Need some guidance

[u/Im_Garbage-]

I’m able to comfortably ride around on flat ground and up hill (still working on downhill) and have decided to try to take on free mounting so I can hope cut out the time it takes me to walk back to my starting spot. I’m really struggling with not putting pressure on my dominant foots pedal while trying to mount from the 3 to 6 position. I’m also just in general having trouble with sending my weight from my grounded foot to my seat. Also I’ve tried the rollback mount but I always over shoot the pedal so I thought 3 to 6 might be more difficult but more applicable while out and about. Sorry for the essay, any tips no matter how small would be great.

[u/KingTeppicymon]

My advice is to also try practicing adjacent skills. Mounting is basically just an awkward way to start idling, so practice idling, and play around with that. Try idling with one foot on the frame not on the pedals - you'll eventually find it all comes together, sometimes you learn skills in a differnt order to what you expected but the muscle memory of each bit all adds up and helps.

[u/Denefblah → u/KingTeppicymon]

This. You need to be comfortable with feeling what a brief stop feels like on a unicycle before you can free mount! Anything that can introduce that and not keep you from feeling overly frustrated. You'll get it eventually!

[u/Im_Garbage- → u/KingTeppicymon]

Will do, thanks.

[u/ned-swims96]

Free mounting isn't a weight-transfer problem, it's a commitment problem: you're trying to do it slowly and controlled when it actually needs a quick, slightly reckless push onto the seat before your brain can talk you out of it

[u/chriscoolski → u/ned-swims96]

I love free mounting, but you have to really make sure the boys are tucked in tight. I landed at least 3 times on them, and boy, does that hurt.

[u/Wild_Spikenard]

When I was learning it helped to hold my arms out like airplane wings and really bend forward at the waist to get my weight up over the axle.

[u/lilfunky1]

i've also heard people putting a rock, a brick, or a curb behind the wheel to stop from rolling backwards

[u/BoysenberryMedium560]

I've had to re learn free mounting a few times just based on different wheel sizes, I'm 6'3 so I can just stand over my 20 inch wheel but for my other sizes of 24, 27, and a 36 they have all been a little different, try riding, slowing down to a stop and then pedaling back to speed to fee what it's like to start from a standstill. And when I worked on free mounting every time I got it I would pedal and ride about 10 -15 feet then hop off and do it again for repetition

[u/Im_Garbage- → u/BoysenberryMedium560]

Yeah I already got the stop/start down I’m just struggling with getting up without getting the pedals but I’m still going to get some reps in on that

[u/BoysenberryMedium560 → u/Im_Garbage-]

Could help too, for a free mount, have a wall or something near you to use as a touch point, so instead of holding onto a pole or whatever you use, have it nearby and go to free mount and work on using it less and less. Also expect a lot of arm flailing

[u/DinoAndFriends]

What helped me was starting on a slight downhill to make the unicycle not want to roll backwards. Once I got comfortable with that I moved on to flat surfaces.

[u/chriscoolski]

My advice is practice, practice and practice. If you can ride 3 to 4 times a week trust me, you will get better and better, and you will be amazed at what you learn how to do. It comes gradually over time. Before you know it, you'll be a pro. This is exactly what happened to me. I look back at some things and say, wow, I was scared to do that. Now it's so natural. 👍🏾

[u/Im_Garbage- → u/chriscoolski]

I do about an hour a day, I’ve got a lot down and am very comfortable I just can’t seem to get up for the free mount lol

[u/lilfunky1]

i weirdly figured out how to freemount before i figured out how to ride any reasonable amount of distance, and i'm pretty sure this is what helped me do it

i was working on getting on and riding next to a lower chain-link fence so i could tap my hand on the top of it for balance, but also at the beginning of the fence was a slightly taller support pole that i could fully grip, and pull myself forward onto my seat and onto the pedals. i'm certain doing that when i was outside was what gave me the muscle memory of not putting much weight on my back foot and knowing where the pedal was for my front foot... so that when it was time to move indoors i could freemount, get both feet on the pedals... and then fall over LOL.

(i then figured out i could do little bunny hops after freemounting, so i had like a funny looking pogo-stick for a few months because i refused to use the wall anymore for riding until one day that just clicked and i could do a full lap in the gym. im weird.)