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The Unicyclopedia/Hardware

Square tapered hubs
These are known as cotterless hubs outside the US. The square tapered hub is the basic hub that is found on cheaper unicycles and most bikes. The ends of the spindle are the square tapers. The cranks have square holes and are fastened onto the spindle with a bolt or a nut.

The advantage of this hub is mainly that it is cheap. The disadvantages are that the axle may snap or bend more easily than the axle on a splined hub and that the square tapers may become rounded if ridden with a loose crank.

Splined hubs
The splined hubs are found on high-end trials and mountain unicycles. These hubs are more expensive, but they are also a lot more durable. The splines (small ridges almost like teeth) on the end of the axle fit into an appropriately shaped hole in the crank. This provides more points of contact between the crank and the axle, and the force can be distributed over a greater area. On a square tapered hub there are only four points of contact. A splined hub usually also comes with an axle of greater diameter.

If you intend to do trials and muni, having a splined hub is good, since these riding styles typically produce a lot of stress on the axle.

Common brands of splined hubs are Kris Holm, Qu-Ax, Onza, Profile, Koxx, Torker, KH/Onza, Nimbus ISIS and the new KH Moment.

Loose crank arms
Loose crank arms is one of the most common problems but fortunately this is usually easy to resolve. For splined hubs, you will need anti-seize and the appropriate allen keys, usually an 8mm and a 6mm. Remove the crank arm by loosening up and removed the retaining bolt and pinch bolt (if your hub has one). Put some anti-seize on the threads of these bolts. Then remove the crank itself and cover the axle and splines with anti-seize. Do not use too much or you'll make a mess. When you put the cranks on, first tighten the retaining bolt (the big bolt) on both sides, but not super tight. Then tighten both retaining bolts. Finally, tighten the pinch bolts. It is important that both the retaining bolts and the pinch bolts are very tight.

It is a good habit to check the bolts regularly. If the unicycle is new it make require that you tighten it a few times before it settles.

Keyway slop
If you notice that both cranks slip at the same time when you ride or idle, it is likely that your hub has some keyway slop. A minor keyway slop feels like a tiny clicking sensation in both cranks, while a major slop may very well render the unicycle unridable.

The problem is that when the axle is made of steel and the hub is made of aluminum, the different metals cannot be welded. The axle is pressed into a machined keyway in the hub. The manufacturing tolerances for this process are very close. If tolerances are off by just a few thousandths of a centimeter, the hole for the keyways may become just a little too big, and the hub may develop a slop.

It is possible to repair this, at least temporarily, by pressing the axle partly out of the hub and applying Loctite. If your unicycle is new, your best bet is to contact your dealer. Make sure that they have a replacement ready for you before you send back your hub.

Kris Holm has reported that the KH/Onza hub does not suffer from these problems.

Splined Cranks
Unfortunately every brand has its own standard, though progress is being made to move towards the ISIS standard, as Kris Holm, Onza, Nimbus, Qu-ax and Koxx have adopted this industry-wide standard, though there are some incompatibility issues with the Koxx Hubs not fitting any other ISIS cranks.

Currently we have

Kris Holm (8-spline)
These cranks come in There are also 127 mm replacements manufactured by Qu-AX.
 * 140 mm
 * 170 mm

Onza and KH/Onza (36-spline)
The Onza and the new KH/Onza use the same cranks.
 * 127 mm
 * 140 mm
 * 150 mm
 * 165 mm

KH Moment (ISIS)

 * 125 mm
 * 137 mm
 * 150 mm
 * 165 mm

Onza Tensile (ISIS)

 * 140 mm

Profile (48-spline)

 * 145 mm
 * 160 mm
 * 165 mm
 * 170 mm
 * 175 mm
 * 177 mm
 * 180 mm
 * 182 mm
 * 185 mm
 * 190 mm

Qu-AX (10-spline)

 * 127 mm
 * 145 mm
 * 170 mm

Qu-Ax (ISIS)

 * 100 mm
 * 114 mm
 * 125 mm
 * 145 mm
 * 170 mm

Torker (10-spline)

 * 127 mm
 * 150 mm

Koxx (ISIS spline)

 * 80 mm (light)
 * 110 mm
 * 125 mm
 * 135 mm (street)
 * 140 mm (reinforced and light)
 * 160 mm

Freestyle
Freestyle is generally done on a 20" wheel, because it gives more fine control than any other wheel size. Almost all serious performances are done with this wheel size. Most skills can be done on a 24" wheel however, and freestyle on a Coker or a very small wheel can be an interesting challenge.

Trials
The trials wheel are usually 19", but it is also possible to do trials on a 24" muni. If you need to ride any distance a 24" may be a good alternative.

Notice that for a standard '20"' trials unicycle with a 2.5" tire, the rim is 19" and this means that you cannot fit a regular 20" tire onto a trials rim, nor a trials tire onto a regular 20" rim.

Muni
A muni is usually 24" or 26", except for 20" trials unicycles that may be used as munis by children. Ascents and descents may be somewhat easier on a 24" muni than on a 26" muni. Expect a 24" muni to be somewhat easier to manoeuvre but slightly slower than a 26". 29" Munis are becoming popular too. If cross country riding and climbing is your thing, 29" is the way to go.

If your riding is technical then a 24" muni is probably a better choice. 26ers are generally for trails with not so many technical sections, and 29ers should only be used for fast, smoother XC trails.

28" and 29" (700c)
These use the same rim, the difference is that the 29" unicycle has a thicker tire, such as a Schwalbe Big Apple (28x2.35) or a WTB Motoraptor or Nanoraptor (both 28x2.1). On a 29" you will feel the ground less - in a good way. Both are good for commuting.

36" (Coker)
36" wheel unicycles are commonly referred to as Cokers, named after the tire manufacturer that sold the first 36" unicycles. Riding is substantially different to riding a smaller wheel because once you get such a big heavy wheel spinning nicely, it's got lots of momentum. While 36" are most commonly used for distance riding, there have been recent experiments with more aggressive, almost bmx-style, riding. These experiments have led to the proposal of a variant of trials, called rolling trials, where the basic idea of getting over a set of obstacles is taken from trials and applied to a unicycle that can't jump well but can roll over almost anything.

A new 36 inch unicycle that is somewhat cheaper than the Coker, has recently been introduced by Qu-Ax.

There is now another 36" wheel unicycle, the Radial 360 36-inch Unicycle which has noticeably better components than the basic Coker and a slick road tyre.

One of the biggest recent improvements in 36" unicycles is the Nimbus 36" with its twin forked chromoly frame to give rigidity and machined bearing cups and T7 handle.

Aluminium vs. Steel and Titanium
Aluminium is weaker than steel, and significantly more brittle. To prevent cracking, aluminum frames must be made much stiffer than steel frames. Still, aluminum has only 1/3 the density of steel, allowing stiff frames made of "oversized" aluminum tubing to weigh less than steel frames. Since the walls are so thin they are however easy to dent, and dents may introduce a local weakness, making it prone to break there. Titanium is a new rising material, which combines mostly the qualities of steel and aluminium. It has no corrosion, high stability and light wheight. Depending to the alloy it is possible to build very stiff and light frames or more elastic frames. Because of the complex fabrication it is, at the moment, about ten times as expensive as steel.

Painting your frame
The longest lasting and most professional way to go is powder coating. This method is done by a powdercoating shop and is very durable and good looking. Powder coating can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 for a frame. Look in the yellow pages for powdercoating shops.

If your mind is more focused on budget, spraypainting is your best option. Use high quality paint, and put as many coats as you can (recommended 3–8). Also keep in mind that if you have a chrome frame, you should sandpaper it until you get a "brushed metal" look before painting. ALWAYS use PLENTY of clear coat. Again, use as much as possible, because this will keep your paint from being scratched.

Bearing sizes
All bearings are 10mm(?) wide.

These are used on the 2007 Onza ISIS, Nimbus ISIS and KH Moment ISIS hubs.
 * 22 mm ID 42 mm OD

 * 19 mm ID 40 mm OD (6203-12-2rs)

These bearings fit a Profile hub together with for example a Yuni or a KH Pro frame. It is possible to use a frame designed for 42 mm OD bearings with shims, shims are available from unicycle.com

 * 20 mm ID 42 mm OD (6004-2rs)

This is used on trials and off-road unicycles such as Kris Holm, Onza, and Qu-ax.

 * 17 mm ID 40 mm OD (6203-2rs)

This is the standard on most unicycles, with a few exceptions.

 * 17 mm ID 35 mm OD (6003-2rs)

This is the size used for Miyata, Sem and Pashley unicycles.

 * 20 mm ID 40 mm OD

These bearings are used on the Torker DX, but are hard to come by separately.

It is possible to determine the size of a bearing by looking at the numbers.

The first digit is the type code  6 = "single row deep groove ball bearing"

The second digit is the series number  2 = "light" (as opposed to extra light, medium, heavy etc.)

The third and fourth digit are the bore size code  Some common ones are:
 * 00 = 10mm
 * 01 = 12mm
 * 02 = 15mm
 * 03 = 17mm
 * 04 = 20mm

The 2rs suffix indicates it is a double sealed bearing.

The outside diameter (OD) of a bearing depends on both the bore size (inside diameter) AND the series. A more robust bearing has a larger OD.

Pedals
Pedals can be broken into two categories, metal and plastic. Because metal pedals can easily damage delicate surfaces, plastic pedals are a must for indoor riding on gym floors. Special freestyle pedals are rubber coated and have no exposed metal parts for this purpose. Most freestyle and commuter unicycles come with plastic pedals. Extra caution must be taken when riding with wet shoes on plastic pedals, for shoes have a tendency to slip off. For muni and trials riding, metal pedals help prevent the rider's feet from slipping, but these pedals can do serious damage to your shins. It is always a good idea to wear shin guards when riding with metal pedals.

