Help on mounting

[devvdude]

I have had my uni for about 3 days and decided to take the training wheels off, I do fine except for the fact that I can't start the Damn thing, I can't get on it, ice tried many different ways and after a face plant and bloody shins I gave up for the day and out the training wheels back on.

 

How long did it take you all to learn to mount?

 

 

Even nowbi don't use the training wheels for anything but mounting 

[Daan]

Go gently and smoothly   Here is how I do it:

* first try to feel the balance on just one foot; i.e. hold the wheel steady with just one foot.

* Slowly put more weight on that foot such that you feel you could almost balance on it. Bend the knees just a little and feel your muscles. When putting more pressure on your foot, you will also feel your leg pushing 'back' against the wheel to keep it upright.

* Then push gently forward with your other foot such that you get a little speed and put that other foot on the pedal quickly and smoothly

* Balance and keep speed

Ah, it is not super easy but once it clicks it becomes second nature. Keep going at it.

Here is a fun video that teaches this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7UpuGgZJrI (except that he doesn't push off to get some speed which I feel really helps with balancing)

Edited August 5, 2015 by Daan

[dpong]

Some people (like me) first learn to ride using an assisted mount.  This means hold on to a wall or a car until you get both feet on where you want them and then start from there.  This can be useful especially in the very beginning, because to be able to mount successfully it helps if you can actually ride successfully - at least a short distance.  Once you can do that practice mounting again.  Anyway, that is what I did. 

One downside that I experienced is that I put off learning to mount until much later.  I just liked to ride.  So now I don't mount as easily as I should be after riding 5 months.  But I can do it, and I can still practice it and become better. 

But for actual mounting instructions, I think @Daan is giving good advice!

[Mono]

On 8/5/2015 at 1:58 AM, devvdude said:

I have had my uni for about 3 days and decided to take the training wheels off, I do fine except for the fact that I can't start the Damn thing, I can't get on it, ice tried many different ways and after a face plant and bloody shins I gave up for the day and out the training wheels back on.

 

How long did it take you all to learn to mount?

 

 

Even nowbi don't use the training wheels for anything but mounting 

Don't get impatient, mounting is apparently the most difficult part. It took me several weeks of daily practice to get confident and close to a 100% success rate. Keep trying/practicing and mount by holding on to something if need be. 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Mono

[Jag_Rip]

Yep, I still am at 90% mounting-success rate, especially when showing it to friends that want to try it for the first time.

I skate-style mount my wheel, but instead of using the food on the ground, I push down my toe on the foot on the wheel so it starts moving motorized, then just lift the other foot onto the pedal.

I practiced mounting and stopping for at least 2 full charges of battery inside my garage. Rode a figure of 8, stopped, started again, fig8, and so on until my shins hurt. Recover, get back on it the next day. 

I am still trying to ride on one leg, so far it works for like a meter or two until I loose balance.

 

The most important thing for me was: Don't. Give. Up.... Ever.

[devvdude]

Not giving up, despite the knots I now have of my shins .....I am stubborn and only have a few weeks before classes start up at the law school (I bought the uni to ride to and from class and around campus), so I need to have it at least somewhat successful by then.

 

Thanks all for the advice.

I came close towards the end of the day yesterday to getting it, but by then every time I failed I was wincing in pain from the knots on my shins, and so I decided to call it a night. Back at it again this evening.

 

[Mono]

I came close towards the end of the day yesterday to getting it, but by then every time I failed I was wincing in pain from the knots on my shins

if you don't enjoy the pain, (hard) shin protectors (as used in sports, e.g. soccer) and/or foam as padding work well as preventives. I wouldn't have been able to do this without. 

[hobby16]

Not giving up, despite the knots I now have of my shins .....I am stubborn and only have a few weeks before classes start up at the law school (I bought the uni to ride to and from class and around campus), so I need to have it at least somewhat successful by then.

Remove juste one learning wheel first before removing both !

"A few weeks" would be enough to learn to ride decently. Mounting and riding are two different things to learn. Learning how to mount is quite hard for the legs so if it becomes too painfull, switch to riding and get back to mounting later.

Dont' forget it's not linear. Once you get riding, progress will be very fast.

