From 2 wheels to 1, to none :(

I have been riding road and mountain bicycles for a little more than a year, and saw videos of mountain unicycling accidentally on youtube. I thought it was cool, but crazy. Half a year later I decided to try learn how to ride. After all, if lots of people over 50 could do it, surely I can too right?

I did learn how to ride after trying for 2 weeks in August. Unfortunately while I was still learning I fell and sprained my right ankle inwards. There was no noticeable swelling. Around 10 days later it got comfortable enough to ride on, and I continued riding for a month. It was sore after a ride but always got better after a few days. In late September I decided to rest for a month. After a few weeks, my ankle felt ‘normal’ again, like it did before I sprained it.

I went ahead to order a 36er. For awhile everything was awesome. But after 3 weeks of riding it, the soreness and pain came back again. So I stopped riding, and made yet another visit to the University clinic. This time they did an Xray, and that proved negative, so I will have to do an MRI to find out exactly what is wrong. The MRI and doctor’s appointment will be on late January.

Right now, even after not riding for a month, my feet still ache and hurt if I stand or walk too much. When the MRI is done I will get a better idea of how long it would take before I can start riding again, but right now it seems that I will need a few months more at least.

Sigh, if only I didn’t sprain my ankle on that fateful day!

Why are you Atheists so angry?

I agree with a lot she says. Especially at the end where she says most of the anger are on the behalf of believers(religious people).

Prime suspect

Up till last week, my right ankle didn’t get worse after taking the advice to ice it after activity. However, last wednesday I had a ride cut short by rain. Only got to ride for 2km. So, on thursday, I decided to go for another ride. Lo and behold, it rained just as I was starting.

Not wanting to give up, I waited till night to ride, and did 12km more time than usual practicing freemounting, because it was tricker with handlebars. The next day, my foot ached. I suspect that cycling itself it not much of a problem, but rather all the jumping and hard landings of a beginner unicyclist.

The ache lasted a few days, and is nearly gone today. I have exams till next week, and so will take a week off riding. After that, I may test my hypothesis by minimizing jumping, or sticking to riding 2 wheels (it has been a while since I did that!)

Try harder n00b!

Forum thread to an exposed MLM agent Handbook.

A year ago when I was in the army, one warrant officer pulled the whole bag of tricks on me. Tried to befriend me at short course that I attended. It was a course about how to dress yourself for different occasions or something. For army regulars. My superior didn’t want to go, so I went in his place.

Anyway, this guy was of much higher rank and age, so I just had to listen to whatever rubbish he had to say. Old people often always have a lot of “wisdom” to share. After all, I have the look of a clueless youngster. Sometimes, what they say is useful. Most of the time, it’s just advice they wished they could give to their younger selves. That kind of biased advice is useless to me.

One night while I was staying over at the office, he came up and talked to me for a good 1-2 hours. I’ve forgotten whatever fluff he said, but the moment he talked about bringing me to see a company called “LFI”, I immediately asked if it was MLM. After that I told him I was not interested. That was awkward.

Getting a handle on a handle

I finally put the handlebar on.

It took me a good 15mins to ride off with it. It was like the first time I road the 36″. The added weight of the handle just throws me off. In the picture, the handle is extended out a lot. I decided to move it back in as much as possible, and get used to a handle being there first. It is strange. This isn’t like a bicycle where you can put as much or as little weight as you like on the bars. Whatever weight put on it, will affect your balance.

Yesterday, I went for a short 8km ride around the neighborhood. Going down slopes, and braking by resisting the pedal motion is a tough thing to do. Sometimes I almost get thrown off the front, because the momentum of the wheel is so great that I get lifted off the seat. After the ride, I Iced my right ankle. I don’t if it’s the reduced distance, or the icing, but my ankle isn’t sore today. This is good!

A short video

The only skills I have are riding forward and freemounting (poorly). I’m biting much more than I can chew, still quite herky jerky. UPDed on yesterday’s ride a few times (normally when trying to go up unavoidable tiny curbs, or screwing up a mount).. but that’s what guards and gloves are for.

Freemounting the big wheel is really hard, especially for a 5’3″ person. There are a couple of times where I failed 10 times before getting on. It seems a big factor is fatique.. near the end of the ride it was almost impossible. I guess it needs more practice, and better technique.

Yesterday there were some mild occasional winds, and for the first time I felt the wind trying to push me back. It always happens on a road bike, but being on one wheel is another matter.

My sister came home just as I finished a 12km ride, and took this video. Today I’ve been trying the “rolling mount”.

Freemounting the beast

Yesterday night I went on a short test ride after fixing up the KH36. It took me many attempts to get on it, even while holding onto something.

Today, I went for a longer ride of 6.5km. Freemounting the thing is really hard! I only had to freemount a few times. Instead of improving, each time got harder, because my legs were turning into jelly.

I got a handle bar for it as well, but I have no idea when is the right time to put it on. Probably when I’m better at freemounting and riding it.

There was this teenager who started riding hands free after seeing me. Hands free on a bicycle != riding on one wheel dude! Hell, I can’t even ride hands free on a bicycle! I think it’s too dangerous. Really.

No one told me it was this big!

Who knew a KH36 was actually 36″ wide?
I guess most of the photos I’ve seen of people and their 36ers are misleading, seeing that the average height of americans is like 6 foot.

Look, it is bigger than a grand piano!

Took 15mins just trying to get on that thing, even while holding on to my gate. It is much easier to ride than smaller unis though. Feels like flying!

Any bigger and the saddle would be touching my chin.

Makes the other 2 look tiny.

I rode nearly 2km with it. Can’t freemount yet of course, but that is nothing some practice can’t solve. It’s so fast and stable, riding it is truly wonderful.

Test ride

I finally got to ride 2 days ago. Only a short, 30mins ride to test my ankle and new tire. The long break definitely helped reduce the soreness.
Today I rode the 20″ for half an hour at an average of 5km/h. Which is really slow, almost walking speed. I had to go as slow as I could, so my mother could walk with me.

Halo Ception 2.6″ tire. It’s more like 2.3″ really. very round, and the knobs are really protruding. I have a hard time controlling it on the road.

My plan for riding the big wheel

Wish my legs were longer!