Thanks!
> Just about the way you are getting on it now is right. I'd use a
> flat, smooth floor like a car park or preferably gymnasium. Yike in one
> hand, foot on one pedal just slightly towards you and near the bottom of
> it's cycle. Other arm out for balance, then sort of boing forwards and
> up. The weight on the pedal will bring the wheel under your arse and stop
> it hitting the floor...
It certainly sounds a complicated procedure, but I'm sure I'll get the
hang of it eventually. I ask about it _before_ I've finished learning how
to ride starting from a solid object so that I can get my starting
technique to be roughly what's necessary to 'freemount'. With any luck,
this'll minimise hassle later.
> Things to beware of:
>
> 1: Other pedal smacks you in the shin.
> - happens quite seldom, but is possible.
Been there, done that. :-)
> 2: Flying straight over the wheel and landing again in front of yike.
> - this is to be expected. You gradually learn how to balance all
> the factors and hit equilibrium.
Something to look forward to.
> 3: (The worst one from some points of view) Getting exactly to equilibrium
> and not knowing which way to fall!
> - if you have taken your feet off the pedals, then tough! If you
> are fully mounted, then you can pedal slightly backwards, and
> stick your belly out. This will make you fall forwards, then you
> are ready to start pedalling in earnest.
>
> Although tarmac or gym floors may seem daunting and maybe a little
> abrasive to you now, they do afford much greater control than uneven
> grassy surfaces. Sort of like the difference between pure science and
> applied.
I've come to that conclusion now. I've been practising on the tennis
courts (and in my portacabin/office :-) here whatever the risks of
personal injury.
Thanks for the helpful info.
ben
-- Ben Summers
ben@xara.co.uk (b.summers@rhbnc.ac.uk)
Because there's more to Mathematics than just life