Edited August 5, 2015 by hobby16

[devvdude]

I contemplated leaving one wheel on for mounting, but then I thought this might somehow throw off the balance of the wheel. Certainly not a bad Idea. I am gonna keep trying to mount at least a few times a day, but yesterday I gave up after several failed attempts and put back on the wheels for the time being.

I can already ride pretty well, the wheels never touch the ground once I get it started, it is just a matter of getting myself onto the pegs without the wheels.

 

I will try the one wheel technique tonight and see how it goes. The progress of my riding is actually impressing me quite a bit, I actually am learning to bend the knees when going over bumps so I don't fly off!

 

 

Thanks again for the help.

[devvdude]

Thanks Niko I am not a fan of the pain, and am contemplating getting some cheap memory foam to place on the unicycle until I get the hang of mounting, that way when I fail I will bounce my shin off of the memory foam instead of the hard plastic.

 

[cg]

When I had the same question I found this video, and successfully started unassisted the following day.

 

[devvdude]

awesome video thank you!

I took a day break from trying to mount yesterday, as my shins are still pretty beat up from my first days attempts.

I am going to start back at it this evening though, also contemplating the idea of a spring loaded kick stand to help with mounting assistance.

 

[rdogus]

I have been learning almost three weeks and I can not mount properly. I know that the speed that balance you on EUC. First I tried pushing and then mounting but I was unsuccessful. I can ride fast, slow easily even on small holes and bumps but I also have difficulty in mounting. I know it is not reccomend to stance both feet then riding but I can do like that. My riding skills are improving day bu day but on the other hand İ must hold a wall or something to mount properly. What is the mind opening point for mounting?

[.....]

On 8/4/2015 at 7:58 PM, devvdude said:

I have had my uni for about 3 days and decided to take the training wheels off, I do fine except for the fact that I can't start the Damn thing, I can't get on it, ice tried many different ways and after a face plant and bloody shins I gave up for the day and out the training wheels back on.

 

How long did it take you all to learn to mount?

 

 

Even nowbi don't use the training wheels for anything but mounting 

It took me a couple hours in the yard. Of course it took almost 500 more miles to finally just ride and not have to think.  Mounting was a matter of bending the knee that is on the wheel, INWARD enough to offset the lean with the upper part of the leg. For practice, you can use a wall to help. I'd imagine the biggst problem is that you either havent ignored the fear and just lean into it. Or, your slow/no speed balance is not quite up to snuff. Just keep at it! About the time your leg quits getting bruised and toughens up, you should be able to roll off from a start. Fwiw, the push off and start like a skateboard, took many more weeks to figure out, than the simple.. stand up and go. I'm not one to focus on learning, I wanted to just ride. I was riding around at tlitback and getting the hang of it, WAY before I could easily start and stop on the damn thing. My theory was to do what I can and enjoy, not focus on what i can't and ruin my interest. Im over 1,000 miles on my wheels now, and I can honestly say that strarting is fairly easy, but I still have times when it doesnt quite go like it should. Im VERY mindful of it when starting on sidewalk next to traffic, as it doesnt take much bobble to end up in travel lanes and 'squish, just like grape". Perhaps trying to start off in soft grass or dirt will help? I started on soggy yard. It was near impossible to get going, but it DID help me gain a sense of balance. The biggest help was when I was tired of standing up in the yard, but couldnt hardly roll for it took so much input. Once I got a cover for the wheel, I sacked up and hit pavement. The yard was hard, the pavement made it easier. Its still tough to ride thru a soft yard, but it DOES work on your balance at slow/no speed. People tend to forget, starting, stopping and the transition from forwards to backwards, is more about the NO SPEED balance. My mten helped me learn NO SPEED balance, and ever since, I have been much better at front to bacwards and start/stop. Training wheels and leashes.... you may as well cuss my momma, as those devices are unwelcome in my realm.

Edited September 21, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[redsnapper]

remove training wheels! - mount like you would get a kid scooteréskateboard going - one foot on pedal with your leg bracing against top of shell so wheel points to your midline/navel. Then give a push fwrd with other leg to get momentum, and some pressure on front of feet to maintain forward motion. Do it until it is automatic - it will come quickly!