Good pedals for trials or muni are BMX platform style pedals of steel or aluminum, or, less commonly, magnesium. It is important to have a big platform. If you want to do pedal grabs it is also important to have replaceable pins. While too long pins tend to make the pedal stick to surfaces, too short pins do not provide enough grip. Something in between is the best.

While sealed bearing pedals have good protection against water and mud, an unsealed pedal holds up better for pedal grabs.

Good pedals are made by OJC, Snafu, Primo, Wellgo, etc.

It is not a good idea to use clipless pedals on your unicycle, even though they may weigh less. If you lose balance with regular pedals, you can almost always place your feet on the ground, and you'll be fine. But if your feet are clipped in, it's quite a high fall to land on your hands. The wrists are easy to break, and if you land on your head, that's far worse.

Saddles
Since you hopefully will spend a lot of time in your saddle, having a comfortable saddle is nice! If you plan to spend more than a half hour at a time sitting on the saddle, a seat with more padding than is found on a basic unicycle seat is recommended. Some prefer airseat conversions, others enjoy maintenance free seats containing various degrees of foam or gel inserts. Saddle comfort varies widely with rider, and what is comfortable for one rider may not be for another.

Saddle Brands

 * Kris Holm - A large soft seat with lift handle on the front. Comes in various colors.  Options include a removable cover or an air saddle.  Pretty much the standard seat for medium to upper-grade unicycles.  A lot of people would recommend the Kris Holm saddle for distance riding and muni. The Kris Holm saddle is also good for trials although some prefer a Miyata saddle.  This seat's design is very similar to the Torker DX and Unicycle.com Velo seat.
 * Nimbus - Nimbus makes a low-profile seat with gel inserts that many prefer for trials. Similar to the Unicycle.com gel seat.
 * Miyata (Torker LX) - Less bulky than the Kris Holm saddle so preferred by some trials and freestyle riders, but not very strong. Easily converted into an air saddle.  Non-standard seat posts are required for this seat.
 * Viscount - Popular entry level seat that comes in multiple colors. Lightly padded but preferred by some because of its thin profile.  Screws on front bumper guard rub against fingers when jumping. This seat has a steel base, as opposed to the plastic bases on many other seats, so there is less seat flex.
 * Classic - Similar to the Viscount with metal base but with more robust bumpers.
 * Semcycle - Schwinn style seat which comes in multiple colors. Comfortable and is easily converted into an air seat for extra comfort.
 * Torker CX - Standard on the Torker CX unicycles. Small and very sturdy.  Best suited for smaller riders, as larger riders generally find it uncomfortable.
 * United - A solid inexpensive beginner seat.
 * Savage - Inexpensive seat that is easily ridden in both directions. Contains metal bumpers, use with extreme caution.

Other seats such as the United and the Koxx are both suitable for trials.

Air seats
It's possible to convert your seat to an air seat. The exact procedure depends on the model of seat being operated on, but in general the process goes something like this:

 * 1) Acquire a small tube - one to fit a 12" wheel is generally suitable
 * 2) Remove seat bumpers and/or handle (this usually means undoing some screws or nuts)
 * 3) Remove cover (this often means removing staples). At this point you have a naked seat.
 * 4) Remove the foam or other padding from the seat.
 * 5) Drill a hole (min 8.5mm) in the seat base for the tube's valve to stick out.
 * 6) Arrange the tube; either tape it into a suitable shape or put it in an airseat tube bag.
 * 7) Place the tube on the seat, where the foam used to be.
 * 8) Cut the bottom off the foam, so you have a thin piece of foam that will ensure the seat has an appropriate shape
 * 9) Place the foam on top of the tube.
 * 10) Reattach the seat cover, and any bumpers and handles
 * 11) Inflate the tube to the desired pressure, being careful not to overinflate it and damage the seat cover.

Crank length
Within reasonable limits shorter cranks mean more speed while longer cranks ease climbing and provide more braking power and better general maneuverability.

Crank lengths are very much a personal thing. The right crank length for you will depend not only on what kind of riding you do, but also on your strength and confidence. You should experiment to find out what works for you.

Trials
The common crank lengths for trials are
 * 127 mm
 * 137 mm
 * 140 mm
 * 145 mm

In general precision increases with the crank length. 127 mm cranks may increase hopping height for rolling hops since you can gain more speed. 140 mm or 145 mm may be a good choice for regular trials, but they are rather slow. Also the pedal hitting the ground in leaning turns may become a problem with 140 mm, and even more so with 145 mm.

As for different types of trials, Short cranks are recommended for street/urban trials, medium lengths for all-around, and longer lengths for pure/natural trials.

Muni
The common crank lengths for muni are between 150 mm and 170 mm. Longer cranks may be harder on the knees.

Freestyle
For 20" freestyle riding, cranks range from 89mm to 127mm. The larger the cranks, the more your legs move and cause your ride to oscillate side to side.  Smaller cranks have less torque but allow the rider to travel faster and ride with their seat higher.  For the beginner, 127mm cranks are standard. most freestylers ride 114mm cranks

Commuter/36"
Generally, shorter cranks will give the rider more speed, but less control. Since short cranks provide less torque, though, many of these cycles include brakes for gradual-slowing down or descending.

Tires
This section answers questions about tires for different types of riding, such as:
 * What tire width is appropriate?
 * What thread count is good?
 * How do you make snow chains?

Trials tires
The most popular trials tires are the Monty, Luna, Maxxis Creepy-Crawler, and Try-all. Most trials tires are around 2.5" wide, and have a square block pattern tread (except for the Try-all, which has a tread designed for natural trials). The things to look for in a trials tire are low weight, low duro rubber, thick sidewalls, and tall sidewalls. The Official 19" Trials Tyre Thread at Unicyclist.com is a great help when looking for advice on choosing trials tires.

Muni tires
Tires for Muni are generally very high-volume, low pressure, to provide the most cushioning and bounce. Typical tires for muni are 3" wide and include the Duro Wildlife and Nokkian Gazzaloddi, as well as Surly 4" Endomorph and Larry.

28" and 29" tires
The size of these tire sometimes confuses people as they are both 700c tires and will fit on the same rim. A 28" tire is a 700x40c. A 29" tire is anything bigger up to 700x60c. The Schwalbe Big Apple 29x2.35" is probably the most popular tire for unicycling on the road. Off-road there are several tires available; Kenda Klaw XT, IRC Notos XC, IRC Mythos XC.

36" Tires
There are four styles of tire currently available for 36" wheeled unicycles; the original Coker "button tread" hybrid tire,the Qu-ax 36" road tire (also known as Wheel TA 36-inch Street Tire, same as the new Coker XLR road tire), the new lightweight Nimbus Nightrider 36" road and trails tire and the Coker Off-Road tire with block tread in the shape of the "coker" lettering. These tires are nearly identical except for the tread pattern except for the Nightrider which has 2-ply construction rather than 4-ply to save weight and is rated up to 65 PSI rather than 32 PSI.

How to make your own studded tire
Affordable studded tires in some sizes are very hard to find. The best I have found are a few pretty cheap (350SEK/€40/$55+shipping) 20" studded tires from a BMX dealer, manufactured by Innova.

So why not make one for yourself? The only costs are a tire, some studs and some work.

This is how I made my studded tire, not necessarily the best way to make it.

You need:

1 tire that fits your rim - it must have a fairly deep tread to make sure the screws have something to grip. (i used a Nokian X-trak)

2.5mm drill

Half-inch self drilling screws for wood

Glue

An old tube, or a few meters of duct tape (or both).

A screwdriver

Something to cut the screws with!

(Thimble)

1. Take a good look at the pattern on the tire and decide where the studs should be for best performance? Keep in mind that if they are in the middle, you'll have great grip in acceleration and braking, whilst if they are on the sides, they'll grip when your off balance and therefore have more need for that grip.

Considering this, I placed 2 parallel lines of studs. The lines were 1.5 cm apart, and within each line the studs are separated by about 3 cm. That required 92 studs for a 20" tire; if I made one today I might have put more studs in, but it works well as it is.

2. Now you have to drill all the holes. Drill 2.5 mm holes where you want the studs, drilling into the outside of the tire.

3. Start with pressing a few screws in place from inside the tire, using a thimble if required

4. Screw those screws in place

5. Repeat step 3 and 4 until all holes are used.

6. Since the heads of the screws will tear on the tube, you have to do something about it.

Either: Cut an old tube to create a strip of rubber that reaches all the way around the tyre. Make it wide enough that there is at least 1 cm between the edge of the strip and a stud, and glue it in place.

Or: 3 layers of duct tape will suffice. I used: Both, use only the tube for 2 weeks, then i had my first pinch flat, now i have both.

7. Place the tire on the wheel, inflate to high pressure, wait for the glue to set.

8. Cut all the studs to a few millimeters of length using your weapon of choice, being careful not to harm the tire.

This took me about 4 hours of a rather inefficient work, would be able to do it in under 1 hour.

Don't use your new tire indoor, and use high pressure (at least 3 BAR or 45 PSI) to make sure the studs don't pop into the tire. You're all set!

Rim
Choosing a rim involves tradeoffs. If you do high drops, you may want a tough downhill rim. But sturdy rims are also heavy, and therefore not so good for hopping.

The most common rim for MUni is the Alex DX32 rim which is 35.1 mm wide.

Qu-Ax uses a DB-45 rim which is 45 mm wide.

Kris Holm designed and sells multiple types of rims. Two rims are 24 inch with 36 holes, one is a 42.2mm wide rim for better grip, and the other is a lighter 38mm rim for distance riding. Another rim is a 700c rim with eyelets. On the new 2007 KH unicycles, the rims are 45 mm wide but with holes drilled intermittently to reduce weight. In this way, the advantages of both types of rims are combined

For 28" and 29" unicycles, a standard 700c rim is used.

