WHAT WAS YOUR LEARNING CURVE TO RIDE AN EU?

[Nuo Meng]

This post from Paddylaz reminded me of when I was learning to ride my EU at the beginning and how difficult - even impossible it seemed to be.

I remember how sore my inner shins were - for the first week I even put bubble wrap around my lower legs (under my pants, so I wouldn't look like a dork) and it seemed like my ankles always took the brunt of my falls. My 'trick' in learning to ride in one day was to go into the long common hallway of the condominium where I lived and ride down the hall with both hands outstretched so if I lost my balance I could just lean against the wall and not fall off. When I could ride all the way down the hall (after about 2 hours) I went outside.

I rode down a park path for the first time outside and I realized I didn't know how to turn so I would ride to the end of the path and stop and lean against a tree, get off, turn around, use the tree to get back on, and ride down to where I started, and so on for a couple days. Finally I learned to make some very wide turns but it took at least a week before I could get on and off without leaning against something for support. Going up my first slight incline was even very scary - wasn't sure if I could make it without running out of power.  Now, after riding over 1700 km it's second nature to ride - comfortable on a crowded sidewalk at a snails pace or on the roadway at maximum speed.

What was your experience in learning to ride your EU?

[esaj]

I "documented" my first days here:  

 

 

[UKJ]

   Hello,

Just wanted to share this.

I am working loosely with a company selling and giving lessons on our wonderful EUCs.

Just for fun I tested teaching like this, simple as possible with few words and info.

Explained it is similar to learning to ride a bike.

Foot position on peddles important for comfort and fore aft balance.

Just like we used to teach peddle UCs, one person on each side with arm out palm up and rider using his both arms palm down to balance.

Forward motion input to EUC is pushing front of foot down, NOT leaning forward!

Braking is heel pressure.

Side to side balance is by keeping equal foot weight.

Person gets up on EUC and finds not moving balance and correct foot placement using both helpers for balance support.

Forward motion input then stop, rear motion input just to feel it.

Then the 2 helpers walk forward with the learner instructed to look forward at horizon, NOT down.

Explaining that riding slow is hard because of limited gyroscopic effect and fast walking speed will be much more stable.

2 guys have been off and riding alone within 10 minutes of TOTAL instruction using this KISS process.

Wrist guards and helmet manditory.

Both of these students were fit sports minded guys so of course that helped.

I feel that because most people see ONLY 1 wheel that it has to be hard to balance, with a peddle uni this is VERY true, BUT not with a self balancing EUC!

UKJ

[thaikiwi]

Hello,

i start to learn between the double Door of a Barn in the back of my Home.First i hold both Doors and tried to move the Wheel Forward/backward.Then i tried just to touch them with my Fingers and move.After that i placed a Sack truck/trolley infront of me and grabbed it and tried to move it.Wich worked after a few attempts and so i was able to move at least a few meters.Then i took the Wheel with me to my Workplace.Here i had more Space and a real Road to drive.Still leaning at my Car when mounting the Wheel.But once i got some Speed i was able to ride straight Forward and doing wide Corners.In the weeks after i also practiced mounting,sharp Corners,Curbs,riding on Grass and Grass pavers.So now i do what i like most,riding in my favorite Forest Area insted of Walking..........

[Vik's]

I started my learning prosess at artificial turf on the nearest soccer court. Had inner shins protectors and high boots for better stability and ankle protection.

The first day I spent 15-20 minutes to get and to stay on the 9b1. I did it!  Next three days, I got progressively better at it. Ca. 30-45 minutes a day.
On the day five I decided to try my luck on the asphalt. It went surprisingly well! Much easier than on artificial turf. And the day after was my first trip to work. Not the easiest one but it went good!

I spent a couple more days on the soccer court to finetune my turning/leaning abilities. After that I got enough confidence to ride my EUC everywhere I wanted to go.

