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Unicycling and Psychology

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01 / Original postUnicycling and Psychologyunicyclistjoe · 8 Oct 2004 02 / This pagePosts 1–14Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #14unicyclistjoe · 11 Oct 2004

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rec.sport.unicycling
Published
8 October 2004
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11 October 2004
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unicyclistjoe
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  1. Original post
    unicyclistjoe
    Archived post
    #1

    As im sure most of you know, unicycling has many psychologically testing
    elements, from hopping to skinnies to whatever else any of you find
    challenging.

    the thing i have been pondering is to do with hopping, and more
    specifically, high jump contests with a bar. now we all know that
    hopping onto something is psychologically much easier than having to hop
    and 'clear' the bar with not just the tyre, but the rest of the unicycle
    and yourself too.

    I wondered, that if during a high jump contest (i have yet to
    participate in one, but in a few weeks i will know) would it be easier
    to clear just a bar, or if you were to say hang down a piece of cloth
    that drapes over the bar and down to the ground, giving the illusion of
    a solid wall, would it be easier?. I myself think that this would be
    slightly easier, due to some psychological factor whereby you are
    fooling the brain into thinking that the bar with cloth is less
    intimidating than the bar without(i study psyc, but i have no idea what
    its called) that would make a bar seem higher.

    does this make any sense? what do other people think of this theory?

    --
    unicyclistjoe - NZ's 2nd Best Trials Unicyclist

    Well a MOPED or whatever you call it...yeah good one security

    http://gallery.unicyclist.com/joesphotos
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  2. munimanpete
    Archived post
    #2

    Starting to think up tactics for the uni weekend I see....

    I think that the cloth probably would give the illusion of a solid wall,
    thus making it easier. If you try it I think I might as well 😄

    --
    munimanpete - mocacycle

    WWW.MUNIMAN.2YA.COM

    *www.unicycle.2ya.com*
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  3. johnfoss
    Archived post
    #3

    Theories are great things for stuff you can't acutally test, like what
    stars are made of. For something like jumping over a bar, you might want
    to try doing it first, then develop some theories.

    I haven't tried it with the cloth on there, but I don't think it would
    be too different. The key thing in High Jump is to not touch the bar,
    which you have to do whether it's solid or not.

    --
    johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

    John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
    "jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

    "It's good to find something that makes boys into men and men into boys,
    my opinion is that unicycling fits the bill." -- Lloyd Johnson

    "Read the rules!"
    'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
    'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
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  4. Robbie
    Archived post
    #4

    I'm gonna have to stand here and say what I believe. I believe it
    wouldn't help at all.

    Reasons? You still have to clear the bar. The thing that make hopping
    over a bar psychologically harder is the fact that you can't just get
    your tyre to the top, maybe get away lucky if it just grips at the very
    side. You have to clear it with your crank and pedal and you and...
    yeah, you get the idea. So I believe the cloth will not eliminate this
    problem.

    What could eliminate it is hopping onto a wall. Anyone want to make a
    metal frame capable of change height by centimetres at a time which can
    support some pallettes and stuff?

    --
    Robbie - Street Unicyclist

    [image: http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums/greeny23-900/dr_z.gif]
    Greeny23
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  5. andrew_carter
    Archived post
    #5

    Psychologically I find hopping over a bar easier than hopping onto a
    solid object.

    --
    andrew_carter - Unicycling because it's really fun!

    HTTP://WWW.UNICYCLIST.COM/GALLERY/ANDREW
    carter.andrew (at) gmail (dot) com
    http://www.unicycles.com.au
    Unicycling Tips and Tutorials - http://www.unicycle.2ya.com
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  6. brian.slater
    Archived post
    #6
    Robbie said:

    *The thing that make hopping over a bar psychologically harder is the
    fact that you can't just get your tyre to the top, maybe get away
    lucky if it just grips at the very side.*


    The thing about psychological stuff is that it's what's in your mind
    that’s important not what’s really there and, if your mind -perceives-
    the bar as something different, you will react differently, even if you
    -*know*- it's something else. Therefore I think that it would make a
    difference, but what difference it would be can only be found by
    experimentation. It’s possible that the wall would be easier if there
    were a picture of the stick with nothing under it on the wall than the
    stick being easier with the illusion of a wall.

    Also, what would be the result of using a Plexiglas wall, with and
    without a stick at the top? Or with the stick half way up? You would
    -know- that there’s a wall but see no wall. Of course it would need to
    be polished on the edges.

    It’s easy when you realize that there is no spoon – or wall.

    --
    brian.slater - Nellfurtiti, the Wonder Cat

    Brian C. Slater
    AKA: Snoopy

    Ok, I am now officially in my normal state of -advanced- confusion.
    Don't try to confuse me, it won't make any difference.

    "To not decide is to decide" - undecided
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  7. unicyclistjoe
    Archived post
    #7

    okay fair enough, you all have some good reasons, i was just curious,
    thats all.

    andrew, you say you find over a bar easier? i tend to finy myself more
    apprehensive before clearing something like a bar, onto an object is in
    my opinion easier, but thats just me

    --
    unicyclistjoe - NZ's 2nd Best Trials Unicyclist

    Well a MOPED or whatever you call it...yeah good one security

    http://gallery.unicyclist.com/joesphotos
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  8. forrestunifreak
    Archived post
    #8
    andrew_carter said:

    *Psychologically I find hopping over a bar easier than hopping onto a
    solid object. *

    I think Im exactly the same way.

