Got the freemounting blues!



dogbowl said:
On a good day, I can freemount one out of 4 times. On a crappy day (and
sadly, this is more typical) I can freemount one out of fifteen times.
If unicycling were the fourth grade, I would be that kid who keeps
getting left back, reason: Failing the subject of freemounting. Again
and again.
I mean, once I'm up and going, I ride really well. I just always need a
fence or a stop sign, and frankly, it is a real drag to always need a
prop to get going.
I've researched this problem endlessly--I checked out lots of web pages
on the subject, and other unicyclists have personally showed me how its
done. I get up on the thing, pedals at three and nine, then I tip over
to the right before I can get going.
I CAN do it, I've done it many times, it's just that I am way
inconsistent, and most of the time, it's a flop. It's like having a car
that works fine, except for the starter moter, which works only
sometimes.
I admit I'm a slow learner, I'm 44, 6'3" and I ride a 26 inch nimbus
muni with a 3 inch wide tire. I sent away for a 24 inch "Gravity" (sort
of like a Sun) unicycle to practice on, but freemounting on that seemed
just as difficult--and besides, my daughter is having a blast on it, so
I let her have it.
Funny thing--when I get going via a decent freemount, I ride much, much
better than with a fence or stopsign mount.
Question:
*Has anyone out there ever found themselves with the freemounting blues?
You know, being able to ride the unicycle, but taking forever to get
freemounting right? How long did it take you to get over it?*
I look forward to the day when freemounting is as effortless as hopping
on a bike.
Cheers, (but actually bummed...)
Dogbowl (Steve)


--
dogbowl - Putting the F back in Freemounting

All I want out of life is to be able to ride the unicycle while smoking
a cigar at the same time. Is that too much to ask for?
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Dogbowl1-If you must start from a wall have your finger OFF the wall at the moment you start off.This precious moment is the same as a fmount except for pedal placement.
2-Look up and ahead when fmounting,Thats the BEST advice I recieved when learning.
 
Ok, so I'm doing something wrong here.

Today I managed a standard mount for the first time (after learning to
ride using the rollback, then raising the seat and learning the side
mount - so now I can't do the rollback...).

Thing is, I did it pedals 12 and 6 o'clock. This means when I get up on
the seat, I actually do a little rollback before starting, not a "up and
forward" all in one movement. Funnily enough, it's still the easiest
mount for me to do, and I only learned it today!

(Wedding tackle gets in the way more than the other mounts though, and
should I hold the seat front or back - or at all?)


--
s7ev0 - level 1 and proud of it

s7ev0

Where there's a wheel there's a way
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It's been a little while since I learned to freemount but I do remember
that I had a hard time getting any leverage on the pedals on account
they were at 12 and 6 after I mounted. I watched Kris Holm mount on a
wall in "One Tired Guy" and he mounted at 3 and 9. I tried it and not
too long after that I got it. When I mounted my feet were in a better
position to pedal out that when I started at 2 and 8 and subsequently
ended up at 12 and 6. My wife is now having the same problem but I
cannot convince her to try 3 and 9. I just started mounting with the
seat out in front and the pedals at 3 and 9. You absolutely cannot put
any weight on the pedals with this mount. I was surprised at how easy I
managed to get this one. All I can say is practice, practice, practice.


Wayne.


--
shabby
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When I first learned to ride a uni I would stand on top of a curb and
back the uni perpendicular to the curb. Align the peddles so the
pressure on the first pedal would roll the uni against the curb harder
**. This way the uni holds still while stepping the other foot onto the
other pedal. You end up sort of walking onto the uni, easily.

I don't know if this a common way to learn to mount, but once curb
mounting is mastered, it's an easy transition to loose the curb.


** So the first mounting pedal is at about 7-8 o'clock near the curb.
The second pedal to step on would then be 1-2 o'clock away from the
curb.


--
Chrashing - Just Lucky

Regards,
Chrashing
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Thanks Everyone for the excellent advice on freemounting! I actually
printed out everything everyone wrote and stapled it together--sort of a
handbook for the "freemounting-challanged" such as myself!
I am much encouraged, and I am going to try everything! Even if it kills
me, I have to tame that wild wheel!
Thanks a billion!
Cheers,
Steve (Dogbowl)


--
dogbowl - Putting the F back in Freemounting

All I want out of life is to be able to ride the unicycle while smoking
a cigar at the same time. Is that too much to ask for?
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