin guards from Leatt, I have a similar issue. What is it with these companies? With the Leatt, two of the tree straps were too short in a similar manner. My wife was able to sew some additional Velcro patches on the existing straps and now they work beautifully.

Ah damn, haha. And those are the top of the line ones, arent they? Maxing out on protection! You'd think with people investing so much money they'd possibly even have different band sizes or something to choose from. Not all calves are made the same!

1 hour ago, Marty Backe said:

I don't suppose you have a wife that sews? :)

Not yet. I need to get a girlfriend who knits first. Or maybe even a friend that crochets... lol. But yeah. Hyper single over here. Maybe one day. Luckily I sew, haha! Looks like its about to be DIY time. 

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4 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Yep you got it, and now it takes just a few weeks and you will stop thinking and just ride like on a bike.

In the first weeks i was concentrating on so many things, when my feet where like 1cm off i got the wobbles etc.

But as soon as you stop thinking it’s easy. 

My biggest mistake was to squeeze the wheel between my legs, i got the wobbles every time, was really scary, as soon as i let the wheel loose between my legs the wobbles where gone, click.:D

And i really like watching your videos, you seem like a really nice guy. ;)

Thank you so much! I kinda feel like I should start producing proper videos for the EUC. These are more rough documentations that take no time to edit. But im a huge fan of cinematography. (I'm an illustrator by profession and have worked storyboards and stuff, so its kinda part of my job to think that way) Its fun and would possibly bring some positive attention to us, since, well, im not an idiot and wouldnt ever promote anything dangerous or illegal, lmao. Anyways, that was a long winded way of saying thanks XD

I'll keep practicing. Unfortunately we're getting freezing rain this week. Ice, sleet, dangerous conditions and -299999C weather again. Augsjfsf, i want to ride outside! 

And hey, i took your advice seriously! Heres a little video i took, combining some tips from @Smoother about the rotations (Not sure if i got it right though, but i think it was a lot closer than before). And the not squeezing the wheel thing, since that offers 0 security as much as I liked to think so, haha. 

 

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@seage check out the Race Face Ambush knee guards. I have large legs from mountain biking and these work. They are super comfortable and dont move in a crash. Since they are made for mountain biking the freedom of movement is great too. 

I measured the way their size chart said and it worked out well. :cheers:

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34 minutes ago, Flying W said:

@seage check out the Race Face Ambush knee guards. I have large legs from mountain biking and these work. They are super comfortable and dont move in a crash. Since they are made for mountain biking the freedom of movement is great too. 

I measured the way their size chart said and it worked out well. :cheers:

Thanks! They're a pretty penny, but I might just invest, since I plan to be always wearing knee guards. May be a good idea. 

And their size chart is really good too

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Cool videos!

About the outside thing, uneven ground always looks much more scary than it actually is. Curbs, puddles, offroad stuff. Then you ride over it and wonder "that was it?". Was like this for me, too.

You just need a good "You lookin' at me, obstacle? I'm riding here so you better deal with it!" attitude, bend your legs a little and simply relax, and go for it. It helps to accelerate a bit into it with a little "fuck you" push movement from your feet like you're kicking something out of the way. Just so you commit and don't get too slow (and therefore more instable). And before you know it, your legs dampened it away and you rolled over whatever was there.

I found it helpful (and fun:D) to have a nice "I'm the top dawg, anyone wanna try me?!" smug belligerent attitude against every sketchy looking riding surface thing coming my way.

And inside, your slow speed and confined basement really makes it much harder, so it's impressive how well you handle there. In a bigger space, you could just do wider or narrower turns, figure 8s, etc. much more naturally.

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15 hours ago, seage said:

Alright yall! Todays session outside! Super sketchy conditions! I need to clean my pedals because the sand is all in them. And with running shoes with 0 grip on the base for anything other than a track, I was slipping like no ones business. And that road i went down in the video, i rode all the way down it and around and the wheel slid whenever i tried to turn around. Even on wider turns! Its like loose sand. I'm even careful on it on my bike. It was worse when said sand and water got on the pedals! I may as well have built a sand castle.  

