Anyone had this major bruising experience?

[RhoadsNRoses82]

So I've been trying to learn to ride just inside my apartment along the wall, learning to mount, to do the concentric one leg circles, riding with no wall for short distances etc. I'm on a v11. The bruising has gotten so bad after about 3 days of this that I think I literally have to take a break from it. Has anyone else had this experience when starting out or am I just doing something REALLY wrong lol here's a photo of it

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nuz7HqBieQcTpvPWEJqyOoXZ5XEl6lSH/view?usp=drivesdk

[Tawpie]

A bit of a break looks like it's in order—that looks tough.

However—it looks like the top of your wheel is what's bruising you. While it should lightly contact your leg, it shouldn't be hard enough to bruise that badly. I'd check your foot placement, if it's too far away from the EUC body the top will flop over and whack your leg. Getting your foot closer should allow your calf to support the wheel.

And you might try adding some padding to the side of the wheel (folded hand towels and duct tape work) so that the padding contacts your calves and keeps the top of the wheel from bashing you.

[Paul A]

The bruising appears to be at the top and bottom of the calf though.

Post states V11, but avatar states V12 HS.

Slightly different shaped side panels.

 

[RhoadsNRoses82]

1 minute ago, Paul A said:

The bruising appears to be at the top and bottom of the calf though.

Post states V11, but avatar states V12 HS.

Slightly different shaped side panels.

 

crap forgot to update that lol, my V12 came and was fried within 1 day while rolling it along my carpet....amazing. so i ordered a V11 on amazon and it's actually been functioning perfectly so far.

 

13 minutes ago, Tawpie said:

A bit of a break looks like it's in order—that looks tough.

However—it looks like the top of your wheel is what's bruising you. While it should lightly contact your leg, it shouldn't be hard enough to bruise that badly. I'd check your foot placement, if it's too far away from the EUC body the top will flop over and whack your leg. Getting your foot closer should allow your calf to support the wheel.

And you might try adding some padding to the side of the wheel (folded hand towels and duct tape work) so that the padding contacts your calves and keeps the top of the wheel from bashing you.

I will pay attention to the foot placement next time, that's a good point. I never really paid attention to that, thanks for the input

[Paul A]

The picture is of the right leg.

The bruising is only on the right leg?

The right leg is the one that starts off on the wheel first?

At the start, the wheel is leaning to the left, but not in contact with the right calf?

[RhoadsNRoses82]

in general though would you guys say that once you are already moderately experienced/comfortable riding, that you rely a lot on squeezing the wheel between your calves for control? Or is that not the right technique 

[RhoadsNRoses82]

Just now, Paul A said:

The picture is of the right leg.

The bruising is only on the right leg?

The right leg is the one that starts off on the wheel first?

At the start, the wheel is leaning to the left, but not in contact with the right calf?

actually originally the left leg barely had any bruising. so yesterday instead of taking a break i started learning to mount using my left (non dominant) leg lol...and now today that leg has a lot more bruising too. but the right one even more so, since i also kept trying with right leg dominance as well. So yea the long story short i guess that process of holding the wheel inward towards the midline before mounting is where i'm getting all the pressure for the most part. maybe starting with a 60lb EUC wasn't the best idea

[Paul A]

Maybe try having the wheel and calf touching right from the start, before mounting with the other leg.

Touching with firm contact.

[Tawpie]

11 minutes ago, EF95 said:

squeezing the wheel between your calves for control? Or is that not the right technique

Just say no to clenching the wheel!

You want to be 'loose' on the wheel so that your autonomic systems have room to react. This remains important as you advance, because unexpected bumps etc. in the path require you to ride with bent knees and there must be room for everything to flex lest you get physically thrown off the wheel.

Yes, there are times when you will clench the wheel, or use your leg to help 'drag' it over toward one side or the other but for the most part you want to get practiced at using the weight on each pedal as your steering mechanism. Not clenching teaches you to get the weight distribution exactly even on the left and right sides.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Tawpie

[Eucner]

6 minutes ago, EF95 said:

in general though would you guys say that once you are already moderately experienced/comfortable riding, that you rely a lot on squeezing the wheel between your calves for control? Or is that not the right technique 

I'm not squeezing at all. The wheel slightly touches one of my legs when mounting and time to time while riding.

[RhoadsNRoses82]

ok so that is my main issue then. I'm really focusing on putting a lot of stress with my mounting leg INTO the EUC...instead of focusing on the foot placement on the pedal and how that force is being distributed

[Tawpie]

BTW, when I was starting out it was flat impossible until I absolutely *forced* myself to look straight ahead, about 30 feet in front. I was looking at the wheel and, well, it turns out until you get better, you go where you're looking. Look down, and you'll go down. Strange advice, but crucial.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Tawpie

[Freeforester]

@EF95Are you ‘Emperor Fyodor’, the last of the Romanovs? - I’ll totally understand if you wish to deny this, and the FSB swift retribution ensuing - just roll down that trouser leg and say little more, they’re kinda busy right now anyway, so you may just get away with it, lol!