On a coker, there are three rims available. The Coker company makes a steel rim, which is serviceable but is known to bend after some abuse. The traditional choice for a stronger rim is the Airfoil rim sold by unicycle.com. Darren Bedford has recently started selling a coker with an aluminum rim, but these turned out to be brushed steel as used on the Qu-ax 36" unicycle

If you like extreme MUni, Surly Bikes makes the Large Marge 65mm wide rim in both 26 and 24 inch sizes. This rim claims to be good for riding on sand, snow, mud, or other terrain where you need more grip than usual. http://www.surlybikes.com/parts/largemarge_pop.html

Tire pressure
Tire pressure is a huge topic among unicyclists.

In short, low pressure offers better grip, while high pressure is better for heavy landings or pre-hops with a lot of force. In detail, high pressure on the other hand lowers rolling resistance and eases turning.

Low pressure may provide a better grip and allow you to roll over small obstacles rather than bounce off them.

Your tire pressure is considered too low if your rim's sidewalls hit the ground when you land a drop. Rim sidewalls pressing the tire on the ground may cause pinch flats.

For freestyle it may be of advantage to use a high pressures, up to 85 psi has been spotted on the forums, (though I don't know the standard, someone with a trials or freestyle uni please add info here). Certain bmx freestyle tires can now be put up to 120psi and one even has Kevlar beading.

Trials and mountain unicycling uses rather low pressure, as low as 18 psi has been spotted on the forums, though psi in mid twenties seems to be more common. A rule of thumb to start with is to use 1PSI for every 10 lbs of rider. A rider who weighs 180 lbs would thus use 18PSI, a rider of 200 lbs would use 20PSI. This is a good starting point, and can then be adjusted to fit the rider's skill and/or terrain.

Brakes
Most unicycles do not use brakes, simply because the use of direct drive. (Because the pedals are directly attached to the wheel, if you stop pedaling you will stop moving.) However, there are those who are developing unicycle brakes. The only unicycles that do use brakes commonly are MUnis and some commuter unis.

Brakes
 * Make it possible to do steeper hills in control.
 * May provide more traction on loose downhill ground, where backwards torque would cause slippage.
 * Give the knees/legs an easier job on long descents.

The most common brake used is the Magura HS-33, a hydraulic rim brake used commonly on trials bicycles. Commuter unis commonly use V-Brakes, but most MUnis must use hydraulic brakes because V-Brakes don't provide enough clearance for a 3" tire.

Geared Unicycles
The first practical geared unicycles were designed and developed by Greg Harper and Frank Bonsch. The Schlumpf geared unicycle is now in production and available for sale. There is also the new Kris Holm/Schlumpf geared hub with a reinforced ISIS axle and without the torque lever, released in January 2008.

While the previous methods of gearing involved a shifting mechanism inside the hub, some have experimented with using gears outside the hub, usually with a "jackshaft" dual sprocket, and this was developed for the larger-wheeled road unicycle by Pete Perron of Seattle. The jackshaft concept for cycling was originated by Ernesto Colnago of Italy, in a one-off bicycle prototype.

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Chinese (Mandarin)/Slang

Mandarin, like any language, has its own slang words and informal meanings for some common words. For example, 同志 (tóngzhì - comrade, a commonly used under Communism) now has a second meaning of "gay person" (because it literally means "same aspirations"—in this case sexual proclivities rather than political interests), and the female equivalent 小姐 (xiǎojiě, often used with service personnel such as waitresses) can also refer to a prostitute. Below is a partial list of common slang terms. The letters "xx" stand for someone or something, lit. gives a literal translation, and equiv. refers to an equivalent English expression.

title: Chinese (Mandarin)/Slang


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The Unicyclopedia/Learning

Learning progress
The time it will take before you can ride a unicycle varies greatly. Some (although few) learn it instantly as they step on the unicycle, while for others it may take months. The most important thing to keep in mind is that anyone can learn, just don't give up.

If you are interested in the correlation between time it takes to learn how to ride a unicycle and age, have a look at http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/agelearn_short.htm

It helps your inspiration to watch other unicyclists ride. If you do not have a friend who can show you, look at the links to the galleries below!

10 steps to Unicycling
Contrary to popular belief there is nothing that I can tell you that will make you instantly be able to ride a unicycle. People always say "How do you do it?" like there's some magical thing I can tell you that'll make you be able to ride instantly. There isn't. However, there are things that can help you learn to ride. Before you try some of these tips, it may help to have a friend on either side of you for your first couple attempts. This will give you a chance to "understand" the unicycle.

*Note on safety: Wear as many pads as you can, and try make sure you land on your feet, don't worry about catching the unicycle. Dirty or broken parts are easy to fix, broken bones aren't.
 * 1) Find a handrail that's a comfortable height.
 * 2) The easiest place to learn to ride is on smooth concrete or asphalt. Grass is too bumpy.
 * 3) Get used to simply sitting on the unicycle whilst holding onto the rail.
 * 4) Start riding forwards whilst holding onto the rail. (2 hands on the rail to start with and then progress to one)
 * 5) Eventually, when you are comfortable holding onto the rail and riding, let go.
 * 6) Get as far as you can and repeat.
 * 7) Keep your weight mainly on the seat. This stops you from wobbling side to side as much.
 * 8) Pedal evenly.
 * 9) Look forward.
 * 10) Wave your arms if you need to.

Key points and tips
Biking is much easier than unicycling to learn because on a bicycle, you only have to control your balance to the left and right. Also, on a bicycle, your wheels automatically stay under your center of gravity when you are moving forward. However, on a unicycle, you don't have that luxury. You have to balance in the forward and backward directions, as well as to the sides. Since side balancing is mostly taken care of by precession, forward-backward balance will be your key concern, at least at first.

To accomplish this, your weight must be farther forward than will feel normal for most people. You have to keep the unicycle under you, rather than you on top of it. So, if you lean forward and then pedal forward, the unicycle should be under you. This takes a while to get used to for most people, as the four-directional (forward, backward, left, right) balance is tricky. Don't fear! It will come with practice. Practice is the most important thing in your learning process.

If you have a specific problem that is not covered here, search the forums at Unicyclist.com and if you cannot find an answer, ask a question.

Why did I fall off?
Basically, when you fall off you can always find the reason. This can help you correct the problem and improve. If you fall off the front you are either not pedaling enough (likely) or leaning too far forward (not as likely). If you fall off the back, you are either leaning too far back (likely) or pedaling too fast (less likely). If you fall off the side, you were probably not going anywhere. When you are learning, you always want to keep a forward momentum!

Saddle soreness
It is normal to experience some discomfort when you start unicycling. This normally goes away as you learn to move some of the weight from the saddle to the pedals. Try to keep 1/3 of the weight on the pedals. Contrary to common belief, this is not only a problem for men!

Not all saddles are equal, especially when it comes to comfort. Many saddles, including Miyata and Viscount, have very little padding. If you have a saddle like this, you should consider either performing an airseat conversion on your saddle or replacing it with something with more padding such as Kris Holm or Koxx. The KH Fusion Freeride saddle seems to be generally accepted as the most comfortable unmodified saddle currently available.

Some things to try in order of importance

 * 1) Wear bike shorts with padding
 * 2) Change the angle of the saddle so that it's higher in the front
 * 3) Try a cycling lubricant like Chamois Butt'r
 * 4) Practice riding standing up with all of your weight on the pedals, and stand up a little while for every minute or so as you ride
 * 5) Lower the seat post by a few cm

I drift!
It is common that you drift slightly to the left or to right in the beginning. It usually goes away as you get better at unicycling. Things you may try include but are not limited to

 * Check that the saddle is straight
 * Check your posture, you should sit straight
 * The road may be slanted. Most roads have a crown in the center and a slight slope to the shoulder.

If you want to actively attempt to correct your drift, there are several ways to practice. These methods below may quickly show you whether it's harder for you to turn or balance at a particular angle.

 * Ride in figure eights, try to keep all of the turning smooth and incremental
 * Keep your back straight, and try to ride with your hands at your sides or behind your back
 * Ride in lots of circles with decreasing diameter in the opposite direction of your drift
 * Try riding with one shoulder or the other forward, you can encourage this by having one hand reaching across your body in front, and the other hand reaching across your body in back

Seat height
When you begin unicycling it helps to have the seat high in order to transfer most of your weight to the saddle. The seat should be in a position where you can just barely reach down to the pedals with your heel when the pedal is down.

Free mounting is easier with a lower seat. For muni and trials you may want your seat a little or even a lot lower. When you start learning hopping, lower the seat by an inch or so. Then if that feels good, you could stay with that or try it even lower. The ideal height depends on the person and their style of riding.

When you learn seat out hopping having the seat too low may be uncomfortable and even put unnecessary stress on your shoulders, back, and arm.

Lowering the saddle may also help with saddle soreness.

Good Luck!
Good luck with learning, don't give up! It will come with time and lots of practice!

title: The Unicyclopedia/Learning


text:
The Unicyclopedia/Resources

Where do I find other unicyclists
Many unicyclists post on Rec.Sport.Unicycling. If you wish to converse with other unicyclists on non-unicycle related topics, Just Conversation is popular amongst unicyclists. Also look at the Unicycle Roster or the Unicyclist Googlemap. A few unicyclists currently use IRC on irc.freenode.net in #unicycling. You could also get in touch with your local or national Unicycle Organisation.