 

[WakefulTraveller]

I was born ready to ride; there was no learning process involved. I started off by pushing unicycle off in front of me and then I jumped on and accelerated to top speed before I spun around with a hob and continued in the same direction but backwards for a good half mile. When I came across pedestrians, I just weaved on through them. When there was an obstacle blocking my path, I just accelerated to top speed, jumped, and did a backward somersault over the object with the wheel spinning above me reflecting the light of the glorious sun. Riding for me is a piece of cake. Alright, this is total bullsh*t! It took me just under an hour to start to get the hang of the basics. My right shin was killing me, and I ended up buying a shin guard with extra padding that helped out a lot. I have since improved by some small measure since the first few days of riding.

[Cloud]

Took me 15 minutes to start riding around my neighborhood and make simple turns, another hour to go 28kph, next day i conquered uneven terrain, in two more days did a 11 mike trip from manhattan to Brooklyn over the brooklyn bridge, in 2 weeks was confindent enough riding around pedestrians in manhattan, in two months felt proficient overall, in 6 months and 3 thousand km, riding became more natural than walking. I have to say that the first two weeks my feet were killing me and they were bleeding. Also i lost like 10 lbs learning to ride in the first 2 weeks

[Mono]

12 hours ago, UKJ said:

Forward motion input to EUC is pushing front of foot down, NOT leaning forward!

If I push my front foot down, I stop. Try it out, it will also work for you. I am positive.

[Makoben]

I am still on the learning curve. I have avoided people for months, but rode to a baseball game through a bunch of people with no problem. The coaches were yelling at the kids to pay attention to the game, not the guy on the weird thing.

mike

[UKJ]

10 hours ago, Niko said:

If I push my front foot down, I stop. Try it out, it will also work for you. I am positive.

Interesting?

Hold your EUC on the floor by the center of the handle with it on and balanced not moving.

Place 5 liters, 5 kilos of water in a bottle or any similar weight on the front half on the peddle, what happens?

Or as tested just now even easier, simply push down, apply pressure to the front half of the peddle with your other hand, what happens?

I also just for the very first time tested leaning , tilting my body backwards, BUT pushing down with the front of my feet for forward movement which it did do, so I am positive at least with my EUC, that I must firmly disagree with your above statement.

Maybe you could please explain what you ment as I must misunderstand?

ukj

[Peter Harrison]

I can see where he's coming from.  If you simply push down on the front of your foot, your CofG shifts back and you come to a stop.  

Even if you don't think you're doing it, when you press with the front of your foot, you're also leaning forward to maintain the pressure.

[UKJ]

Not wanting to be argumentative but,

Of course if you are standing up straight and push down with the front of your feet therefore raising your heels off the floor getting your bodies C o G over the balls of your feet you will keep your balance by moving said C o G forward, this can be done while standing completely straight.

I wonder if anyone can can intensionality but naturally raise up onto the balls of their feet and fall backwards?

So I respectfully submit that as in the above example that on an EUC while keeping balance if you apply pressure to the front half of the peddle by pushing down with the front of your feet you will go forward by  effectively moving your bodies C O G in front of the wheels axle while still maintaining a completely straight body posture.

I again just tested this by looking in a mirror from the side.

Mount your EUC feet in the normal place using something for support, stand up as straight as you can, carefully and slowly push down with the front of your feet as in the same way as on the floor to get your weight onto the balls of your feet, note what happens.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind having just rode in my hall way that I advance forward by applying pressure to the front on my feet and brake then go backwards by applying pressure to my heels, using my ankle joint as a pivot, my bodies CG adjusts accordingly to maintain fore, aft balance.

I must again firmly disagree with the above statements that by applying front foot pressure one stops!

I did this barefoot to increase the sensation. I often do this as I like the direct peddle contact, only indoors for sure.

More than open for any and all discussion as I have a strong feeling that many dreded face plants might be caused by riders thinking that leaning forward causes forward movement which of course it does maybe to their detriment?

ukj

 

 

[Mono]

On 5/16/2016 at 9:03 AM, UKJ said:

Place 5 liters, 5 kilos of water in a bottle or any similar weight on the front half on the peddle, what happens?

I can hardly imagine you ever did this :-) I don't know what happens and I won't try, but it might be equivalent to "leaning forward", that is, bringing the weight of the rider in front of the wheel. The latter leads to forward acceleration. 

