Mountain Unicycling - The Next Level
A couple days ago I went on my first significant municycle ride and it was with three intermediate level riders. What an amazing experience. I was pretty happy when I went to a couple informal public street sessions to mix with a few other unicyclists for the first time. But to ride in a group of like minded enthusiasts after over a year of solo (and sometimes lonely) endeavour it felt like I was graduating to a new level.
To put the experience right over the top, one of the riders had a helmet camera and a GPS tracker so there is a some great footage and an electronic trail to help me remember the outing.
It might be worth noting that I am currently vacationing in Vancouver which is to unicycling what Oahu (Hawaii) is to surfing with its many epic trails and rich history. And Vancouver is also home to Kris Holm, who is akin to Tony Hawk (of skateboarding fame) because of his amazing skills and pioneering influence on the sport.
Learnings
On a more practical note I learned which important skills I need to work on next. Specifically, I need to work on being comfortable with sometimes intermitent contact with the pedals which is best gained by learning one-footed riding. And I need to work on dual forward jumps; the first to orient the cranks for a subsequent obstacle-clearing jump. Finally, I need to relax my threshold of control a little. Push my limits and develop good recovery reflexes.
Having a solid foundation in all the key skills is really important. Otherwise my unicycling will have a polarized execution because I'll stick to only the manoeuvres I'm comfortable with.
Experience
In addition to these skills I learned the value of carrying tools and adequate hydration fluids. A pump is also good for rides of varying terrain. My air-ride saddle did really well although I've learned I'm in the minority of riders who use this out-dated approach.
I really miss having a brake to preserve my legs. A lot of riders don't bother with this 'complication' but for someone like me who doesn't have great leg endurance it doubles (or even triples) the enjoyment of an outing.
With any luck I'll go for another group ride but I'd be content with trying some trails on my own. That way I won't need to rush to keep up with better riders.
To put the experience right over the top, one of the riders had a helmet camera and a GPS tracker so there is a some great footage and an electronic trail to help me remember the outing.
It might be worth noting that I am currently vacationing in Vancouver which is to unicycling what Oahu (Hawaii) is to surfing with its many epic trails and rich history. And Vancouver is also home to Kris Holm, who is akin to Tony Hawk (of skateboarding fame) because of his amazing skills and pioneering influence on the sport.
Learnings
On a more practical note I learned which important skills I need to work on next. Specifically, I need to work on being comfortable with sometimes intermitent contact with the pedals which is best gained by learning one-footed riding. And I need to work on dual forward jumps; the first to orient the cranks for a subsequent obstacle-clearing jump. Finally, I need to relax my threshold of control a little. Push my limits and develop good recovery reflexes.
Having a solid foundation in all the key skills is really important. Otherwise my unicycling will have a polarized execution because I'll stick to only the manoeuvres I'm comfortable with.
Experience
In addition to these skills I learned the value of carrying tools and adequate hydration fluids. A pump is also good for rides of varying terrain. My air-ride saddle did really well although I've learned I'm in the minority of riders who use this out-dated approach.
I really miss having a brake to preserve my legs. A lot of riders don't bother with this 'complication' but for someone like me who doesn't have great leg endurance it doubles (or even triples) the enjoyment of an outing.
With any luck I'll go for another group ride but I'd be content with trying some trails on my own. That way I won't need to rush to keep up with better riders.
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