Trials

 * - Unitrials.de
 * - Hell on Wheel
 * Ottawa Unicycle Invasion 2004
 * Jess Riegel
 * Tony Melton - Unit 1.0

Street

 * Mindless Films
 * Xavier Collos

Freestyle

 * Unicon 2004
 * NAUCC 2004
 * 2004 All Japan Unicycling Championships
 * Leo Vandewoestijne

Misc

 * unicyclist.org thousands of clips on skills.
 * One Wheel - Muni and Street Videos
 * Syko Production clip of the week
 * Uni videos selected by Matayo Uptodate selection of the best videos available on the web

Obstacle building and inspirations for it

 * Detailed How-Tos for building different obstacles
 * Gallery of obstacles KrisHolm rode in shows

External resources
a few external resources

Personal Pages

 * skyko productions
 * Leo Vandewoestijne

Unicycle Stores & Manufacturers

 * Unicycle.com
 * Flames 'N Games Unicycle Store
 * Semcycle
 * Bedford Unicycles
 * Coker 36" Wheel
 * uniproshop

Forums and Communities

 * The Unicyclist Community

Unicycle Hockey & Basketball

 * Unicycle Hockey Homepage

Tips

 * unicyclist.org
 * unicycletips.com

Other Languages
other languages besides English
 * Swiss unicycle federation
 * The French Federation of Unicycling
 * Lithuanian Uni
 * Russian unicycles
 * Monociclos en español

title: The Unicyclopedia/Resources


text:
The Unicyclopedia/Freestyle

One foot riding
When riding one footed, the vast majority of people prefer to place the non-pedaling foot on the crown. However, on larger frames (over 26" or so, especially if the crown is rounded rather than square) it may be easier to bend the knee of the free leg at a 90 degree angle, and ride with the foot pointing backward, pressing the side of your calf against the frame. It is also possible to ride with the leg out in front (as seen in George Peck's Rough Terrain Unicycling film), however this is generally considered the most difficult.

A 20" wheel is usually preferred for learning, as with most freestyle skills, easier with longer cranks, like 150 mm. However, the momentum of a larger wheel will make one-foot riding up hills much easier. The more grip your pedals have, the better for one foot riding, as this will enable you to extend the usable range of motion. With pinned pedals, you can not only push the wheel pedal down, but also pull it backwards at the bottom of the cycle and forwards at the top. The pedals will frequently scrape your legs while learning so, if you use pinned pedals, appropriate protective clothing should be worn.

A smooth hard floor, such as a gym or hallway, will help, but a sidewalk (pavement) will work perfectly fine. At first it will be easier to push down harder than normal on the front pedal to get more momentum to keep the wheel moving, but you will find it easier in the long run if you maintain a smooth, even tempo, just as if pedaling with both feet. Use your body to control your balance. When you first take one foot off, your wheel will be in front of you and you will be bent over at the waist to keep your balance centered over the uni. Whether this is just what naturally happens, or that purposefully doing this will actually help your learning, I do not know.

At first just ride with taking the weight off one pedal for longer periods of time until you can do it for at least one revolution. When you get the hang of it, it is normal to run out of momentum after 3 or 4 revolutions. Just keep practicing and you will slowly start to go further, but a slight downhill may be helpful.

You may notice a significant wobble from side to side at first, but with a little practice, you should be able to travel in a line as straight as when you are using both feet, especially if one foot is on the crown.

There are three ways of learning to ride one-footed. Most people recommend method 2, or a combination of 1 and 2.

 * 1) As you ride along, put one foot on the crown of your unicycle and try to keep riding. Keep practising until you are able to do it. Some say that the transistion is the hardest part, and by the time you get that down smoothly, one foot riding will be pretty easy.
 * 2) Put less and less pressure on the pedal with that foot you plan to remove, until you are eventually not pushing the pedal at all. At this point you should be able to move that foot to the crown. The disadvantage of this method is that you will not have your leg on the frame to help you control your movement.
 * 3) Hold onto a wall, fence, or similar object. Place one foot on its pedal, and the other foot on the crown. Do a few exaggerated idles while in this position, slowly getting the pedal with the foot on it about to the 10 O'Clock position. At this point push the pedal down and around. When it gets to the bottom, stop pushing so it can come back up. You are now in a position where you can push the pedal around as many times as you like. Remember to keep your weight forward at all times, or your unicycle can shoot out from underneath you and leave you falling to the ground backside-first.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing 1 foot riding

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing 1 foot riding with the other foot extended

Idling
Some people find it easier to learn to ride backwards before learning to idle, some prefer to learn idling first, but either way they are complementary skills; learning one will improve your skill at the other.

Start going forward on flat ground, then slow down by resisting the pedals so that you almost come to a stop when your pedals are horizontal and your stronger foot is behind. The unicycle should be slightly in front of you (if it is not, lean back a little). Push moderately hard down on this pedal.

Now, with your stronger foot in front, push down again. Work on making it all one fluid motion, rather than hesitating when the pedals are horizontal. Also, work on minimizing the travel needed to idle: 45 degrees is a good starting goal, rather than 180 (horizontal-to-horizontal).

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing idling

One foot idling
As you idle, when your pedals are horizontal, put your back foot on the crown, and continue to idle. It helps if you have practiced to keep all the pressure on one foot, first. If you know how to idle, the one foot idle is not far away.

To go directly from one foot idling to one foot riding, you will need to build up some momentum by idling in increasing arcs, often over 180 degrees (pedals going above horizontal). To learn to freemount to one-foot idling, place the uni in front of you, and place one foot on the pedal. Push down and, at the same time, quickly take the other foot from the ground amd put it on the crown.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing 1 footed idling

Backward riding
Backward riding is similar to forward riding, except in the opposite direction.

There are two ways most people learn backward riding.

 * Learn to idle first

If you can idle, you can learn to go backward in steps. Do an idle and then let the wheel go one whole rotation backward into another idle. Once you have got that, practice doing two rotations back, then three, and so on. After a while you will be going backward.

 * Just go for it

Grab something to start from, let go, ride backwards, repeat. It might help to do this beside a rail, a wall, or a helper.

In both methods, there are a few important things to know.

 * It is easier to ride backward without looking behind you. When you are learning, look behind and check that it is clear before you ride. Once you have learnt to ride backward, you can practice looking behind while riding backward.

 * If you are scared of riding backward into the unknown, stand off the unicycle and practice running backward through your practice area to help give you confidence. Also, if the area is limited in size, have visual clues on the ground so you can see the end of the wall before you get there.

 * Playing hockey is a great way to learn riding backwards- I pretty much learned it by mistake by playing hockey regularly.

 * Try starting against a wall, car, post, etc. I find that easier.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing backward riding

Rolling Hops
Rolling hops- as in riding along, and then hopping. Ride at moderate speed, wait for feet to be in right position (pedals horizontal), hold the seat, and hop! Pull the seat upwards as you do. It takes time to develop timing, but with some practice you can get nearly as high as a SIF hop. Many people find that it helps to bend forward before pulling up, then again in the air to add even more height.

Riding stomach on seat
This is pretty self-explanatory. It is riding with your stomach or chest on the seat. This is very similar to riding seat in front. It has four parts; it helps to practice number 2 and 3 first.

1) Quickly take the seat out from under you, it may be easier to ride on the very back of the seat for a second or two before you do this....(see Riding Seat in Front).

2) .....and place it on your stomach:

Lean over the seat and place it securely under your stomach or chest. I find it much easier to place it just lower than my stomach.(By stomach or chest I mean around the lower, to middle region of your torso). It helps to have a bit of body fat for this as it keeps the seat stuck to you rather than wiggle around. You probably will need to hold the seat still with one of your hands. Keep as much weight as possible on the seat.

3) Riding with stomach on seat.

Once the seat is under you and secure, ride forward like you normally would with your arms or arm out for balance. Be careful so you do not fall forward, onto your face.

4) Returning to normal riding

Simply hold the seat, push yourself off it, and place it back between your legs, quickly moving the seat past the point where it is hard to balance if you can't yet ride with the seat out in front.

While this trick may seem a little daunting at first, it is really easy. I got it on my second try.

Safety: wear a helmet and wristguards while practicing because it can be likely that you will fall forward on your hands or face...

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing stomach on seat

Riding seat in front
This is riding with your feet on the pedals as normal, but with the seat held out in front of you.

There are three parts to this skill. It's probably best to practice 2 first and then learn 1 and 3.

1) Taking the seat out from under you.

Stop briefly, stand up tall on the pedals and pull the seat out. It's a bit easier if you stand with your toes on the pedals, rather than the arch of your foot. Some people find it easiest to pull the seat out with one hand, then grab the side of the seat to hold on to with the other hand. Obviously, this is easier with the seat a bit lower. Very curved seats, such as Kris Holm and Velo seats are designed more so they don't come out from under you when riding technical muni and trials, and therefore tend to be a bit more difficult to pull out than less curved seats, but it is certainly possible with any seat.

2) Riding along with seat in front.

Hold the side of the seat with your hand and ride along. To start with hold the seat so it is in front of you, but still touching your body. When you get better, you can hold it further away. You need to make sure you're not putting more pressure on one pedal and try to pedal very smoothly. I suggest holding the seat firmly with both hands at the start and gradually working on letting go more and more, so that you can then hold on with one hand...3 fingers and a thumb....and finally 1 finger and your thumb. Next, see seat drags!

3) Putting the seat back under you:

Stand up tall on the pedals, quickly push the seat back under you and ride off before you fall over.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing seat in front

Riding seat out back
See above and replace in front with in back as appropriate. I also find it easier to hold the seat handle with your arm going between your legs. This makes it slightly more stable while you're learning. When you are comfortable you can do it the same as seat in front.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne that shows riding with seat in back and illustrates how raising on your toes make the transitions easier.

Seat on side
This skill is easier on a 20" wheel. It is still possible to learn it on a 24" wheel.

