New personal best for hopping height.

congrats!

im about where you are as far as hopping goes. i am also just seat in
(at the moment), and i get about the same height. tell me when you get
to 4 pallets 🙂

btw, im thinking of switching my signature to your quote: "ah... the
lonely life of a uni rider" hehe

-grant

--
tennisgh22

The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a
capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety
labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?
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Hey:

I only started hopping about a month ago, and after a few weeks down at
the Venice boardwalk, I could only go up and down stairs (8 inches) and
lacked the experience and courage to tackle the bigger stuff. So last
Friday I got some pallates and started practicing. I mention this to
indicate that technique wise, I don't know what the hell I'm talking
about . . .

Anyhow, your question about going higher.

I found, for me, a lot of it is psychological--that the pallates look
high because it's all new. So at the beginning I just jumped up on them
without the uni and realized three, even four pallates is not really so
high as far as vertical jumping heigth goes.

To the point, I found that snapping off the ground and staying relaxed
in the "extension" phase of the jump was crucial. At first I was
yanking up too hard on the seat which retarded my initial spring. Once
I started relaxing and snapping off the ground, extending and then
snapping the uni up at my apex, three pallates became very doable.
Today I started working on the "coiling" phase, sucking my body up after
the hop, and got up on four pallates (20"😉 ten straight times.

I'm jumping from a dead still position because I don't have the
experience yet to prehop or even prebounce off the tire. I'll start
fiddling with a prehop and all that jazz tomorrow, and I suspect and
hope these might increase my heigth.

Like many other things with the uni, what seemed impossible one minute
becomes almost routine a day later. But I'm a beginner (4 months) and I
suspect the learning curve will start to flatten out soon. My hunch is
that you can add inches every day for the first few weeks, but after
that it gets very tough to improve.

But I don't know . . .

Anyhow, good luck on going sky high.

JL

--
vivalargo
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Hey billham, I think you're doing pretty great for your age!

I'm 40 and guess we're really close in ability, which means you're
really better than me, once corrected for age😄

I jump about the same height seat out or in, but would encourage you to
not be afraid of the seat out jump. The first day I tried it, it seemed
totally awkward, but just a few days practice later, I'm pretty stable.
I think with two or three weeks of consistent seat out practice, I would
be going higher with it than seat in. Throwing in sideways jumps
(gapping) is where the seat out gets wierd, feeling like I'll roll an
ankle or something.

Anyway, great job and keep it up!

--
elmer - uniimpaired

"At 40 life begins...to show."
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elmer said:

*Hey billham, I think you're doing pretty great for your age!

*

Elmer

I am trying not to read your line as "Pretty good for an old man." 😉
I was wondering if anyone would remember my age. I'm turning 48 next
month. The way I figure it, you get old quicker when you don't keep on
trying and doing things. When it comes to the body, it's USE IT OR LOSE
IT.

Thanks for the encouraging words for seat out hopping. I keep the seat
fairly high on my KH24. I want to keep the seat at an all around
height, both for riding and for trials. Due to the seat height, I think
seat in will limit me pretty quickly. After I learn seat out hopping,
I'll go for the 4 pallets!

The neat thing about uni riding is the sense of accomplishment you get
when you do what was once not possible. I enjoy (as do most uni riders)
taking on a challenge and working it out until completion.

It doesn't matter if you are hopping onto a 2" platform or onto a 36"
platform, the joy of doing it the first time is always a rush!

Bill
A little older and a little better

--
billham

"Watch out for those widow makers!" What I said to chirokid a few
minutes before a widow maker (dead tree) landed on his unicycle
immediately after an UPD.
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Hey, Billham:

I'm 50, so count it a fact you'll be soaring over 4 pallates in a week
or less.

You're enthusiasm is fantastic and good luck on going up to 5 pallates,
which I think is pretty much the limit for seat-in hopping for us
seniors. But get the seat out and six or seven is doable I reckon.

Keep us informed on your progress. It's inspiring.

JL

--
vivalargo
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Congratulations Bill. That is some hopping. Now I'll really get behind
on the trail. --chirokid--

PS: I like your signature line 😄

--
chirokid - Wolfman 2004: Unicycle Catagory

"Other than that, the best maintenance is to keep riding it as this
helps to keep the eccentric nut on the saddle in optimal condition."
quote by Mikefule

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I'm a "spry" young 15 year-old, and I've come to the conclusion that
just about anyone can, with the right equipment and enough practice,
jump just as high on a unicycle as they can on their feet. After about
6-8 months of serious trials developement, my record sidehop is about 4"
short of my sidehop on my feet. My record pedalgrab is actually higher
than my record sidehop onto something with a 1-foot landing. Just shows
that despite the weight, the tire really helps when jumping.

