How to ride a Unicycle: A Tutorial and Tips

So, you want to learn to ride a unicycle? Let me first tell you, this is not something most people pick up in an hour. You will need to dedicate several days to learning, but I can guarantee that you'll get it if you're dedicated. Once you're able to ride, you'll never forget! Here's a small tutorial on unicycling!

The Very Beginning

The very first steps of learning to ride are the most difficult. People ask me all the time, "How did you learn to ride?" The answer to that question for me is simple: I tried over and over until I got it. I'll admit, there were times that I said to myself that I would never learn, and that I was getting nowhere. But look at me know; I overcame all of those obstacles. You can do the same! Here are some extremely essential things to keep in mind before you begin:

• Falling is inevitable, and you cannot let that discourage you. I promise that the falling will decrease, or even stop as time goes by.
• WEAR SHINGUARDS. This tip helped me so much when I started learning. If you mess up, the pedals can wind around and smack your shins. This stopped many sessions prematurely until I got some shinguards.

 The Basics

There are several basic points that you must keep in mind that are absolutely necessary to follow:

• The basic concept of riding is simple: you sit on the seat and lean forward, and as the seat moves forward, you pedal to keep the wheel under you. Now, that may seem complicated, but the actual riding isn't.
• When riding, you must lean forward. If you pedal and do not lean forward, then the wheel will move, but the seat will stay still. Usually you want to go with the unicycle :)
• Don't look down. I know that it is tempting, but you will ride with more ease if you do not look down. Pick an object ahead of you and focus on that.
• Check the amount of air in your tire. Sometimes it may be easier to learn to ride if the wheel is a little low on air.
• Sit upright. I've been told to pretend that there is a metal bar that extends from your bottom all the way up to your neck.

Learning to Ride 

I have heard of many different methods of learning. I'll outline a few here: 

• Find a wall, and ride a long it. Although I did not learn to ride this way, I use this method when learning tricks.If you can find a long wall, just hop on the unicycle, get balanced, and start the process! If you begin to fall, then you always have a wall to keep you stable. This will help you get a feel for the unicycle very quickly!
• Find a friend to walk alongside you as you ride. If you have two friends, this works too. You can have them support you by putting your arms around their shoulders. I don't think this is the best way, and would stick to the wall.
• Find something, like a mailbox, and get on the unicycle. Then, just start riding. This is how I first learned. You may only be able to go a couple feet without any supports, but that's okay! Just get back on and try again. If you keep at it, you'll increase the distance you go each time. Eventually, you'll be able to go a very long way unassisted!

 Now, notice that all of these methods require you getting on a unicycle by yourself. I think that mounting the unicycle should be learned after you can ride. Others may disagree, but mounting was definitely the hardest part for me, and I did learn it right after learning to ride.

How to mount the unicycle

To me, this is the hardest part. You can ride without learning, but you'll have to hold on to something every time you get on. Here is how I do it:

• Start with the non-dominant foot's pedal down.
• Position the seat under you with the wheel out front. Make sure the seat is in a comfortable position (especially for the guys).
• Put your foot on the pedal that is down.
• Then just push off the ground with your dominant foot and put it on the pedal. 
• START PEDALING IMMEDIATELY

That's a very basic tutorial on learning to ride! Remember, keep at it and you'll be riding in to time. Let me know if I left anything out! :)   Good luck!