To start with, practice riding in circles with seat out in back. When you are comfortable with this, lean a little while turning, and slip the seat to your side. The hard part is avoiding scraping you leg with the tire, while still getting you leg properly between the seat and the wheel. It helps to go slow, squat down a fair amount, and lean back. This may not be necessary on a 20" unicycle. But in any case it will help when bend (your knees, not your back). You can also do spins in this position, or go backward, if you practice enough.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing seat on side (seat touching)

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne showing seat on side (seat not touching)

Chin on seat
Chin on seat is exactly what it sounds like; you crouch down really low while riding seat in front, plant you chin on the seat, and let go of it with your hands. Obviously, the first step is to practice crouching down while riding seat in front. This is rather awkward, and puts a lot of strain on your knees. Pretty soon, you will be able to touch the seat with your chin, for short periods of time. Now try to press harder and harder with your chin, until you feel fairly stable. Then let go of the seat with your hand. This skill is similar to seat drag in several ways; you must ride fast, and shift your weight from side to side to keep the wheel from wobbling. It's easier than seat drag, but not as much fun. It might be a good preparatory exercise for seat drag. Once you can do both, try transitioning from chin on seat to seat drag, simply by standing up from chin on seat and letting the seat drop. This skill is undeniably ridiculous, but it's still a good one to learn, if only for the sake of thoroughness.

Here is a clip where Jonathan S. Miersma shows chin on seat (1 hand on seat)

Here is a clip of Leo Vandewoestijne showing chin on seat backward (1 hand on seat)

Seat in front one-footed
This is the skill where the seat is in front. You put your hand on the seat and when the pedal is turning upwards lift your body with your hands and let it come up. Once it is up push down.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne that shows 1 footed riding with the seat in front

Seat drags front and back
For seat drag, you first have to learn to ride with the seat in front or in back well extended. When you are comfortable with this, ride along quickly, and as smoothly as possible, so that the seat is not wobbling in your hand. I don't think it really matters what position the pedals are in when you drop the seat. Once you have dropped the seat, try to continue riding for as long as possible, although at first you will probably fall off immediately. When working on seat drag, as with the ultimate wheel, don't wear shorts unless you have some leg armour, because otherwise your shins will quickly get scratched up. While riding dragseat, try to go fast, as this will give you more stability. You have to shift your weight from side to side as you turn the pedals somewhat, to avoid inducing excessive wobbling. I do not find that there is much difference between seat drag in front and back, except that seat drag in front is easier, since you can see how the saddle is wobbling, and make the appropriate adjustments. When you fall off in front, try to jump forward a ways, (your momentum will generally carry you forward in any case) so that you don't step on the seat and damage it. When you fall off in back, be ready to make a quick adjustment in balance, for you may have to bend extremely far backwards to avoid being injured. This applies to coasting and gliding also.

Once you are comfortable with seat drag in front, you can learn to pick the seat up again. I find the pick up to be easier if I am riding more slowly than normal. This makes it easier to lean over. At first just try to lean over and touch the seat post briefly. When you can do this comfortably, simply reach down quickly and confidently and pick it up again.

Getting out of seat drag in back is somewhat more complicated. A lot of riders simply lean very far down and grab the seatpost, but it is also possible to kick it up with you foot or lift it up with your heel. I am most familiar with the latter. Before you switch to seat in back, make sure that you have the toe (not the ball or arch) of the foot you plan to use on the pedal. Turn the heel of this foot as far in as you can, without hitting the crank. Now drop the seat in back and let it drag for a while. Try to ride with as little wobble as possible. To lift the seat again, induce some wobble in the wheel as your foot is coming around in back. This causes the frame to swing around over your heel, so that you get leverage on it. When done properly, this should cause the frame to rise. Catch it with your hand as soon as possible, because otherwise you can end up in seat on side, which can be awkward.

Here is a video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating seat drag in front with pickup.

Side ride
Side ride is riding one-footed with the foot on the non-corresponding pedal, and the entire body from the waist down on the same side of the unicycle as the pedal being used. For sake of convenience, I'll assume you're learning it on the left side with the right foot. If you're learning it on the right, simply reverse the directions.

To start out, stand on the left side of the unicycle, and turn the left pedal so that it's up, in front, nearer vertical than horizontal. Now grasp the seat with both hands, your right hand near the middle of the seat and the left at the front. Rest the saddle tightly against your body. Now set your right foot on the left pedal, and step down on it. It may take a lot of practice to get the first cycle of the wheel. You should rest almost all your weight on the saddle and press your thigh right against it. Press down fairly hard on the first stroke, then as soon as the pedal is down, release all the pressure so that the pedal can come up again. With a lot of practice, you should be able to get the pedal to come up and over again.

Once you can do this consistently focus on actually riding. Side ride goes naturally in a circle to the right. (Assuming you're doing it on the left.) Once you get good at circling to the right you can go straight, or even in a figure eight, but at first you should do a circle to the right. Lean very hard to the right, and do everything you can to get your weight over the wheel, rather than to one side of it. The placement of your free leg is also important; raise it forward, and as much to the right as possible. It might even help to try placing it directly above the wheel. Keep your foot pressure on the pedal light and put all your weight on the seat.

Video of Sem Abrahams demonstrating seat in front to side-ride seat not touching the body

Video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating another variant of side-ride seat not touching

Video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating side-ride 2 footed, 1 handed

Wheel walking
Some people say the best way to start wheel walking is to begin near a wall, carry out the movements while holding onto the wall and then eventually try it away from the wall. A good way to use this technique is to learn the general foot motions by the wall, then carry on in the open. Possibly, the best way is to start away from the wall, as people usually learn quicker this way. You can either start from idling or start as a mount. Neither way is easier than the other, unless you can't idle. With your first foot roll forward with your toes and then stop with you heel. It is important to get as much distance as possible in one push, then as your other foot holds the wheel still, do the same thing with the remaining foot toe heel, toe heel, toe heel etc. Most people tell you to lean back, which isn't quite true. The best advice i can give is to sit up straight AND NOT LEAN FORWARD(some people think it helps to stick out your rear). Look forward, not down.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the basic wheel-walk

One foot wheel walking
People generally find one foot wheel walking more difficult than wheel walking with both feet. One method of learning to one foot wheel walk is to start using a wall (or some other support) with one foot planted firmly on the crown of the frame and the other resting on the top of the tyre. You should always have an upright posture when one foot wheel walking, as it is generally done pretty slow and you'll have more control this way. This skill requires reasonably fast foot-work which will only come with practise.

While holding your support, push the tyre forwards, then lightly and quickly drag your foot along the tyre back to it's original position. Eventually you'll want to be able to drag your foot back lightly enough that the wheel still rolls forward the whole time. This will result in a much more controlled and impressive technique and can also lead to gliding. One foot wheel walking requires not only fast 'paces', but also for these paces to come in reasonably quick succession. Keep your arms under control, place them along your body wide, or do your hands on your hips.

Once you feel comfortable one foot wheel walking beside a support, try leaving the support after a few metres, then riding into a one foot wheel walk unassisted. To do this, you should reasonably slowly, then lean back a little and pause on the spot while stepping up. Generally it's easiest to pause with one foot down and back and the pedals somewhere between horizontal and about 45 degrees. Then you must quickly step up directly to the tyre with your other foot, and follow with your dominant foot (which goes to the crown). Then you're ready to kick the tyre forwards again and start one foot wheel walking. Once you've got the hang of this you can also try going into the one foot wheel walk without the pause by doing a little glide.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the basic 1 footed wheelwalk

Standup wheel walking
Stand-up wheel walk is riding, standing on the frame with one foot, and propelling the wheel with the other. Before learning it, you should be fairly steady with one-footed wheel walk, and preferably also be able to glide a little. You need a unicycle with a good sized square fork that you can stand on comfortably, and also a good-sized seat you can grab well with your knees/calves.

The first step in learning this skill is to figure out how to get into it. While holding onto the seat with one hand, and some sort of support with the other, transfer your favorite one-foot wheel walking foot so that it is on the fork and the wheel. Put the other foot on the fork. Position this foot carefully, as it will support most of your weight. Some find it works best to put the instep on the fork, not the heel or the ball of the foot. Now lean back a little, and stand up carefully. When you feel steady, move your driving foot down so that it touches only the tire. Turn it in a good ways, so that you are somewhat pigeon-toed. You should be able to move your foot freely. Practice moving along a wall, or while being guided by a spotter until you have some idea how to make the wheel move. Now try to move away from the wall. Make sure you stand up straight; don't hold the seat, don't look at your feet. The motion for stand-up wheel walk is a bit different from one-footed wheel walk. You don't just use your leg to move the wheel; you should try to move the wheel with a kicking motion using your whole body. Different riders do this skill different ways; some push more with the foot, while others use mostly a full body motion and changing of pressure. The first is more stable, while the latter is faster and easier to balance sideways. In either case, you do short stand-up glides between steps. This can be scary, but it's necessary for learning. This is a very satisfying skill to learn, if only because of the extra height it gives you.

As for the transitions, there are several ways to do it. You can ride, idle or hop, then jump onto the frame, with or without holding the seat, and possibly doing a 180 or 360 unispin on the way up, or you can plant your feet on the fork and stand up from riding, idling, one-footed wheel walk, or gliding. To get into it from riding, ride along slowly while holding the seat, then when your driving foot is near the top of a cycle, plant it on the wheel and fork and brake, leaning back a fair amount. Now in one swift motion, transfer the other foot to the frame, stand up, move your driving foot down, and start taking quick steps. You need to go really fast for the first couple steps. The main thing to remember is to lean back and do it fast. Getting into it from gliding works basically the same way, except you take a long time to brake the wheel before standing up.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating idle to stand-up wheel-walk freehanded

Backward wheel walk
Backward wheel walk is even slower than forward wheel walk. Try to move your feet in small circles, closely following each other, and push the wheel mostly with your heels. Use your whole foot if you can, but you might find that if you try to use more than the heel, your feet will get tangled up.