As for extension, it's something that'll come naturaly. One needn't
practice specific parts of jumping except for mabey the prehop. I
automatically lift the uni as high as it goes. On some hops I've
actually scrubbed the rear part of my KH seat on the side of my right
shoulder. I don't consciously think about tucking the uni up, it just
happens. As for extension, I just think about that when doing really
high jumps without a prehop. Then, I try to squat a bit lower than
usual, and then immediately kick down, extend, and lift.

Go for seat out, it's awkward at first, but eventually it'll be better.
Especially for pedalgrabs.

--
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?
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vivalargo

Somehow 5 pallets with seat in seems like a bit much. But 4 I'm going
to work on. Definitely time to work on seat out to get up to 5 or more
pallets.

Thanks for the encouraging words from all of you.

Bill

--
billham

"Watch out for those widow makers!" What I said to chirokid a few
minutes before a widow maker (dead tree) landed on his unicycle
immediately after an UPD.
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Well, billham, today I went out and bought some 2 x 4's and some
plywood. I'm going to build a 2' square deck for me to hop up on to.
When I can do that height well, I'll add a 1/2" layer of plywood, and
repeat that process until I get it up to an impressive height!

You and vivalargo must be pretty athletic, There are a lot of 50 yr.
olds who can't jump 6" even without a unicycle. Americans are just
getting so FAT these days. I guess the economy really is improving.

--
elmer - uniimpaired

"At 40 life begins...to show."
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Hey, Gerblefranklin:

15 years old? Either that's an outright lie, or you have had wonderful
teachers and spend a lot of time with your nose in a book. Your
phrasing, diction and word choice indicate a writer, now, or in the near
future. And thanks for the input per high hopping.

And thanks for the kind words, Elmer.

JL

--
vivalargo
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I thought gerblefranklin had to be a college student until I met him at
Moab. He's a kid, albeit a rather focused and intelligent one.(Not to
mention an excellent rider.)

--
elmer - uniimpaired

"At 40 life begins...to show."
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gerblefranklin said:

I've come to the conclusion that just about anyone can, with the right
equipment and enough practice, jump just as high on a unicycle as they
can on their feet. Just shows that despite the weight, the tire really
helps when jumping.

gerble is right, I know one guy, who can jump onto anything with a
unicycle under him, that he can with just his feet. he actually proved
this to me. he won't try jumping onto something waist high untill he
tries it from his feet. even if he just barely makes it, he knows he
will be able to do it with a unicycle.

I however, find that a tire hinders my hopping ability. think about when
you push off. What happens? the tire will take some of your pushing
force, as it squishes under your weight. a tire dosen't act like a
trampoline, more like a shock absorber.

the reason well seasoned riders can jump as high with a unicycle as they
can on their feet, is because of the way your feet are posisioned during
the hop. Also because no momentum is lost in a rolling hop, while you
stop for a moment during a jump from your feet.

For a visual watch Dan Heaton's big jump in U2.

-mike

--
onetrack - street terrorist
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elmer

Go for it and enjoy your platform. May I suggest you not use the
superman cape when you are working on your hopping? 😄

About being athletic... yes, God has blessed me with a body that has
tried to stay young. I don't bounce as well as I used to, get sore
quicker and heal slower. But I'm not going to sit back and just grow
old.

My father is 82 and has been a significant role model for me. He
started to water ski and snow ski when he was 40. Started riding a quad
with my youngest brother when he was in his early 50's. He tried rock
climbing when he was 60. His friends thought he was crazy and asked him
why he did it. He said, "My son asked me to go try it, so I did." He
didn't it enjoy it much, but he gave it a try. My father is always
willing to try. That's been a great role model for me.

He still plays lots of golf and stays very active. Last year in August
he slipped and fell on a railroad tie (while golfing) and tore his quad
from his knee. He had surgery to repair it and was off his leg for 6
weeks. Then he worked hard at rehab and was getting back to golf in
December. A quick recovery because he worked at getting it back into
shape. He's not one to sit around.

So I've got a stay active life that has been given to me genetically and
by example. It's been a great blessing that God has given me.

Quite a few people think I'm a little crazy for doing the things I do at
my age. But I am in better condition and health than a lot of those
people. Partially because I am doing these physical activites. I often
enjoy the attention I get doing these things as an "old" man. Right
now, unicycling is giving me a good sport to keep me exercising and
having fun. My daughter is riding a uni now and I hope uni riding will
provide a good activity for the two of us to do together.

So... back to the hopping. Tomorrow I work on getting more consistent
on hopping onto the 3 pallets. And I think I need to work on seat out
hopping onto a single pallet. Time to bust into the seat out action!

Up, up and away!

