patmoore Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 It's Turkey Day and I joined 11,000 of my closest friends at the Manchester (CT) Road Race. It poured buckets but we did it anyway. A lot of folks run it in costume. Last year I hated the latex skull cap so I bit the bullet and shaved the head (wasn't much there to begin with). I did the race on Heely's and had a friend push me up the steeper stretches. Before the race, I couldn't resist getting in a few laps around the parking lot on the uni..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 classic :-) Very cool. How fast are those unis/ I take it that you must be miles behind the road bikes on the flats, but do they go ok in climbs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted November 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 classic :-)Very cool. How fast are those unis/ I take it that you must be miles behind the road bikes on the flats, but do they go ok in climbs? On this particular 28 incher I can average about 7 mph. My 20 incher is even slower. There is a brand called Coker with a 36 inch wheel and folks have been known to average 13+ for lengthy distances. Climbing hills is less of a problem than descending them. It takes all my strength to keep the uni from getting away from me on steep hills. Some riders have installed a brake with a handle under the seat but I have visions of braking too hard and pitching forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 seems far too crazy and too much hard work for a youngster like myself; I think I'll stick to 2 wheels for now :-) But yes, would guess larger wheel would make life easier to a certain point and faster; what is the drawback of a larger wheel? Is it harder to balance is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted November 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 Freemounting (getting on the uni without hanging on to a lampost, person, etc.) is much tougher on big diameter unis. Even on my 28 inch model the seat is several inches higher than my crotch so climbing on is a challenge. Here's a short video of me demostrating a free mount. Doing it on a 36 inch uni would be that much more difficult. I've never tried one. Shorter unis like my 20 inch are better for tricks and idling but I figured that at age 60 I should just focus on my riding skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 i hadn't thought about getting on and off... thanks for that video. I am definitely not about to try this, that looks far too difficult! Hard to believe you are 60 mate, you look a lot younger (other than the tuxedo shot) and this, at least to me, seems to involve a level of athleticism that most youngsters don't have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik J Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 This will sound like a wise@ss question, it's not meant to be - I honestly know nothing about "uni's".....Don't your balls hurt? At least with handlebars I can adjust my body position. I'm having trouble visualizing what my "boys" would be doing while on a "uni". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Hard to believe you are 60 mate, you look a lot younger (other than the tuxedo shot) The loafers in the video belie your age though ;) . You can tell alot about a person from their shoes. I'm going to stick with 2 wheels. I like the stability that a pair of wheels offer, along with the speed . Besides, I don't think that I have ANY of the skill that would be required to ride a uni. Huge props to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted November 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 This will sound like a wise@ss question, it's not meant to be - I honestly know nothing about "uni's".....Don't your balls hurt? At least with handlebars I can adjust my body position. I'm having trouble visualizing what my "boys" would be doing while on a "uni".That's an excellent question. Before I ever hop on, I do some serious arranging. Like the old Oldsmobile ad said "Parts is parts" - and I do what I can to preserve them. Replacement parts are too hard to come by...The loafers in the video belie your age though ;) . You can tell alot about a person from their shoes. I'm going to stick with 2 wheels. I like the stability that a pair of wheels offer, along with the speed . Besides, I don't think that I have ANY of the skill that would be required to ride a uni. Huge props to you. Speaking of shoes, in the shot of me as Mr. Six (the Six Flags Amusement Park guy) I'm wearing Heelys - those shoes with the wheels that annoying kids ride through the malls. I wore them for the entire five mile race and had a friend push me where it was too steep to coast.Staying young is just a state of mind. When our parents were our age they were old. We're not. And I'm not even taking into account the fact that my inner child is only 19. We don't think of ourselves as old. I try to do something every day that the generation before us would be loath to do. In a unicycling forum I belong to they offer personal galleries. I created my own and it covers three pages. Some of the shots like the barefoot waterskiing and the sky diving were shot years ago but most of the others are recent. And in case you wondered, I have a very tolerant wife.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin A. Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 I'm wearing Heelys - those shoes with the wheels that annoying kids ride through the malls. hahaha When I was still working at Express at the mall we had a kid eat it wicked hard after I told him not to wheel around in the store. He didn't see one of our shin-level pant's tables and he went over it face first and mashed his face on the floor :lol: . He was OK, but when his mother left they went to the kids shoe store across the hall :lol: :lol: . I hate those shoes. Speaking of shoes; is there anyone who rides clipless pedals on their unicycle? Or is that just asking to eat it like I think they would be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted November 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 hahaha When I was still working at Express at the mall we had a kid eat it wicked hard after I told him not to wheel around in the store. He didn't see one of our shin-level pant's tables and he went over it face first and mashed his face on the floor :lol: . He was OK, but when his mother left they went to the kids shoe store across the hall :lol: :lol: . I hate those shoes. Speaking of shoes; is there anyone who rides clipless pedals on their unicycle? Or is that just asking to eat it like I think they would be? There's been discussion about clipless pedals on a uni but most folks (including me) think it's a terrible idea. I logged 2000+ parachute jumps without a fracture and then experienced my first break (hand) as a result of a UPD (UnPlanned Dismount) from a uni. I don't want my feet impeded by anything. Speaking of Heelys, my wife bought them for me for my 60th birthday. The clerk tried to talk her out of it saying, "Ma'am, that's a BAD idea!" My only gripe with them is that my hips get sore because you have to hold your feet in a strange postion to get them to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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