If you are having trouble getting into backward wheel walk from idling, concentrate on making the idling smooth and as straight as possible. On the last stroke before moving your feet to the wheel, idle out faster and farther than normal. When the wheel rolls back, it will have some backward momentum which is very useful when getting started. You can also get into this skill from forward wheel walk by coming to a stop, leaning back slightly and holding still for a minute, then reversing direction. Getting out of this skill is pretty straightforward.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the basic wheel-walk backward

Backward wheel walk one-footed
You can also learn to do the backward wheel-walk one-footed. The posture for this skill is pretty much the same as for regular backward wheel walk, except you should lean the seatpost back even farther, and and your upper body forward even farther, to get the necessary room for the strokes. You also use mostly your heel. Unlike in one-foot wheel walk forward, it is very difficult to let the wheel glide along your foot between strokes. Instead, you have to coast briefly between each step. Since it is only for a split second it shouldn't be too hard. One thing to concentrate on is letting the wheel roll between strokes so that you can build up speed and momentum, rather than stopping it at the end of each stroke. The latter way feels awkward and won't look very good.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the backward wheel-walk 1 footed

Backward spoke walk
Despite the name of the skill, it does not necessarily involve sticking your feet in the spokes. The essence of this skill is wheel walking backwards with the feet behind the frame, contacting the sides of the tire, the rim and possibly the spokes.

This is a fairly simple skill to learn. First experiment, while holding some support, with putting your feet behind the frame on the sides of the wheel and propelling it. You have to press very hard against the sides of the wheel in order to get enough grip. Also, the tire and shoes you are using can make a big difference. After a little practice, you should be able to get into this skill from idling, and go several meters. It is fairly normal for the wheel to wobble from side to side, because of how hard you must press against the tire/rim. What makes this trick easier than regular backward wheel walk is that you are pushing the wheel, not pulling it, so it's quite a bit like standard wheel walk. To get out of this skill, simply put your feet on the pedals and ride out backward. When you are comfortable with this and regular backward wheel walk, it can be fun to switch repeatedly between the two.

A video in which Jonathan S. Miersma demonstrates a backward spoke walk

Forward spoke walk
Spoke walk is one of very few tricks that is easier to do backward than forward. It can be done forward, however. While holding onto something, take your feet off the pedals and put them on the sides of the tire, behind the frame. Now lean forward a little, and try to pull the wheel forward. In order to get any kind of traction, you must press very hard against the sides of the wheel. Also, try to arrange your feet so as to maximize the area of the foot contacting the tire. It may help to turn your heels in so that they are on top of the tire while keeping your toes near the rim. At first, you can only take very small steps, but try to make your steps as big as possible. Lean forward just a little bit and concentrate on exactly how you are moving your feet. The motion is nearly straight upward. Try getting into this skill from idling, riding, and other ways of wheel walking. To get out, just return your feet to the pedals.

A video of of forward spoke walk by Jonathan Miersma.

Koosh-koosh
The unusual name of this skill is said to come from the sound you hear when you do it. It is also supposed to be one of the easiest ways to wheel walk backward.

For koosh-koosh, you put one foot on the unicycle so that the heel is on the fork and the toe is on touching the tire. The other foot can be placed two ways; either somewhat upright with the toe on the wheel or upside down with the shoelaces on the wheel. You use the foot behind the frame to push the wheel backward and the foot in front of the frame to hold the wheel in position while moving the other foot back forward.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the koosh-koosh

One-footed backward lace walk
This skill is quite similar to koosh-koosh, except the foot on the frame does not contact the wheel at all, and the driving foot behind the frame has to be placed upside down with the shoelaces on the wheel (thus the name.) One-footed backward lace walk is faster and smoother and so is probably more visually attractive than koosh-koosh, so you should consider learning it. Another good reason to learn it is that it can lead up to backward gliding. Before learning this skill, you should probably learn either spoke walk or koosh-koosh, although neither is really necessary.

It feels a lot like normal one-footed wheel walk in that you push, relax pressure, glide while moving your foot back into position, and push again. If you go fairly quickly balance may be slightly easier.

The transitions for this skill can be hard. Try it from idling or from koosh-koosh if you have already learned that. An alternative method is to take one step of regular backward wheel walk with your non-driving foot, then position your driving foot, set the other foot on the frame and push off. You can also get into it from spoke walk and other backward wheel walk variations. The simplest way to get out is to come to a stop and wheel walk out of it forward, beginning with the foot on the frame.

A video demonstrating lace-walk by Jonathan S. Miersma

One-footed forward lace walk
One-footed lace walk can be done forward as well as backward, although the forward variation is a bit harder. Before learning this skill you should be comfortable with a forward spoke walk and a one-footed backward lace walk, and a little work with coasting wouldn't hurt.

Lean forward and position your foot as low on the wheel as possible, with as much of the top of your foot touching the wheel as possible, so that you can get enough grip to move the wheel. You have to pull very hard and take very big steps at first, removing your foot from the wheel and repositioning it between each step. While repositioning your foot you will have to coast briefly. If you have a square frame you should be careful to avoid scraping your shin on its corner.

You can transition to this skill directly from riding or idling, but I think the easiest method is to take one wheel walk step forward with your non-driving foot and hold the wheel in place while you position your driving foot. To get out of it, switch to regular wheel walking.

Sideways wheel walk
This skill consists of riding the unicycle sideways in the "hopping standing on the wheel" position, that is, holding the seat tight with both hands, and one foot on each side of the frame.

The first step for learning this skill is to learn to step up one foot at a time into hopping on the wheel, rather than jumping into that position. Once you are comfortable with this, step up, and try to move the wheel sideways. One foot will be pushing the wheel and the other will be pulling it. Concentrate on the pushing foot (the left foot if you go to the left, and the right foot if you go to the right), as it provides most of the power and makes all the balance corrections. After a few months working on this skill, I found that only the pushing foot was necessary, so now I generally do sideways wheel walk one-footed. The advantage of doing it one-footed is that your feet don't have to work together nearly so much, and you can use the free leg for balance adjustments, the same way you use your arms for most tricks. The basic method of practicing this skill is to climb into the position and start moving. Because you need both arms to hold the seat, you can't work from the wall or ceiling, although it might help to have someone as a spotter. Some things to think about when learning are:

1. Very important! Put all your weight on the seat through your arms. Try to be fairly high up and over the seat so that you will be steady in this position. Don't try to squat, and don't put any weight on your feet. You just use them to kick the wheel lightly along. If you get sore wrists or break the seat because of this, you are doing something right.

2. Almost all balance adjustments are made with the pusher foot. Forward and back adjustments, (from the unicycles point of view) are made by speeding up or slowing down as necessary. Side to side adjustments are made by steering the unicycle a tiny amount to the right or left.

3. Your speed should probably be slightly faster than regular wheel walking, probably about riding speed. This will increase the wheel's momentum and give you more stability.

The transitions are fairly simple. To get into sideways wheel walk, do a normal transition to hopping on the wheel. Then lean slightly in the direction you wish to move and go for it. To get out of this skill, do a short sideways glide while leaning back a little in order to come to a stop. Then hop on the wheel and transition back to pedals by your preferred method.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating sideways wheel-walk

Hand wheel walk
There are several ways to wheel walk with your hands Some other variations are sitting on the seat with the feet out, sideways hand wheel walk with the stomach on the seat, one-handed hand wheel walk, backward hand wheel walk, and even wheel walking using only the thumbs.
 * being sitting on the seat with the feet on the frame
 * stomach on the seat with legs extended

Hand wheel walk with the stomach on the seat is probably the easiest variation. If you can wheel walk regularly and ride stomach on the seat, you can start learning this skill. First, set the unicycle upright and facing forward and rest your stomach on the seat. Experiment with different positions until you find one that is relatively comfortable. Then hold the wheel with one hand and rest the other near the frame, gradually transferring your weight from your feet and to the seat. When you are resting mostly on the seat and feel stable, take your feet off the ground and splay them out to the side a little bit. Your legs can move around quite a bit to help you balance. Now start pushing the wheel with your hands. Avoid catching your fingers in the spokes.

To get into it, ride stomach on seat at the hand wheel walking pace, then put your hands on the wheel and start pushing it. To get out of it, you can put your feet back on the pedals at almost any position, than stand up into seat in front riding. You can also do a cool mount by running at a nice rate, sticking the seat under your stomach, and slamming the wheel into the ground. You can make your whole body from the waist down fly well up into the air as you brake the wheel to a normal pace.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating hand wheel-walk stomach on seat

You also can learn it sitting on the seat. You see this variation a lot more often in freestyle performances and competitions. Learning this skill can be rather problematic, since you can't mount into it, getting into it from idling is somewhat tricky at first, and you can't use a wall, since you have no way to hold onto it. The best methods are to have a spotter steer you along until you can practice it from idling, or to do it from a pole or the end of a wall. I used a book cabinet in my basement. You also have to have the right kind of saddle. Something like the Torker CX or the Savage saddle is too small and will be very painful. How you sit on the seat can make a big difference. Try to sit back on the end of the seat, so that when you lean over your weight will rest mostly on your abdomen, not certain sensitive areas. This is even more the case if you want to learn hand wheel walk with the legs extended. When you try it the first time, get into a steady position and hold onto something with your one hand. Then transfer your feet and other hand to wheel one at time, and lean down and forward. The farther forward you lean, the easier it will be to balance. Put as much weight on the fork through your legs as possible to decrease the discomfort. Now push the wheel a couple times with the hand on the wheel until you are clear of your support, then bring the other hand down and get started. You should make the pushes a ways down the wheel, not right near the fork. You make the balance corrections by changing the speed and direction of your pushes, and by leaning your upper body from one side to another. Side to side balance is the tricky part. If you are falling off to one side slowly, and turning slightly, try to swing your whole upper body to the other side. If you realize that you are falling off soon enough, you can right yourself this way.