Bill

--
billham

"Watch out for those widow makers!" What I said to chirokid a few
minutes before a widow maker (dead tree) landed on his unicycle
immediately after an UPD.
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vivalargo said:

*Hey, Gerblefranklin:

15 years old? Either that's an outright lie, or you have had
wonderful teachers and spend a lot of time with your nose in a book.
Your phrasing, diction and word choice indicate a writer, now, or in
the near future. And thanks for the input per high hopping.

And thanks for the kind words, Elmer.

JL *

Thanks for the complement, but my teachers suck. I rarely read more than
3-5hours per week. It's just I come from a family of copy editors, and
they've seemed to rub off on me.

As for foot position, I think the tire helps more. The fact that both
feet push at the same point helps focus my hopping, and also the snap of
the tire seems to take some power away in the initial kick, but double
it 1/100 of a second later...

--
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?
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onetrack said:

*

I however, find that a tire hinders my hopping ability. think about
when you push off. What happens? the tire will take some of your
pushing force, as it squishes under your weight. a tire dosen't act
like a trampoline, more like a shock absorber.

-mike *

Watch the pros in slow motion and you'll see how they compress the tire
and hesitate until it rebounds and pushes back up. It does act like a
trampoline, but a very quick one. Timing is very important here. Just
a slight pause to keep the tire from acting like a shock and to allow it
to give a push upwards.

Pump up your tire with lots of air and try hopping. Then lower the
pressure for a bouncy tire and try hopping again. I think that'll help
you see how the tire can help you. a softer tire is easier for a less
experienced rider to hop and take advantage of the compression.

I went out again today and did some trials. Only missed my 13" hopp a
couple times. it seemed pretty easy after working on a higher hop
yesterday. I had on all my protective gear and got more aggressive on
gaps. I had one that was from a 17" high platforn onto a 13" platform.
I figured the height would give me more incentive to commit more to the
gap. You know, higher risk, better make it! Gap was about 30" and I
was trying to do it jumping forward, not to the side. I tried twice,
almost made it twice. Almost doesn't work very well, especially when
jumping forward. Tire rolls done the side of pallets very quickly.
Wrist protectors were great to have on since I slapped both hands on the
pallet on both falls. My back is getting a little tight now, probably
from those falls. Overall everything seems okay. Nothing a little
stretching a few Motrin can't fix.

Didn't work on any extra height, but did do some other hopping that felt
pretty solid. Tried a seat out hop....total failure and very awkward.
Gonna take some work. This thread had encouraged me to be more
aggressive on my trials effots today. Thanks to all.

By the way, if I get hurt being more aggressive, I won't blame you!
:p

Later

Bill

--
billham

"Watch out for those widow makers!" What I said to chirokid a few
minutes before a widow maker (dead tree) landed on his unicycle
immediately after an UPD.
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Bill, you said you wanted to keep that seat up high. I did too. I kept
it up to benefit the knee. I have recently figured out, lowering my
seat 3/4" made a big difference in how I hopped and landed my drops.
For trials, I run it this low.

In the real world of MUni, I end up riding at the higher height and if
I hit a spot in the trail, I want to work on, I lower the seat. I think
most people would think this cumbersome and inefficient, but it works
for me. I hop with seat in all the time, but started working on seat
out, until I pulled too hard with bad timing and screwed up my back for
a while. It's getting better though.

Got a connect on some pallets at my school. Will pick up 6 next week to
start this stuff in the back yard. Hope to follow suit.

Keep up the good work gentlemen!

--
The Munieer - Mountaineer + Uni = MUnieer

Rod Wylie

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Rod

I don't have a quick release on my MUni so the change on the trail won't
work with my present set up. I wish the seat was higher for overall
trail riding, so I feel I've got a seat height to stick with for a
compromise. Just for the fun of it, I may drop the seat a little
sometime and try it.

My lower back tends to tighten up and bother me. I sit at a desk a lot
at work and that makes it even worse. I have found the uni riding very
helpful in strengthening the back and keeping it stretched out. That is
of course until I over do it or injure it riding. Only had one time
that I hurt my back enough that it required some time away from riding
to recover. Uni has been good to my back.

Back to your back, glad to hear you are getting better.

As soon as I get access to gallery on my account, I'll post some
pictures of my trials set up. It's growing into a fair amount of
stuff.

Bill

--
billham

"Watch out for those widow makers!" What I said to chirokid a few
minutes before a widow maker (dead tree) landed on his unicycle
immediately after an UPD.
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Quoted message said:

I don't have a quick release on my MUni so the change on the trail
won't work with my present set up.

Bill,

I actually don't use a quick release. I just keep an alan wrench in my
short's pocket. A quick grab in, pull it out, twirl it around like a
gunfighter and then loosen and tighten. Then back into the pocket.
Constant loosening and tightening may may eventually wear down the
threads in the seatpost collar. So, I keep them greased and carry a
spare in my hydration bag, should it cease to grip the seatpost.

--
The Munieer - Mountaineer + Uni = MUnieer

Rod Wylie

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