[John Montpetit]

I think everything about mounting has been said in the posts above. All sensible advice. Take it easy on yourself. Practice a lot for short periods. Stop ... take along break and then go at it again. I now mount without looking down at my pedal, boy! What relief that is. It’s now second nature for me and it will be for you as well. Good luck.

[John Montpetit]

2 hours ago, rdogus said:

What is the mind opening point for mounting?

Practice, practice, and more practice.

[( _ ) Alexey]

2 hours ago, rdogus said:

I have been learning almost three weeks and I can not mount properly. I know that the speed that balance you on EUC. First I tried pushing and then mounting but I was unsuccessful. I can ride fast, slow easily even on small holes and bumps but I also have difficulty in mounting. I know it is not reccomend to stance both feet then riding but I can do like that. My riding skills are improving day bu day but on the other hand İ must hold a wall or something to mount properly. What is the mind opening point for mounting?

There’s no mind-opening point, it’s a matter of developing reflexes and muscles. I’ll explain: you must learn starting by standing on a wheel still with one leg. Stand near a wall, hold the wall and stand on a pedal with one foot, hold the other foot on the ground and then lift it slowly in the air and place on the other pedal, all this time holding the wall and keeping the wheel verical.

To keep the wheel vertical you will have to push it with the calf of the leg you are standing on the wheel with towards the unoccupied pedal. For that you might need to develop muscles, but that is essential for control and safe start-stop on the street. Ideally you’ll need this capability for both legs, but start with the one you feel most comfortable with.

Practice and reach the point when you can almost balance standing on one leg and barely touching the wall with your hand.

I’ve heard there are people that ride but can’t keep the wheel upright with one leg, they kind of jump start it but I’d like to really discourage that. That’s lack of essential control that may lead to accidents.

The second thing that you should do after you can stand with one leg is “long strides”. Since you can now stand - try to stand without touching the wall, for that you’ll need to do short one-legged ride/step/stride forward. By that I mean ride forward with one leg on the wheel and slightly lifting the other from the ground, trying to balance on one leg. Start short and try to ride longer and longer with only one leg on the pedal. Don’t try to put the other one on yet, it will distract you and will interfere with your balance. These long strides will develop the reflex of the tips of your toes pushing on the pedal to make the wheel move forward and the heel stopping it. Eventually that’s the reflex that will fully control the wheel. When your strides will become long end effortless - you be able to put the other foot on the pedal. You’ll know when it happens, if you can’t yet - keep practicing one leg.

Ideally you should be able to ride on one leg for some distance. That’s how you start and stop on the street. Keep practicing and tell us how it goes.

 

[.....]

31 minutes ago, ( _ ) Alexey said:

Ideally you should be able to ride on one leg for some distance. That’s how you start and stop on the street. Keep practicing and tell us how it goes.

 

I still cant ride one leg for very long. The pressures on my knee/ankle and mid section hernia's, scream at me to NOT do shit like that. I can do it momentarily, as its definitely neccessary for when you need to reposition the feet, or when start/stop. I gave up trying to ride on leg, once I realized it was a matter of physical limitations and not balance. Before I had much balance at all, I would reposition one foot at a time while riding, by hopping a little bit. As the mten is so short, I STILL have to kind of hop/wiggle to reposition on it. Just a heads up for those that find one leg painful, its not really a required thing, to otherwise enjoy the ride. Even after many miles of conditioning, I can ride backwards easier than one legged. I can however stand on one leg and tie my shoe. Hell, sometimes just standing at a still holding the wheel one leg, makes my lower mid section scream. Yup, once im on the wheel, its time to hop and and go! I wont even go into detail of how I have to ride somewhat offset, to favor a bad hip. 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[( _ ) Alexey]

36 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I still cant ride one leg for very long. The pressures on my knee/ankle and mid section hernia's, scream at me to NOT do shit like that. I can do it momentarily, as its definitely neccessary for when you need to reposition the feet, or when start/stop. I gave up trying to ride on leg, once I realized it was a matter of physical limitations and not balance. Before I had much balance at all, I would reposition one foot at a time while riding, by hopping a little bit. As the mten is so short, I STILL have to kind of hop/wiggle to reposition on it. Just a heads up for those that find one leg painful, its not really a required thing, to otherwise enjoy the ride. Even after many miles of conditioning, I can ride backwards easier than one legged. I can however stand on one leg and tie my shoe. Hell, sometimes just standing at a still holding the wheel one leg, makes my lower mid section scream. Yup, once im on the wheel, its time to hop and and go! I wont even go into detail of how I have to ride somewhat offset, to favor a bad hip. 