 

All jokery apart, it looks like you may be trying a little too hard, though I do recall a few bruises myself during the first couple of sessions, but it’ll soon be behind you, and hopefully you’ll very quickly forget about them.

[Funky]

27 minutes ago, Tawpie said:

Just say no to clenching the wheel!

You want to be 'loose' on the wheel so that your autonomic systems have room to react. This remains important as you advance, because unexpected bumps etc. in the path require you to ride with bent knees and there must be room for everything to flex lest you get physically thrown off the wheel.

Yes, there are times when you will clench the wheel, or use your leg to help 'drag' it over toward one side or the other but for the most part you want to get practiced at using the weight on each pedal as your steering mechanism. Not clenching teaches you to get the weight distribution exactly even on the left and right sides.

What do you mean by "loose"? You got like 1inch distance from wheel sides? Only thing you touch is pedals? Or does your legs still touch the wheel sides? Maybe i have not really "clenched" the wheel.. That's why i ask.

Instructions unclear: got my penis stuck in charging port. Ai caramba!!! That was spicy.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Funky

[RhoadsNRoses82]

17 minutes ago, Freeforester said:

@EF95Are you ‘Emperor Fyodor’, the last of the Romanovs? - I’ll totally understand if you wish to deny this, and the FSB swift retribution ensuing - just roll down that trouser leg and say little more, they’re kinda busy right now anyway, so you may just get away with it, lol!

LOL i have actually never chosen any specific words for which these letters should stand despite using it as my nickname for over 15 years. But emperor fyodor is actually perfect and is now part of the storyline of EF. what wondrous things owning an EUC leads to. funny thing is i AM actually russian, born in st. petersburg but came to the US when i was 6 so i'm pretty far removed from the FSB lmao

[Tawpie]

58 minutes ago, Funky said:

What do you mean by "loose"?

I ride without touching the sides at all when going straight, only contact is with the pedals. Maybe my pants are touching, but not touching my legs. Turning at speed usually has one or the other leg touching the side, but for the most part no contact at all. I'm sure light touching isn't a problem, just don't have a death grip on the wheel!

[Paul A]

If a spare V11 is needed, this seems to be a bargain.

 

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/155037687558?epid=25053262117&hash=item2418f75f06:g:sIIAAOSwIHxiqNoY

In Motion V11 2200W Electric Unicycle - Black

Condition: Used

Price: US $1,300.00

INMOTION V11 Electric Unicycle 18-inch One-Wheel 2200W Motor and 31mph Max Speed.

XL Motorcycle Helmet 

InMotion Leg Pads

InMotion Riders Seat Attachment 

32 Miles only

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

 

 

[OldFartRides]

Think you got the wrong thread there Paul…but I checked out the listing and it’s done and done.

Seller had “0” feedback which is a huge red flag for me on fleabay. Hope it works out for whoever jumped on it.

[Paul A]

Thanks OFR.

Bought an item once from EBay that didn't arrive.  Funds were refunded by EBay.

EBay is just showing the listing has ended.

Paypal provides a middleman service.

Might check the listing again in a week and see if seller was given feedback by a buyer.

Could be a scam.

[VikB]

22 hours ago, EF95 said:

in general though would you guys say that once you are already moderately experienced/comfortable riding, that you rely a lot on squeezing the wheel between your calves for control? Or is that not the right technique 

I barely touch the side of the wheel when riding and when I do it's quite lightly. I am not gripping the wheel with my calves or anything like that. Weight balance on the pedals controls the wheel. I didn't have any bruising during the learning phase. 

If you are sore definitely take some time off and let that heal. You aren't going to have fun trying to ride in pain. When you start back up try and avoid putting a lot of pressure on the wheel with your legs.

[rcgldr]

I had a bit of bruising when first starting, so I bought a pair of cloth shin guards and turned them inwards. I stopped wearing them after about 2 weeks. I used support to mount and launch to learn to ride first, before I tried to free mount, following the advice given in Kuji Roll's and Wrong Way's how to ride videos. One I could basically ride (about 5 days, 30 minutes a day), I attempted free mount, my only time on grass, and got it on my third try after leaning forwards enough to compensate for the grass, just pushing my V8F forwards and stepping on. I didn't get a lot of bruising since I didn't have to deal with one foot gliding.

[.....]

13 hours ago, VikB said:

I barely touch the side of the wheel when riding and when I do it's quite lightly. I am not gripping the wheel with my calves or anything like that. Weight balance on the pedals controls the wheel. I didn't have any bruising during the learning phase. 

If you are sore definitely take some time off and let that heal. You aren't going to have fun trying to ride in pain. When you start back up try and avoid putting a lot of pressure on the wheel with your legs.

