>1) Which part of the foot should be on the pedal?
>I assume it is the balls of your feet. Is this correct?
Right, for most people, the ball of their foot should be centered over
the pedal. This allows the ankle joint and associated muscle groups
to provide finer (more precise) control over the pedaling action of
the legs. However, a few people will find it more comfortable to
position the ball of their foot further forward on the pedal.
Although it is highly recommended to position the ball of the foot on
the center of pedal, you should try different positions to see which
one works best. This is because we are not all exactly the same, so
perhaps we shouldn't expect our unicycling techniques to be exactly
the same either.
>2) Is zig-zagging bad?
No. When first learning, it is probably best to stick with whatever
works to keep one up on the unicycle. As you continue to learn, and
one's control over the unicycle improves, the zig-zagging tendency
should slowly go away naturally. If it doesn't, then one should
consciously work on riding straighter by using upper body twisting to
counter balance the tendency of the wheel to twist (zig or zag).
It will be extremely difficult to go perfectly straight, since the
momentum of the legs moving back and forth while cycling will cause a
very small zig-zag (1-5 degrees) every rotation of the wheel. Even
this natural zig-zag can also be neutralized by equal and opposite
upper body twisting (in sync with the leg movement), but most riders
never learn this and really don't need to, so don't worry about it.
>3) How long is it all going to take?
>Nevertheless, there were some disappointing periods where I (and
>others) seemed to make little progress. I think the FAQ should do its
>best to warn people "Unicycling is tricky. Learning to unicycle takes
>roughly <x> hours to learn to do the basic manouevres. Don't give up!"
There is a wide variation in athletic fitness, balance perception, and
reaction time among those learning to ride a unicycle. So it is
difficult to predict roughly how many hours it will take to learn
certain unicycling skills. An experienced unicycling instructor may
be able to make a good guess after watching someone ride, but it is
impossible without first seeing the rider in action.
It has taken people as short as 15 min. and as long as 6 months to
learn to ride. However, it generally takes 2-6 weeks of regular
practice to learn to ride and a few more weeks to learn to do turns.
>4) How inflated should the tires be?
>I have over-inflated my tires (from memory, they should be 32psi, and
>I have them around 45 psi) until they seem to adequate support my
>weight without virtually twisting off the rim when the unicycle is
>turned on the spot. Is this wrong?
No. Generally, unicyclists do overinflate their tires by as much as
50% and sometimes even more. However, if one is learning to ride on a
slippery surface (gym floor) and wheel twisting becomes difficult to
control, the tires can be underinflated to increase the tire area that
comes in contact with the floor. This will make wheel twisting easier
to control. Once one has learned to ride, the tire should be inflated
to at least the recommended pressure.
Try to get 40-50 psi or more rated tires and you may overinflate these
as well if you like. However, a 32psi tire will work fine, too.
Thank you Julian, for asking these excellent questions! I'm sure many
on the mailing list will appreciate the answers.
Sincerely,
Ken Fuchs <kfuchs@winternet.com>