Time to ride a unicycle

I think ten to twenty hours learning time is a fairly
accurate average time. Klaas Bil would know best since he
has done a study on it and made some statistics (reliant on
people's honesty about how long it took them). I think it
took me around ten hours to learn in 1996, spread over two
weeks. After that I started going places. I never had anyone
show me how to ride, or give me any tips. I didn't have the
internet, and I didn't know any other unicyclists at the
time. My unicycle had a very hard, uncomfortable seat, and
the seatpost was too short. The uncomfortable factor was
discouraging for learning, and it kept my practise times
relatively short. I loaned my old crappy unicycle to Jackie
and Kristen for three or four months. Jackie tried and tried
and she still can't ride. She can sit on it OK, but she has
given up because she landed on her head and her back and her
elbow on the concrete floor. Kristen can ride a bit
(Jackie's daughter) but she still needs to put more practise
in to be able to ride. I think a 20" unicycle with straight
cranks and a straight spindle would suit them better for
learning since they are short. My 24" crapcycle has short
bent/loose cranks and a knobbly tire, which doesn't make it
ideal for learners. There are many factors which could
influence the length of time it takes someone to learn, so I
think 15-20 hours is fairly accurate. The more hours you
spend, the better you get, to a certain extent.

I think learn to ride basicly means level one, because to be
able to ride 50 metres unassisted requires learning to ride.
Once you can ride 50 metres you can ride, then fall off, get
back on, ride, fall off etc, and you can go travelling about
the place at a rate similar to walking or jogging.

--
Rowan - _________
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pete66 said:

I'm not sure where this originated but I heard that it
takes an average of 15-20 hours to learn to unicycle. I
really don't think this stat's right... out of all the
people i've taught, none have taken anywhere near 15 hours
to get the hang of it. I reckon maybe an old fulla, 40+
could take a while for fear of falling but not the younger
people...

Learning time depends on many factors. See
<www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/agelearn_short.htm> for my stats
study. The study excluded the effect of some more elusive
factors such as talent or determination.

Quoted message said:

When they say "learn to ride a unicycle" do they mean to
get to Level1?

I don't know what 'they' mean. In my study the criterium was
to be able to ride 50 m unsupported. That is Level 1 minus
freemounting and gracefully dismounting.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
I have a feeling you might need two points of contact with
the ground for such a thing to work? Or at least training
wheels on the front and rear. - John Foss commenting on a
picture of a one-wheeled vehicle he saw on RSU.

Do you reckon hooking someone up to a bungy that can go
along a wire would help them learn... I was just thinkin it
would be like trainer wheels coz they wouldn't have to fall
off every time they lost their balance. Has anyone tried
this or is it stupid coz it's a bit too "circus"?

--
pete66 - Level 3 Unicyclist
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