THIS!

I didnt bruise as badly as the OP, but i did get tender. I eventually after MONTHS, learned to quit gripping the wheel and ride more bowlegged. My style is to ride loose now and only grab with my upper legs when offroad. I don't stand with my ankles touching the wheel, so those dot grab. Starting with a 60lb wheel and repetitively mounting, is gna make some marks. Quit beating yourself up and take a break or two. The mental game stays with you as you rest. Also, once you mount the thing, go ride it! No need to pound a specific body part into oblivion, there's many more to abuse too... Mounting and dismounting are easy for me now, but its still not near as easy as simply riding!

[RhoadsNRoses82]

Yea I am now seeing a lot of advice saying it's better to learn to just ride before learning to freemount. I have been doing the opposite. But I will say after taking a break I noticed significant improvement in my balancing on it and ability to freemount, and now I am able to do it without nearly as much pressure on those bruise areas. A lot of tidbits  from these posts and YouTube have helped me hone in on where exactly my problem was. Now I gotta learn to ride lol time to take it outside finally 

[rcgldr]

1 hour ago, EF95 said:

Yea I am now seeing a lot of advice saying it's better to learn to just ride before learning to free mount. 

In Kuji Roll's how to ride EUC video, the girl he teaches to ride on a V8 is never shown free mounting. He does show some one foot drills, but this is to dismount with one foot on so the V8 doesn't roll off into a car in the parking lot they're using. The 25 psi pressure is due to girl's light weight. I weigh a bit less than 190 lbs, and used 35 psi on my V8F when starting,and I'm running 40 psi now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6o8ZMlo5ko

Wrong Way (Adam)'s video, not a lot of instruction, but his girlfriend Monokat (Kate) had ridden 60 to 80 km before attempting to free mount on a 77 lb Veteran Sherman, and got it on her second attempt. As I commented above, if a rider already knows how to ride, they just need to push forwards and step on, rather than do one foot glide drills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW-y5RiecMc&t=634s

One thing missing from these videos is a good explanation for how to turn and how to balance. For slow speeds (3 to 5 mph), arm flailing | yaw steering, flailing left to steer right and vice versa was good enough for me to do laps at a tennis court on my first attempt. Example of 3 year old kid and advanced riders doing this while nearly stopped.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z9YiHu5HJ6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro3o8U9uZeU&t=57s

At sufficient speed, a wheel will become stable enough that a rider doesn't have to focus on balance. For my V8F, 6 to 8 mph is fast enough for it to become stable. You can see this in Kuji's video above, towards the end where the girl is going fast enough for it to become stable, relaxes her arms, and is tilt steering (inner foot down, outer foot up) for mild turns. Tilt steering well will take more time since the turning radius is mostly a function of how much you tilt a wheel regardless of speed (within reason), so for low speed tight turns, you barely lean while tilting a wheel a lot, while at higher speeds, you lean (or hang off) more than you tilt. Wrong Way has a video showing both cases, also showing the differences in tilt steering response due to tire parameters, especially the slow motion clip at 5:14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsXW4OKnmWc

I started on my V8F back in August, 2021, before Wrong Way made his turning video, so I looked for a Marty Back style of riding, minimal movement other than leaning and tilting, but with a lot of turns and used this video of a girl on an S18 for what tilt steering looks like. Due to tire, speed, and turning radius, the girl leans more than she tilts the S18.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hWMwK3Cfs0

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by rcgldr

[conecones]

1 hour ago, EF95 said:

Yea I am now seeing a lot of advice saying it's better to learn to just ride before learning to freemount. I have been doing the opposite. But I will say after taking a break I noticed significant improvement in my balancing on it and ability to freemount, and now I am able to do it without nearly as much pressure on those bruise areas. A lot of tidbits  from these posts and YouTube have helped me hone in on where exactly my problem was. Now I gotta learn to ride lol time to take it outside finally 

Learning to ride before free mount is like learning how to drive a car forward before learning how to brake...I applaud you for sticking through the harsh initial learning curve. Free mounting is just another way to say controlling the wheel with one leg for short duration. You need this to get on and off the wheel and it's super important to be confident with this or else you'll run the risk of running into people or cars if all you can do is go forward but get wobbly once you take a foot off.

For the bruising, its super common and first suggestion is get some soft shin pads and rotate them to protect the side of your leg - then you can practice as much as you want.

To decrease pressure on the side of the leg, mount your feet tight against the wheel body - your shoe should be touching the side panel. Same with the other foot, maintain contact with the wheel body (don't need to squeeze or anything) so when the wheel tries to wobble, it does not have space to smack into your legs because your leg is already resting against it (and resisting the wobble).

As you get better, you'll know when to ride loose and when to ride tight, but when starting out, its best to maintain solid contact with the wheel at all times and keep your legs stiff as possible (just shy of locking your knees). This will reduce the amount of wobbling.