As soon as you can get ten or fifteen steps fairly often, you should try learning to go into hand wheel walk from idling or riding. Mount sitting a lot farther back than normal and idle smoothly, then come to a stop at the end of a large forward stroke and begin transferring your limbs. First move the high idling foot, then put one hand on the wheel. Then transfer the other foot, give the wheel a push with your first hand and get the other hand in place behind it. If you don't get both feet placed securely on the fork, (you need a solid square fork for this skill) get off immediately. The best term to describe what happens when one or both of your feet slip off the wrong way is "wedgie."

Getting out of this skill can be a little tricky. I have done it two ways. One way is to quickly raise your body and put your feet on the wheel, do a short wheel walk, then drop to the pedals. The other is to wait until a pedal is coming down, then quickly move your foot from the fork to the pedal. Raise your body quickly and go into one-footed idling, then get your other foot down.

A video of hand wheel walk sitting on the seat by Jonathan S. Miersma

Backward one-footed riding
The most common method seems to be to transition from one-footed idling, but experiment with getting into it from backward riding and riding forward one-footed as well, so that you find what works best for you. Concentrate on pulling the pedal through the upstroke as this is usually the hardest part. Lean back a ways too, but always be careful to avoid a high speed backward dismount which could be dangerous.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating backward 1 footed

Gliding
Gliding is when you have one foot on the crown of the frame and one foot placed on the tire to control speed and aid balance. It is easiest to see gliding as a progression from one foot wheel walking. Try to wheel walk one footed down a hill and you'll end up gliding. Also practice going from one foot riding directly into gliding, especially on flat ground, and eventually from riding directly into gliding. It may take several weeks to learn this skill well. Try to apply as little pressure as possible on the tire, and lean back.

Gliding as a flatland skill is fun when done in a circle. Ride fast in a big circle, leaning heavily to one side. Now switch to gliding with as little pressure as possible, still leaning heavily to one side. You tend to go in a spiral rather than a proper circle, and end by straightening up and doing a very small piroutte.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating gliding

Coasting
Coasting is one of the most enjoyable things you can do on a unicycle in my opinion. For those who don't know the distinction, gliding is riding the unicycle with one foot on the wheel as a brake and the other on the fork (or extended) while coasting is riding the unicycle without contacting the wheel, pedals, or anything except the frame and saddle. Coasting is much harder.

To learn to coast, first get really good at one-footed riding, so that you can ride along smoothly, at a steady speed, and without accelerating or braking the wheel in any way. Actually you don't need to be quite that good at one-footed riding to start learning to coast, but after a little while working on this skill, you will have one-footed riding down this well. Although it would probably be advisable to learn to glide before working seriously on coasting, this isn't necessary, since the balancing mechanisms are quite different for the two skills. Now you can move on to the actual coasting. From smooth one-footed riding at a not too fast or too slow rate, take the pedalling foot off and let it hang next to the spinning pedal. In all likelihood, you will fall off immediately. It is of utmost importance that at this point you do not kick the pedal or affect it in anyway. You need to coast off at the same speed, balanced in the same way which you were before starting the coast. Practice this step for a while until you are comfortable with taking your foot off the pedal and falling off. You will find that you sometimes coast short distances without trying very hard. It is a great feeling when it does happen.

When you are comfortable with this, you can start working on balancing in this position and experimenting with various postures. There are two basic ways to coast; either with one leg extended and the other on the fork, or with both feet resting solidly on the fork. I recommend that you experiment with both to find which way works for you, keeping in mind however that most unicyclists seem to find coasting with both feet on the fork easier. Although it is harder to get into and easier to fall from improperly, it offers more stability. The basic balancing mechanism for coasting is a rocking motion that is rather difficult to explain. I suggest watching some videos or actually watching other unicyclists coast if possible so that you will know when you are balancing properly. If you are falling off forwards, you need to lean forward by bending at the waist. This will cause your waist region to move back and the wheel to move forward also, thus correcting your balance. If you are too far back, lean back. I find the forward adjustments a lot easier. One important tip to balance yourself properly is to keep your arms straight and raise them nearly vertical. Some riders keep their arms farther down when they coast, but almost all extend them in some way. Experiment with various arm positions and find what works for you. I suggest trying to switch to coasting with both feet on fork after you have worked on the leg extended variation for perhaps a a while. Try to plant both feet solidly on the fork. I find it even helps to squeeze the seat post tightly between my feet. This will probably work best if your frame has a nice solid square fork which offers a lot of support.

Coasting is an extremely difficult skill, and one which requires a lot of commitment to learn. It took me six months of hard practice. But if you keep with it, you will have a highly enjoyably skill that is very satisfying and also impressive. It is worth it.

Once you can coast smoothly for a ways, try getting out of it. The easiest method is to switch to gliding, then to wheel walking, then to the pedals. Getting out of coasting is a relatively easy skill, which probably does not require much advice.

As an interesting historical note, coasting was, as far as is known, first done by a Swede, Joakim Malm, around 1980. Before that, it was generally considered impossible. Joakim was one of a group of three Swedes who revolutionized freestyle riding, inventing skills such as seat drag, the 540 unispin, and several others. They were also influential in the movement toward using only 20" unicycles for freestyle.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating coasting feet in

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating coasting 1 foot extended

Coasting standing on saddle
Well? Anyone? Ummmm this is really hard!

A video of coasting standing on saddle by Julien Monney

Handride
Learning to position yourself properly is one of the main difficulties for this skill. First, turn the unicycle around. Actually, you don't exactly sit on the unicycle; rather you hang upside-down, with most of your weight on your abdomen. Position the seat so that the back bumper is resting near your navel, and reach down and grasp the pedals with both hands. While holding the pedals, with the seat positioned as described above, set the wheel on the ground. Now jump up and forward while pulling up very hard on the "down" pedal and pushing down on the "up" pedal. Then start pedalling backward. This can take a lot of strength. The direction of motion should be backward, that is such that if you were to switch to sitting on the seat and pedalling with your feet without turning your body, you would be riding backward. It is also possible to handride forward, but this is more difficult and dangerous as will be explained later. When you mount, make sure to jump up a good ways; otherwise, you will fall off immediately. Eventually, you will get a feel for how to turn the wheel and will get a few cycles of the wheel.

When you are handriding, you can fall off in the direction of motion, or in the opposite direction from that in which you are moving. It is falling off in the direction opposite motion that is a problem, it could be dangerous so try hard ot avoid falling off in that direction. This is the reason forward handride is more dangerous; you are more likely to fall off in such a way that you can't land on your feet. Although it can be a little unnerving, you have to lean farther in the direction opposite motion than feels comfortable. Otherwise you just fall off the other way immediately. So when handriding, try to adjust your speed so that you stay well over the wheel, but not so far forward that you fall off in the direction opposite motion. You can also use your legs to adjust the balance, but only a little bit. For the most part, they swing around in a somewhat ridiculous manner.

It is possible to transition from riding with your feet into and out of handride. Getting out is not very hard. Simply take one hand off the pedal and quickly insert a foot in its place. The other foot falls into place pretty much automatically, as you quickly sit up straight. If you want to go to sitting on the seat properly, you have to do a unispin. To get from riding into handride, you also have to do a unispin to get the seat turned around. Now try to put your abdomen on the seat as you do for handride. Lean down as far as you can while idling. At the end of one idle, pull a foot off the pedal and grab it with your hand. Now start pulling the pedal around and took the other foot off the other pedal. As this pedal comes forward, grab it with your hand and try to get going. Grabbing the pedals properly can be very tricky. Try to idle straight before attempting the transition. Also, make sure you are leaning forward sufficiently. This transition to handride has also been done from hand wheel walk with the legs extended, but I don't have anymore information on this trick. If you learn forward handride, you can also transition into it from regular riding without any idling or hand wheel walking. No more information on this skill either.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating backward handride

A video of Thomas from Switzerland showing handride forward

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Hop
Hopping can be done with 2, 1 and no hands on the seat. The last option allows for skipping ropes to be used.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating a burning skipping rope while hopping on a unicycle.

Spins
A spin is a where you go round in circles really fast. You do this by having your upper body on one side of the point you are turning about while your lower body is on the opposite side.

To do a spin -

 * 1) Do a leaning turn, about a metre in radius or so.
 * 2) Do a really hard action-reaction turn in the same direction as your leaning turn.
 * 3) Pedal like mad.

If it just feels like you're turning in a tight circle, then you're not doing a spin. When you hit the spin, you'll feel like you're going round ten times as fast as normal and like you're not really steering, just being magically spun round and round. You'll totally know it.

If your pedals hit the ground, you're leaning too far, you don't have to lean incredibly hard to spin.

I learnt to do spins using a hockey stick. If you've got one, try using this. First learn to turn 360 degrees using the stick to turn you, then try and get into a spin using the stick to do the action reaction turn.

Once you get good at spins, you can do them straight away, out of stillstands or whatever without the leaning turn into them. I like to stillstand, then lean a little bit and go into a spin.

Nb: Action-reaction turn is a turn where you turn your upper body one way(the action) and the unicycle turns the other way(the reaction).

The trick is just to keep practicing until you can do the spin really smoothly and then you can slow down and pedal out of it. Alternatively, do a pirouette out of it and then pedal off once you've slowed down a little, before you fall over.
 * Exiting the spin

In both cases, as you straighten up and ride out, your tyre will catch and you'll be able to ride straight off, you don't have to wait until the spin has fully stopped to ride off.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the spin

Pirouettes
Pirouettes are similar to spins, except that you do not pedal while you spin around. Instead, you stand with the pedals horizontal, and let inertia spin you around. It helps to stand up on the pedals and hold your arms out and bring them in close to your body as you start to spin, like a ballerina does. A pirouette is considered valid only when doing 3 or more revolutions.

