Re: How SLOW can you go?

[[email protected]]

Wild Wind wrote:
> I think we get far too many posts in the
> 'speed merchant' vein in this group.
>
> So this is a strike back for the pootlers in
> this group - what is the SLOWEST sustained speed
> that you can manage on your bike?
>
> In my local park today, I was able to attain a
> chilled-out 1mph for all of 1 minute before I
> began to wobble and gravity took charge.
>
> Anyone been able to go slower than that?

My 3 year old has just learnt how to push the pedals on his first ever
bike (stablisers attached) - however, he will only go for a ride if
Daddy races him...

Hence I have been following him around the street on my fixed, doing
approx 2 mph, with a following wind. Ability to track stand while
nudging no. 1 son up kerbs a distinct advantage!
Cheers, Andy (v. proud dad)

www.stirling-tri.co.uk

 

[Danny Colyer]

[email protected] wrote:
> My 3 year old has just learnt how to push the pedals on his first ever
> bike (stablisers attached) - however, he will only go for a ride if
> Daddy races him...
>
> Hence I have been following him around the street on my fixed, doing
> approx 2 mph, with a following wind. Ability to track stand while
> nudging no. 1 son up kerbs a distinct advantage!

Good stuff, I'm looking forward to teaching my kids. And the mention of
following on a fixed brings to mind the thought that you really need a
unicycle

A friend of mine learnt to ride a unicycle around the same time his kids
were learning to ride bikes. For a while he would ride his yike while
they rode their bikes, because the speed was about right. Then after a
few months he had to upgrade to a 24" wheel, because he couldn't keep up
on a 20".

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, Danny Colyer
<[email protected]> writes
>
>A friend of mine learnt to ride a unicycle around the same time his
>kids were learning to ride bikes. For a while he would ride his yike
>while they rode their bikes, because the speed was about right. Then
>after a few months he had to upgrade to a 24" wheel, because he
>couldn't keep up on a 20".
>

On the topic of unicyles and kids.

Me and Elinor were watching Cbeebies the other week, they had a bloke on
there riding a unicycle - she thought we should both get one to ride

Since we hvae yet to get onto two wheels yet, one seems a little of a
balancing challenge.....

When do kids start riding unicycles anyway? 5? 4?
--
Chris French, Leeds

 

[Danny Colyer]

chris French wrote:
> Me and Elinor were watching Cbeebies the other week, they had a bloke on
> there riding a unicycle - she thought we should both get one to ride

Absolutely. One of these, perhaps, for Elinor:
<URL:http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=468>
or:
<URL:http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=489>

The more expensive one is, of course the better unicycle, but how long
does it need to last? I've spent the last few years keeping an eye out
for a second hand 12" unicycle, but they don't come up very often and
I'll probably end up having to buy a new one.

If you're going to ride together then you probably ought to ride a 20".
If you get a bigger wheel you might find it difficult to keep down to
the speed that Elinor will be doing on a 12".

> Since we hvae yet to get onto two wheels yet, one seems a little of a
> balancing challenge.....

Kaleigh Grainger has a good collection of unicycling world championship
gold medals. I know that she hadn't learnt to ride a bike when she
started winning those medals at the age of 14, AFAIK she still hasn't.

I think I'll probably get my kids riding bikes before progressing to
yikes, but actually riding a unicycle is very different to riding a bike.

> When do kids start riding unicycles anyway? 5? 4?

A Google of the rec.sports.unicycling archives found mention of a child
learning at 18 months. That claim came from John Foss, probably one of
the most reliable sources of unicycling information in the world -
otherwise I'd take it with a pinch of salt.

The youngest child I've ever seen riding was 6. Generally, I imagine
most kids will probably be ready by the time their legs are long enough
to reach the pedals on the smallest unicycle you can find.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine