Unicycle corner
Quote: onenickelmiracleDoes a unicycle require a lot of core strength? What most of us be unable to walk for a day if we tried riding one, because we would be so sore?
No. It's all just learning to balance. You won't get any more sore muscles than from riding a bicycle. I mean, maybe if you were on it for hours, you'd be sore, but that's just because you're getting hours of exercise, and not specifically from the unicycle.
That's my opinion from my limited unicycle experience.
Quote: onenickelmiracleDoes a unicycle require a lot of core strength? What most of us be unable to walk for a day if we tried riding one, because we would be so sore?
Yes, it does. That is one of the best reasons to learn to ride. It does take some time to build up your strength and distance. However, you don't need any pre-conditioning. For most people, a strong enough desire and a unicycle are all you need. I've never known anyone who truly tried to learn the unicycle and failed.
Quote: TigerWuNo. It's all just learning to balance. You won't get any more sore muscles than from riding a bicycle. I mean, maybe if you were on it for hours, you'd be sore, but that's just because you're getting hours of exercise, and not specifically from the unicycle.
I disagree with this. You hit all kinds of muscles with a unicycle without even realizing it. Your whole body gets involved to stay balanced. After a long ride, you'll have a good soreness all over your body. Road biking does not require much upper body strength. Technical mountain biking does his the arms pretty well.
Quote: TigerWuHmm. Well, when I was learning the unicycle, I was already working out a lot at that time, lifting weights and doing some kickboxing. So, that's probably why I didn't notice any issues with soreness or muscular endurance when it came time for unicycle practice.
"Your mileage will vary, as they say." Hiking was my main thing before I switched to unicycling, so probably needed the upper body workout more than you did.
My 55th birthday is coming up in about a month and I'm thinking of doing a 55 mile ride. Although I ride my unicycle about 5 miles most days, I haven't done a long ride in ages. However, I'm in generally good shape and think my chances are pretty good if I rise to the occation.
That said, as with the 50th birthday challenge, I'm unsure of which unicycle to ride, the one with a 29" wheel or 36". If you list the pros and cons, the 36" is better in every way, except it's hard to mount with nothing to lean on, especially when tired.
As an experiment, I did a 1.34 mile loop around my neighborhood on both of them. Here are the results. The right column shows how long it would take to do 55 miles at that rate.
| Unicycle | Seconds | Rate | 55 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29" | 657 | 7.34 MPH | 7.49 hours |
| 36" | 593 | 8.13 MPH | 6.76 hours |
Given that that 36" unicycle is only 11% faster, I think the 29" is the way to go.
Given the lock down, the streets have only about 50% of the car traffic, which will be a perfect time to do this. I'm thinking about riding on the streets, which means I'll be up and down a lot with all the traffic lights. All the more reason to choose the 29".
Quote: WizardAs some of you may remember, I rode my unicycle 50 miles as a challenge for my 50th birthday.
My 55th birthday is coming up in about a month and I'm thinking of doing a 55 mile ride. Although I ride my unicycle about 5 miles most days, I haven't done a long ride in ages. However, I'm in generally good shape and think my chances are pretty good if I rise to the occation.
That said, as with the 50th birthday challenge, I'm unsure of which unicycle to ride, the one with a 29" wheel or 36". If you list the pros and cons, the 36" is better in every way, except it's hard to mount with nothing to lean on, especially when tired.
As an experiment, I did a 1.34 mile loop around my neighborhood on both of them. Here are the results. The right column shows how long it would take to do 55 miles at that rate.
Unicycle Seconds Rate 55 miles 29" 657 7.34 MPH 7.49 hours 36" 593 8.13 MPH 6.76 hours
Given that that 36" unicycle is only 11% faster, I think the 29" is the way to go.
Given the lock down, the streets have only about 50% of the car traffic, which will be a perfect time to do this. I'm thinking about riding on the streets, which means I'll be up and down a lot with all the traffic lights. All the more reason to choose the 29".
advertise your site while riding?
wear a tshirt of WoO and hand out business cards if people ask about it?
Quote: WizardI'm unsure of which unicycle to ride, the one with a 29" wheel or 36".
Are these sizes considered large sizes? Are the larger sizes for experienced riders? A quick on-line scan of local shops reveals selling 20" and 24" unis? Thoughts?
Quote: IndyJeffreyAre these sizes considered large sizes? Are the larger sizes for experienced riders? A quick on-line scan of local shops reveals selling 20" and 24" unis? Thoughts?
20" and 24" are the standard sizes. They make good unicycles to learn on or doing tricks. However, if you ride for exercise, as I do, the larger wheels are more enjoyable and you burn more calories per hour.
Quote: WizardAs some of you may remember, I rode my unicycle 50 miles as a challenge for my 50th birthday.
My 55th birthday is coming up in about a month and I'm thinking of doing a 55 mile ride. Although I ride my unicycle about 5 miles most days, I haven't done a long ride in ages. However, I'm in generally good shape and think my chances are pretty good if I rise to the occation.
I think the world record is just over100 miles, you should go for that.
Maybe you should just ride to Santa Barbara.