 

I was thinking about knee injuries while I was writing, great to get a feedback that they don’t take all the fun from riding EUCs. My knees also gently hint that they were not designed for the pressure applied sideways, I do feel a minor discomfort riding on one leg and I try not to do it for unnecessarily long periods of time, just for start/stops and to reposition feet during long rides to restore blood flow :). Riding on one leg, like any other non-competitive athletic activity is not something to do through pain or major discomfort. EUC is a bit of an athletic vehicle, it does require some fitness, I definitely did not have it when I was learning to ride, my feet hurt, my calves hurt, my legs were stiff, but it was all gone within two-three weeks of practice, maybe a month.

Edited September 21, 2020 by ( _ ) Alexey

[.....]

1 hour ago, ( _ ) Alexey said:

I was thinking about knee injuries while I was writing, great to get a feedback that they don’t take all the fun from riding EUCs. My knees also gently hint that they were not designed for the pressure applied sideways, I do feel a minor discomfort riding on one leg and I try not to do it for unnecessarily long periods of time, just for start/stops and to reposition feet during long rides to restore blood flow :). Riding on one leg, like any other non-competitive athletic activity is not something to do through pain or major discomfort. EUC is a bit of an athletic vehicle, it does require some fitness, I definitely did not have it when I was learning to ride, my feet hurt, my calves hurt, my legs were stiff, but it was all gone within two-three weeks of practice, maybe a month.

Have little fear. If i choose to be gentle in how I ride, it is very low impact. Now that Im comfortable starting and stopping, the time and amount of pressure on my knees and hips can be made VERY little. Even now, I sometimes 'hop' up onto the wheel and it relieves the requirement of wedging into it and pressure on the knees fo any length of time. You can see in some of my videos that I still mount with a little 'waggle' like Im taking a step. I blame my bum left hip for it. Hell, seems like I'm always 'walking' the mten as I ride it. Skateboard push starts can make it even less, but thats a little tougher in the beginning. If i choose to ride in comfort and not push to tiltback all the time, it really is about as low impact as standing. For the same given amount of time, I take more a beating just walking than riding an euc. Of course, if you fall, ALL bets are off. I did notice my mten was REALLY putting the bite on my hips. This was remedied by flattenning the pedal angle. My Ks18L has the most comfortable angle, so I mimic'd that.  at the same time you gather balance and skill, you will be conditioning the required muscles. The numbness in the toes from wrongly gripping the front of the plates, will disapppear. You will gain a looser stance on the wheel, and you may not even touch it with your legs once rolling. All in time. I am only 1 season in on the euc, and it was worth all the time and patience it took in the beginning. I like to think it took me about 2 weeks of 30minute days, to finally get a grasp of it and for the pains in the muscles to ease off. No more shin bruises or calf marking anymore. Again, NONE of this applies if you fall off, as it takes a lot more conditioning to shrug off the ole asphalt on skin.

Edited September 21, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[rdogus]

Guys thanks for all responses. I will try to stance one leg with more practising. Maybe İ am so impatient to mount properly. By the way İ was so happy when start riding easly but on the other hand unhappy with the unsuccess of mounting properly.

[( _ ) Alexey]

When I just started riding, I mean when I was finally able to ride with both feet non-stop for over 50m, I was very tense and a bit shocked by the lack of control over the wheel that I had at that moment. I was so concentrated on not falling off the wheel, it felt like I’m able to send the wheel in some general direction but there was no option for fine maneuvering whatsoever. I was wondering will I ever be able to ride among pedestrians on a sidewalk, let alone on a road with cars like I saw in Paris. Turns out all I needed was practice, just ride, stay mostly in your comfort zone but do what’s less comfortable when it’s less risky. There are insane stunts possible with an EUC that I see on youtube and look forward to mastering. Exciting stuff.

Edited September 21, 2020 by ( _ ) Alexey