On 5/16/2016 at 9:03 AM, UKJ said:

Maybe you could please explain what you ment as I must misunderstand?

Pushing the front foot down leads to a forward movement of the wheel, as you have correctly pointed out. This brings the wheel in front of the rider and leads, as a necessary consequence, either to a backward acceleration of rider and wheel (i.e. slowing down the forward movement) or the rider falling backwards off the wheel. Of course, the rider needs to adapt to the situation the wheel being in front of him, that is, quickly release the foot pressure. If the rider insist pushing the front foot down he will just fall backwards off the wheel. 

Heel pressure leads to a backward movement of the wheel, which brings the wheel behind the rider, like when the rider "leans forward", and leads consequently to forward acceleration (or the rider falling off forward, if he keeps the heel pressure applied for too long).

I agree that this is likely a better way to think of acceleration or braking: bringing the wheel behind or in front if the rider, instead of leaning forward or backward. It is the actual mechanism behind accelerating or braking, which doesn't necessarily mean it is the best way to learn or think of it as a movement, but might well be.

[Mono]

15 hours ago, UKJ said:

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind having just rode in my hall way that I advance forward by applying pressure to the front on my feet and brake then go backwards by applying pressure to my heels

Right, but this is not how you can initiate acceleration or braking, this is what you feel is happening during acceleration or braking, which it is.

The most intuitive way to understand this is to think of an inverted pendulum. If we want the pendulum go to the left, we have to move the support to the right such that it starts falling to the left and then we (must) push to the left to follow its movement.

[Mono]

18 hours ago, UKJ said:

I must again firmly disagree with the above statements that by applying front foot pressure one stops!

Well, applying enough pressure to maintain the current state of acceleration maintains the current state of acceleration. You will need to apply more pressure and then you will decelerate shortly afterwards, or you will fall off backwards. And if you apply less pressure for some moment it will make you "lean forward" and further accelerate, or fall off forward.

So yes, you need to push the front foot down to not fall off while accelerating. But if you want to accelerate more (or start accelerating), pushing the front foot more will just do the opposite.

[Mono]

19 hours ago, UKJ said:

I wonder if anyone can can intensionality but naturally raise up onto the balls of their feet and fall backwards?

Yes, this is what we naturally do if we want to pull something back with both arms. We go on the toes, lift the heels without moving the CoG forward (but possibly backward if we try to pull hard). Of course, if we don't want to fall backwards and having nothing to pull/hold on which prevents falling (as is usually the case), we don't naturally do it.

If you are not on a wheel and want to get stand on your toes, you move the CoG forward to get on your toes and to avoid falling backwards. You can do this, because you stand on the ground where the extended support and the friction allows to move the CoG (which is not the case being on the wheel) and you initiate this movement by slightly lifting the forefoot and putting a little more weight on the heels than normally. However, if you just push down the forefoot without moving the CoG, yes, you naturally fall backwards.

So the movement "going on the toes" and "accelerating the wheel" are indeed pretty similar. They both start with lifting the forefoot to initiate a movement of the CoG forward or the wheel backward, respectively.

[UKJ]

As to not hijack this thread and having issues with thoughts posted above I am out.

If one day I find time I may reply in a new thread.

ukj

 

[playdad]

On 15/05/2016 at 2:28 AM, Cloud said:

Took me 15 minutes to start riding around my neighborhood and make simple turns, another hour to go 28kph, next day i conquered uneven terrain, in two more days did a 11 mike trip from manhattan to Brooklyn over the brooklyn bridge,

@Cloud

IF you believed in reincarnation, would you believe you were a circus clown riding a unicycle in a previous life?

[Cloud]

20 hours ago, playdad said:

@Cloud

IF you believed in reincarnation, would you believe you were a circus clown riding a unicycle in a previous life?

No i wouldnt. more likely, i was a rock star in my previous life. But i probably occassionally rode a unicycle in between the concerts.

[Roue Libre]

My learning curve was not easy in the beginning. But at that time the firmware (1.2.7 if I remember well) was less smooth than the recent (1.3.5). Also I never did skiing before, which helps learning EUC I think.