@Stoori hahaha same. I bought one and now and then try until I am distracted.

@Silhelm @Stoori

This is quie a nice tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWUoIv1ftXc

@Silhelm @Stoori Alternatively, here is a slightly different take

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUNv6B6JBJ8

@ruari @Stoori yup. The problem for me is attention span. I never manage to spend enough time before I am distracted by something else, and resurface three years later "oh right I was practicing the unicycle" but by then I have to start over, rinse and repeat.

@Silhelm @ruari haha yeah, samma här! things like ”just practice for one month and you'll get the basics” (a real tip i've seen) are not useful, because i'm never able to practice anything for one month :P

@Stoori @Silhelm On average, it typically takes about 2 weeks to learn the basics. That said, for some it comes faster, a few people have learnt within hours. While others have taken months.

Not sure this helps but I will mention it anyway 🤷 As a kid I learnt over the course of a weekend.

@Stoori @Silhelm I was laser focussed at the time though and very determinded. I started on Saturday morning and continued until it was dark then started again the next day. After first putting some cream on the inside of my thighs, which were actually blistered as I held the wide seat so tightly with them.

I am not sure I could muster this level of concentration for anything now as an adult! 😆

@ruari @Stoori I have cognitive issues as well (likely adhd) which makes it hard for me to stay focused and/or keep doing things.

Not giving up... And it might be easier here, countryside, can be outdoors with less people/traffic around me. Safer both trafficwise and mentally.

@Silhelm @Stoori Well even doing a little here and there helps. It might feel like you forget everything but you probably do not. A lot of the learning process with unicycling feels like you are getting zero progress, which can make it incredibly frustrating. But in all likelihood you are making progress, you just do not see it. You are also likely keeping some of your progress when if you have long breaks between.

@Silhelm @Stoori My eldest started to try and learn a couple of years back but does not care about it as much as I did/do (which is fine!). But she comes back to it and tries again everyone once in a while. I think she also felt like she was getting nowhere/forgetting everything. Until the other day when she tried most recently she did maybe 4 comlete rotations in a row without holding on. So now she can see progress. Nonetheless she was still want not motivated to practise more. 😆

@Silhelm @Stoori I do think at some point it will completely 'click' for her but who knows when. Also, not sure if she will every really take it up as a passtime after that point or just mentally check it off as a list of things she was able to learn.

Again, it does not really matter to be honest. I am happy for her to have her own interests. She does not need to love unicycling or cycling more generally just because I do.

@Silhelm @Stoori I do think it is a handy skill to have though. Some people dismiss it because it is slower than bicycling. But many things are (running, skateboards, etc.) and yet people do them.

Even on a relatively small uni, once somewhat compitent it is faster than jogging (for most people) and less physical effort. So it can be a nice way to cruise around and it is highly portable, which suits multi-modal travel. Also it is easier to store in a small space.

@Silhelm @Stoori Also I have never had a store complain if I wheel in a unicycle, whilst they would not accept that with a bike.

@ruari @Silhelm well thank you for this unsolicited wall of text

@Stoori @Silhelm Yeah… umm sorry about that! I must admit I get a little carried away on topics relating to *cycles.

I will try harder to restrain myself in the future! 😐

@ruari @Silhelm that's okay! i don't know if you have noticed it yet or not, but it's a common practice here on mastodon to first ask if someone minds getting unsolicited tangential advice :)

@Stoori @Silhelm I haven't but appreciate the heads up. As I said I will try to be better but by all means, say "hey ruari… you are doing it again" if I slip up! 😉

@Stoori @ruari the sthlm unicycle people said one weekend of two 8 h days should get most going as long as they can continue doing it regularly, but I can't physically do two 8h days, and the alternative is.. what, every day for like a month? I barely remember to eat every day.

@Stoori bike-share systems let you learn to ride without having to commit to buying your own unicycle.