on one Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Now that I have upgraded my pedals, I really love to ride barefoot because it's so comfortable and my electric unicycle and I have such nuanced control now that that my EUC is responsive to how I use my toes. I find a regular shoe to be inhibiting my command authority and my joy. So, I'm going to try out water shoes. Has anybody tried water sh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Roadpower Posted June 27, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 27, 2023 2 2 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0000 Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Proverbs 3:13 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on one Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 I got my EUC shoes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhpr262 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 WTF?!?! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on one Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) Don't be jealous. Just because you can't use your toes when riding and your heal hangs over. I love my suspension pedals. They are ultra cushy. Edited June 30, 2023 by earthtwin more comments 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cerbera Posted June 30, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) Let's hope you can keep the pointy end of those away from your bare ankles ! You'll only do it once ! Edited June 30, 2023 by Cerbera 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 0000 Posted June 30, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) Just to add to what @Cerbera said, there's a reason many experienced riders prefer some form of high top shoes or boots to cover your ankle bones. Kinda hoping you were going to get the implication without spelling it out given basically everyone's consensus on the NOPE reaction above there. What do they say, when wisdom fails, experience prevails. Edited June 30, 2023 by Vanturion 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on one Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 Riding barefoot is most comfortable, without shoes at all. I can feel my electric unicycle and I have nuanced control. The more barriers between me and my wheel, the less aware I can be of it's state. It's just way better of a riding experience for me, and I believe it's safer too because my feet can actually feel the motor were it to stutter or cut out. But it's not really practical to ride barefoot outside of our nature trail and around my apartments. I suspect that most riders put too many barriers between their foot and the electric unicycle so they will never know the experience of making subtle inputs to the controller with a pinky toe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cerbera Posted June 30, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) 7 minutes ago, earthtwin said: Riding barefoot is most comfortable, without shoes at all. I can feel my electric unicycle and I have nuanced control. The more barriers between me and my wheel, the less aware I can be of it's state. It's just way better of a riding experience for me, and I believe it's safer too because my feet can actually feel the motor were it to stutter or cut out. But it's not really practical to ride barefoot outside of our nature trail and around my apartments. I suspect that most riders put too many barriers between their foot and the electric unicycle so they will never know the experience of making subtle inputs to the controller with a pinky toe. That's not really the point of our warnings. A wheel is full of hard, metal, or, in your case, pointy bits, and if that wheel hits a bit of unfortunate terrain, and twists out under you, and your ankle bones make any contact with the ground or the parts mentioned above it will be agony, and you'll be lucky to even walk home from the scene ! It's been nearly 10 years since that happened to me, but I still haven't forgotten the unique levels of pain it caused, and the difficulty I had even making it back to the car. I don't want to project my fears on to you, but it would be remiss not to alert you to the possibility. Edited June 30, 2023 by Cerbera 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on one Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 Yes, I do appreciate the warnings. Actually this pedal isn't my end all be all. I will dispense with the wooden pedal all together very soon. I am planning on making a clay mold of my actual foot and then having the mold cast into aluminum alloy at a local metal shop. Then I will mount the aluminum casting to my pedal. I'm not sure how to mount it yet; do you have any ideas? I'd like it to be removable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellkitten Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 6 minutes ago, earthtwin said: Yes, I do appreciate the warnings. Actually this pedal isn't my end all be all. I will dispense with the wooden pedal all together very soon. I am planning on making a clay mold of my actual foot and then having the mold cast into aluminum alloy at a local metal shop. Then I will mount the aluminum casting to my pedal. I'm not sure how to mount it yet; do you have any ideas? I'd like it to be removable. Part of what I do for a living is casting body parts. You don’t use clay in the way you mentioned, nor do you cast aluminum into clay. Sand casting or lost wax process is mostly the way it’s done……… 🍿🍿👀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on one Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) Would it be expensive to cast my feet? Perhaps I will make my pedal out of clay for now, to see if I like it. I'm going to buy some clay and craft it to the wooden pedals on my King Song 14D to see if I like it enough to pay for a metal casting. Should I buy hardening clay? Or should I buy the kind of clay that stays soft? Edited June 30, 2023 by earthtwin more ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellkitten Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 @earthtwin None of the above. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadpower Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 7 hours ago, Cerbera said: Let's hope you can keep the pointy end of those away from your bare ankles ! You'll only do it once ! Yeah the exposed ankles scare the bajeezbus out of me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadpower Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 7 hours ago, earthtwin said: Riding barefoot is most comfortable, without shoes at all. I can feel my electric unicycle and I have nuanced control. The more barriers between me and my wheel, the less aware I can be of it's state. It's just way better of a riding experience for me, and I believe it's safer too because my feet can actually feel the motor were it to stutter or cut out. But it's not really practical to ride barefoot outside of our nature trail and around my apartments. I suspect that most riders put too many barriers between their foot and the electric unicycle so they will never know the experience of making subtle inputs to the controller with a pinky toe. I think you have a reasonable point about the feedback but the rub is that I don't think it is worth the risk as you aren't losing enough feedback to forego a significant amount of foot/ankle protection. This probably also depends on the kind of riding done. Maybe if you're riding on a nice smooth lawn (or the like) at low speeds then yeah it sounds liberating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on one Posted July 1, 2023 Author Share Posted July 1, 2023 (edited) I stubbed my toe on my wooden pedal during morning ride while trying to record. Big risk. It feels like everyone is waiting for me to get injured just so they can say, "I told you so." Edited July 1, 2023 by earthtwin fail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cerbera Posted July 1, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2023 1 hour ago, earthtwin said: It feels like everyone is waiting for me to get injured just so they can say, "I told you so." Quite the opposite, my friend; we are trying to warn you before you get seriously injured. Sorry to hear about the toe. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhpr262 Posted July 1, 2023 Share Posted July 1, 2023 (edited) 22 hours ago, earthtwin said: Would it be expensive to cast my feet? Perhaps I will make my pedal out of clay for now, to see if I like it. I'm going to buy some clay and craft it to the wooden pedals on my King Song 14D to see if I like it enough to pay for a metal casting. Should I buy hardening clay? Or should I buy the kind of clay that stays soft? You could forego clay and casting and aluminium entirely, just get some of that polymer stuff that can be formed and hardened and put that directly on the pedals. Its not like the pedals have to transmit any mechanical forces. But dammit I cant imagine riding like that. I feel unsafe and anxious on the wheel whenever I am not wearing my heavy, armored, calf height motorcycle boots. The only two medium serious injuries I have suffered from accidents with my wheel were both badly sprained right ankles. The first time I was wearing soft, low top sneakers and it took eight montthss to fully heal, the second time I was wearing proper (military paratrooper) boots and it took three or four days to heal. Edited July 1, 2023 by mhpr262 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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