A video of the pirouette in slow motion done by Satoko Matsunaga.

Hopping standing on the wheel
For this skill, you set the unicycle sideways, stand with one foot on each side of the wheel, hold one end of the seat with each hand, and hop.

You should mount directly into it at first. There are two basic ways to do this; either jump up and plant both feet solidly against the frame, or climb up by leaning the unicycle a little to one side, putting one foot directly on top of the wheel, stepping up, and setting your other foot on the other side of the frame. (The latter is better if you plan to learn sideways wheel walk eventually, since the same technique is used to mount into that skill.) Now hop! It's really very simple, and should only take a little practice. You can do it with your feet solidly against the frame, or spread out a ways. The latter may be slightly harder, but again, it is better for learning sideways wheel walk.

The transitions can be fairly frustrating. To get into it, switch to seat in front hopping, then jump off the pedals. You can either spin the unicycle 90 degrees and land on the wheel, or jump around yourself and land, with the unicycle moving very little. This is actually fairly easy, but seems intimidating at first. Getting out tougher. There are several methods, including twisting around and switching to wheel walk, twisting and getting your feet directly on the pedals, jumping right down to seat in riding, and jumping down to seat in front hopping. The last is a good way to prepare for unispins. I usually use the twisting methods. The main thing to remember is to pause after each hop, but only attempt to twist around when you feel very well balanced. Twisting to the pedals is usually easiest when the pedal corresponding to the rear hopping foot is horizontal in front.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating hopping on wheel and both transitions.

Side hopping
Side hopping is a somewhat silly trick, but you might want to learn it any way. Stand to the side of the unicycle and put your right foot on the left pedal, or your left foot on the right pedal. Now lean (to the left if you are on the right and to the right if you are on the left) stand up on the pedal and hop. It may be slightly easier to do this if you put the free foot around in back on the other side of the tire, in order to hold the wheel still a little more. The main thing to remember is to lean a lot to one side, because otherwise you move sideways pretty quickly. I don't know how to get into it from riding, but to get out of it, you jump up, switch feet on the pedal, get the foot previously used for hopping to the other side, and idle seat-in-front.

Warning: side hopping may damage your unicycle's hub.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating side-hopping

Unispins
A unispin is when you hold the unicycle in front of you, jump off the pedals, twist the unicycle and land on it again. A standard unispin is 180, but 360 is also common and 540 and 720 are heard of. You can also do 90, 270, 450, and 630 degree unispins into and out of hopping standing on the wheel, or 180 and 360 unispins while hopping standing on the wheel.

To do a 180 unispin usually you stand in the seat out position; you can either do it with one hand or two hands. Two hands is much easier for beginners. When you're standing in the seat out position and your hands are in the unispin position, either both hands are on the same side of the saddle, or one is on each side in a crossways position. It's best to have the pedals flat. Jump up and spin it; you never need to let go of the uni. Then aim for the pedals or cranks, and land safely.

To do a 360 unispin you should stand in the same position as for the 180 unispin. You can either have your hands in a crossways position or both of your hands on the same side. It depends on whether you want to air the uni or just spin it on the ground. If you're doing the crossways position you don't have to let go of the uni and it will probably spin on the ground, which some people think is easier. Another method is to put both hands on the same side, then jump up, spin it, let go of the uni, then catch it again. What you prefer is a matter of taste. You may consider wearing leg protection!

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating 180 unispin to seat without any needless hop.

Seat drop
This skill consists of hopping seat in front, dropping the seat and frame onto your toe, and then kicking it back up.

First, while idling, gradually move your front hopping foot, which should be the upper foot while you are idling, over, until it rubs against the frame. Now transition smoothly to seat in front hopping. Between hops, edge this foot over even more, until it is touching the tire or rim. Now drop the seat, and catch the frame with your foot. Once you can catch the frame properly, practice getting the seat back up, so that you can catch it again. You should throw the seat done firmly, and at the same time lean slightly forward. After the frame touches your foot, lean back a little so that the seat bounces up again. Now catch the seat and go back to hopping or riding.

It looks cool to do a series of seat drops without hopping in between. I haven't tried this yet, but presumably it's a lot harder than just a single. Also, you can try to pause for a while before kicking the seat back up. Another good looking move is to combine this trick with trials, so that you jump onto an obstacle, drop the seat, catch it, and jump off again.

Crank idle
Crank idle is idling with your entire body off one side of the unicycle, one foot on the pedal and one foot where the crank goes into the unicycle hub. Presumably you can achieve this transition by first going to seat on side idle and then swinging your foot over the tire.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the basic crank-idle with hand touching the seat.

Mount
Stand behind the uni and place foot on closest pedal. Push yourself up or roll the wheel backwards till you are on top of the unicycle.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the basic mount

to idle
Mount the standard mount and go to idling without pedaling.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating mount to idle

to idle 1 footed
Mount the standard mount to one footed idle.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating mount to idle 1 footed

to idle 1 footed foot extended
Mount the standard mount to one foot idle foot extended.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating mount to idle 1 footed with the other extended

Rolling
Push the unicycle in front of you and step onto the pedals. This should all be done without stopping.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the rolling mount

Jump
For a jump mount, hold the unicycle in front of you, (preferably with one hand, although you can also use both, if you are nervous about it) with the pedals level, then jump up, land your feet on the pedals, pause, then sit down on the seat. Sometime after you take off, but before you land, you can move the seat into exactly the right position. Make sure you land with all your weight on the pedals. This is probably the easiest mount, after the standard one, although it is intimidating at first. In order to overcome your fear, try mounting to seat-out riding. Simply hold the seat in front of you, and jump on the pedals, still holding the seat in front of you. You can also try doing a seat-in jump mount. That is, put the seat between your legs, then jump up and try to land your feet on the pedals. Hopefully after trying this a couple times you'll be ready for the regular jump mount, which is actually easier.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the jump mount

Suicide
The suicide mount is simply a slightly harder and much more impressive extension of the jump mount. Position the unicycle in front of you, balance it, let go, pause, jump, land your feet on the pedals, and sit down on the seat. The longer you pause between letting go and jumping, the more impressive it is. To nerve yourself up for this undeniably scary trick, practice doing regular jump mounts while holding the seat very lightly. Try holding the seat with only a few fingers, and eventually only with your little finger. Now you should be ready to try it. Balance the unicycle very carefully, (with the pedals level) so that when you let go, the saddle falls toward you. If it falls to the side, you won't land it, and if it falls away from you land it seat in front by catching the saddle, but that's not a suicide mount, since the suicide mount must be done freehanded. Watch the saddle after you let go of it, and jump at the right moment, so that the saddle is in exactly the right place when you land. To a certain extent, you have to catch it with your legs as you come down. Obviously it will be easier with the seat lowered. Also don't wear baggy pants, or you'll have to jump stupidly high so you don't knock the seat out of the way.

A video of the suicide mount done by Tomas Aelterman.

Reverse
The reverse mount is simply a standard mount in reverse. Begin standing in front of the unicycle, sit on the seat and step onto the pedal that is slightly forward, bringing the unicycle up under you from behind. This feels somewhat like idling The reverse mount is also known as back-mount.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the back-mount

Side Mount
The side mount is a fun and fairly easy mount. Stand behind the unicycle, place your strong foot on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke and hold the seat out to the side with the opposite hand. I find it easiest to hold the back of the seat and lock my elbow. Then simply step onto your strong foot while you swing the other leg forward (between your strong leg and the unicycle) and around the front of the seat to the other side. Relax your grip on the seat to bring it up under you as you place your free foot on the pedal and begin to idle.

Variations on this mount include swinging the leg around the seat an extra revolution and also swinging the leg around the back of the seat, mounting like a bike ( http://likeabikes.com ), which is harder than you would think.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the side mountlike a bike

Side Jump to Wheel Walk
Once you are comfortable with some of the simpler wheel walk mounts, like putting the seat between you legs and jumping up forward, try the side jump mount to wheel walk. Hold the back of the seat with one hand, and stand next to the unicycle. Now jump up and sideways. Swing one leg around the saddle and swing the saddle back with your hand, then try to set your foot on the wheel, thus absorbing most of the impact. Now quickly bring the saddle back forward between your legs and land sitting on it. Since you don't have to jump up very far above the seat for this mount, (it's more about swinging the seat under you) you only fall down a very short distance, less than for the regular jump mount, so it's not very hard on your crotch. Now wheel walk out of it!

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the jump mount to wheel-walk

Pickup
With the unicycle lying on the ground with tire pointing up, hop onto the pedals and reach down to pick up the seat with your hand.

A video of the pick-up done by Jonathan S. Miersma.

Kickup
Place the unicycle on the ground, lying on its side, facing forward, with the pedals level. The pedal on top should be behind (closest to you) and the pedal on the ground in front. Stand with the uni just in front of you, with the seat pointing diagonally to your right. Stand on the pedal. Your foot will actually be at a 45 degree angle to the pedal, so the left edge of your left foot will touch the pedal, and the right edge will touch the crankarm. Put the toe of your right foot under the saddle (from the outside, with your toe facing the wheel). This is the setup for the kickup mount. If you now shift your weight onto the pedal and pull the seat underneath you with your foot, the unicycle will come upright so you can put your other foot onto its pedal and ride away. Seat height is important here: it is easier with a lower seat, but if it is too low, the seat will fly out from between your legs. If it is too high, you'll experience extreme discomfort as you kick the saddle into your own crotch. And the most important is to jump in to a motion from seat to pedal(!), and NOT from seat to the center of the hub.

A video of Leo Vandewoestijne demonstrating the kick-up mount

title: The Unicyclopedia/Freestyle