    --
    forrestunifreak - I still dont have an avatar?

    I dont suffer from insanity.
    I love every minute of it.
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  9. johnfoss
    Archived post
    #9
    unicyclistjoe said:

    *i tend to finy myself more apprehensive before clearing something
    like a bar, onto an object is in my opinion easier, but thats just me
    *


    It is physically easier to jump onto an object than to clear it without
    touching. That's the easy part...

    Somebody mentioned making it a wall instead of clearing a bar. The
    reason we do it the way we do, and call it High Jump, is because it's a
    known track & field/Olympic event. You mention High Jump and everyone
    pretty much knows what you're talking about. And it goes great with the
    Long Jump.

    But jumping onto a platform or wall could be a different competition,
    which would have better real-world application. The hard part, of
    course, would be making the apparatus both strong enough, and
    adjustable. Plus bringing it to each competition.

    --
    johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

    John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
    "jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

    "It's good to find something that makes boys into men and men into boys,
    my opinion is that unicycling fits the bill." -- Lloyd Johnson

    "Read the rules!"
    'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
    'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
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  10. spickydoo
    Archived post
    #10

    I think a height adjustable platform would be quite easy to make. Just a
    reinforced plywood platform of whatever dimensions are desired with 4
    bottle jacks on each corner to adust height. I realise that they dont
    have the required height but that chan be made up of 2x6 packing under
    the jacks. it would also be easily transportable as there is not real
    large structure to move (other than the platform itself).

    --
    spickydoo - one hot wheel

    "They say you can pick your friends, You can pick your nose, But you
    can't pick your friend's nose. " Unibrier

    "If I wanted to be totally healthy I wouldn't smoke pot, drink alcohol
    or stay up too late, and how fun would that be?" Rowan
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  11. andrew_carter
    Archived post
    #11
    unicyclistjoe said:

    *andrew, you say you find over a bar easier? i tend to finy myself
    more apprehensive before clearing something like a bar, onto an object
    is in my opinion easier, but thats just me*


    I think the majority of riders feel the same as you. For me it's not a
    matter of being afraid of hurting myself if I don't make the height but
    I really don't know why hopping onto a high object intimidates me.
    Actually, come to think of it I'm fine with hopping high onto a curved
    surface (ie, big logs, etc.)...I don't know, I'm just a bit odd that
    way.

    Andrew

    --
    andrew_carter - Unicycling because it's really fun!

    HTTP://WWW.UNICYCLIST.COM/GALLERY/ANDREW
    carter.andrew (at) gmail (dot) com
    http://www.unicycles.com.au
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  12. gerblefranklin
    Archived post
    #12

    I think the easiest thing for jumping onto something would be to simply
    have maybe 7 pallettes and some risers. You simply add a riser every
    time you want to increase the height. You start low, and each person
    gets 2 tries at each height as they raise it. Once everyone has gone,
    you increase the height. Or you could simply hole the entire competition
    at a gently upsloped wall ranging in height from ~16" to ~42".

    As for the cloth, another advantage is it'll give more if your pedal
    hits, saving people from some nasty falls. A disadvantage is that it'll
    blow and move in any air currents.

    just a teeny thing: John: Stars' composition is something that has been
    accurately tested. I would replace what you said with something like
    "what goes on inside a black hole". I do agree with you point, though.

    --
    gerblefranklin - Trials Unicyclist

    Don't you think it's a cruel irony that acting like a G.I. Joe in the
    army can get you a Medal, while playing with one can get you thrown
    out?

    http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Trials-Muni

    "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful. They will stop at nothing
    to hurt us and our people, and nethier will we"-Dubya
    Vote Kerry. Yeah, they both suck, but Kerry sucks less.
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  13. onetrack
    Archived post
    #13
    Robbie said:

    * You still have to clear the bar. The thing that make hopping over a
    bar psychologically harder is the fact that you can't just get your
    tyre to the top, maybe get away lucky if it just grips at the very
    side. You have to clear it with your crank and pedal and you *

    I am sure that I have brought this up before.

    A friend of mine can jump onto picnic tables without really trying, but
    in the high jump, he couldn't clear 50cm to save his life.

    another friend can high jump 75cm but he can't jump onto a knee-high
    ledge.

    what you can and can't clear or jump onto, has alot to do with your
    mental perception of the object, your confidence, your comfort with the
    situation, and your technique. while physical strengnth seems to have
    less validity.

    unicyclistjoe,
    If I where you, I would try the cloth. Though for me, it is the top
    surface of an object that makes me think that an object will be easy to
    jump onto. I ignore everything but the top surface as I approach the
    object.

    mike

    --
    onetrack - street terrorist
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  14. unicyclistjoe
    Archived post
    #14

    i shall endeavour to search out my point, onetrack. the new zealand
    unicycle weekend is but 2 weeks away, so we shall see

    --
    unicyclistjoe - NZ's 2nd Best Trials Unicyclist

    Well a MOPED or whatever you call it...yeah good one security

    http://gallery.unicyclist.com/joesphotos
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