Unicycle: How to Ride a Unicycle: Unicycles

Unicycling is not as hard as it looks. Like learning any other sport or skill practice is required. Most people average 10 to 12 hours to learn to be able ride a unicycle unassisted with some degree of control. To learn to ride a unicycle only requires daily practice until you can let go and pedal off balancing on your own. Winter in the north is a  challenging time for unicycling. It  is best to  find an indoor  place to practice such as a  gym or sports hall.

There are many ways to learn to ride a unicycle. The easiest way is to find a long handrail along a walkway and use it to hold onto as you learn to mount the unicycle. Once you become comfortable sitting on the unicycle try pedaling back and forth a little a very short distance at first. When that becomes easy try pedaling forward the entire length of the handrail and then pedal backwards the other direction. Practice this every day for 20 to 30 minutes or more and soon you will be able to let go of the handrail and continue with some degree of control as you wildly fail your arms about for balance. When you fall you should usually land on both feet and try to grab the seat so it doesn't get scratched up so much.

Extra Tip

Try to find a friend to learn with and have a contest on who can let go of the handrail first and ride at least twenty feet without holding the railing.

These children are learning to ride their unicycles by using this railing on a gazebo in a city park.

The hardest part is to Commit to daily practice

When we are out unicycling the most common question we get from people is " Is it hard to learn that?" I always answer "It's only as hard as you think it is."

The average person takes 10 - 15 hours of practice to learn to ride unassisted with some control. So, if you will commit to practicing 30 minutes each day you should be riding around unassisted in 4 weeks or less. Of course some people are naturally more athletically gifted and may learn much quicker than that. At the other end some are a little slower and may take up to twice as long as that average time. Knowing this you can now make a commitment to yourself to practice daily and within a month at most you'll be the envy of your family and friends with your new skill.

Watch the video on "Kris Holm on unicycle" to see how easy it is to get started learning this fun sport.

"What if I rode a unicycle many years ago, is it easy to start again?"

When I'm out unicycling, sometimes someone will ask me if he can try my unicycle and I'll ask if he's ever been on one before and most times he says , "yes, I used to ride one ling ago", and I let him try it and He can still ride it around without falling. So, if you rode a unicycle as a kid long ago, try again, it's great exercise!

Improve your balance while enjoying a whole new form of exercise with the Raleigh MTB 20-inch unicycle. The device offers such features as a double-bolt seat clamp that prevents slippage, cotterless three-piece cranks, and a padded saddle for maximum comfort. The most important feature, however, is the extra-large, knobby off-road tire, which measures 20 by 2.5 inches and is ideal for riding on both city streets and rougher gravel or dirt trails.

The great beginners unicycle with a 20" wheel. Features durable wheel and fork construction for years of reliable service. An affordable, popular unicycle for children. Has features you would expect in a quality unicycle, including: Carbon-steel TIG welded frame, Contoured seat with bumper, cotterless crank arms, main-cap style bearing housings, pneumatic tire/tube (45 psi maximum), Single-walled steel rim. Best for ages 8-14, minimum inseam length 25 inches. Please note it may be necessary to cut the seat post down for a custom fit.

When you learn young and practice daily yo can do amazing things!

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