Oh, i have a question! Does anyone know where one can get big kneepads? The ones I bought are XL, and they LOOK big, but they dont even fit around my lower leg, at my calf! Now, i may have a stomach, but my legs are not THAT big. Mainly toned from cycling, and these things were actually cutting off circulation a bit because of how tight i have to strap them just to be able to get the velcro to stick (and not even where its supposed to. I have to jimmy it and stick it to the velcro from where the back flaps connect right in the center, i stick it to that part. It wont reach across to the other side where its supposed to - hard to explain). I felt it was forcing me to bend my knees more than I wanted to, which was making it harder to ride and a lot more energy. I got tired very quickly. After i took em off, i could feel the blood start moving again, and my legs are kinda sore! Damn.... The ones I have now are these. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0000ASZAA/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nflwCb7F0PQQQ

 

Anyways, to the video. Even with that nonsense, I did my best! No excuses!!#!@#$ I think i did really well! I just filmed this section, but I rode up the 2 streets there. Messed up my turns. And then after grabbing my phone, i rode home! I had to take a big right turn, but got scared and wobbled out over to the left and right before catching it, but i was almost idled, tried to move again and was going directly for the curb so i hopped off, haha. Got back on and rode home and even over a speed bump. Had a slight right lean down the street, but i made it! Sorry for the long reports every video! LOL. I'm kinda like this. I hope you enjoy my ride though! 

 

 

Your excitement about learning to ride is contagious. I remember feeling like I had climbed a mountain. I also remember how impossible it felt that I was ever going to learn to ride this thing when I first stood in those foot platforms. 

I have no advice to give you because I would just be repeating all of the excellent advice that you have already received from people who are themselves excellent riders. 

I can't even recall the moment that I actually learned. I think with repetition the brain eventually just accepts that you want to ride this odd contraption we call EUCs and decides to relent and let you do it. 

So again, my main advice is advice which you have already received, and are doing; repetition, repetition, repetition.

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6 hours ago, Flying W said:

@seage check out the Race Face Ambush knee guards. I have large legs from mountain biking and these work. They are super comfortable and dont move in a crash. Since they are made for mountain biking the freedom of movement is great too. 

I measured the way their size chart said and it worked out well. :cheers:

The downside to these knee guards is that they aren't sliders (which makes sense based on their target market). YMMV, but most EUCers, skaters, etc. strongly recommend sliders.

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5 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Cool videos!

Thanks!

5 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

About the outside thing, uneven ground always looks much more scary than it actually is. Curbs, puddles, offroad stuff. Then you ride over it and wonder "that was it?". Was like this for me, too.

You just need a good "You lookin' at me, obstacle? I'm riding here so you better deal with it!" attitude, bend your legs a little and simply relax, and go for it. It helps to accelerate a bit into it with a little "fuck you" push movement from your feet like you're kicking something out of the way. Just so you commit and don't get too slow (and therefore more instable). And before you know it, your legs dampened it away and you rolled over whatever was there.

Just went on my ride! Took your advice. At first i went super slow and i came off going off the sidewalk onto the road. But then your advice clicked in my head, and i was like "Mannnn, come on, this curb ain't shit" and plowed up the next one and took off down the sidewalk. I was surprised how much i accelerated without worry after getting up that obstacle! I just got up, kinda did the pumping thing to almost...subconsciously check if i was still in control, then leaned in. Ive really gotta get used to the feeling of going up any incline. It feels so odd. Going downhill feels like a breeze. Its actually the most comfortable thing ever. 

 

6 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

I found it helpful (and fun:D) to have a nice "I'm the top dawg, anyone wanna try me?!" smug belligerent attitude against every sketchy looking riding surface thing coming my way.

There were a few puddles where there was a little ice, and the wind was strong, but i kept that attitude the entire time. Bent my knee's slowed my speed a little and stabilized, but trucked on through whereas before id probably hop off or just lose control right on top of it. Thanks for your advice! This is so much of a mind game! Going outside is a little less scary and a lot more exciting each time. 

 

6 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

And inside, your slow speed and confined basement really makes it much harder, so it's impressive how well you handle there. In a bigger space, you could just do wider or narrower turns, figure 8s, etc. much more naturally.

Thank you. I still haven't had the chance to get to a location to practice my turns comfortably and safely. Ive been following the path that winds. I actually like being on the sidewalk here (In my neighborhood, theres no one outside, ever - and there are long stretches of sidewalk with no houses, just ravines or hills). I was able to use my basement skills and do a pivot to go back home, haha. But my turn off the driveway to the left was the sketchiest thing on earth. Summer needs to hurry up so i can just ride whenever, haha!

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