The Unicyclopedia/Ultimate wheel
The Ultimate Wheel is a simpler form of the unicycle, consisting of a wheel with two pedals, but with no seat or frame, the lateral stability of the wheel is the most crucial skill involved in learning to ride. Large leg pads much like those worn by a hockey goalie can be worn in the learning stage.
Mounting
edit- Freemount
- This is done pretty much the same as a normal unicycle. Place the UW with the pedal corresponding to your weaker foot at its lowest point. Put your weak foot on the pedal and lean the wheel toward your dominant foot. This stops the wheel from flipping when you lift up your dominant foot. As soon as both feet are on the pedals, apply pressure and head off.
- Roll Mount
- The hardest thing here is to get the wheel to roll in a straight line. As you experiment, this improves. After it is rolling, jog next to it until the pedal that corresponds to your weaker foot is at the lowest point. Now, put your weak foot on that pedal followed immediately by the dominant foot. When the wheel is rolling, it is oddly stable. Here's a clip that shows it. It is also possible to do this trick in reverse where the wheel is rolling towards you. You can see it at 1:04 of this clip
- Kickup Mount
- This skill is much easier on an UW than on a unicycle. Firstly, lay the wheel on the ground, placing your dominant foot on the upwards-facing pedal, and place the toes of your weaker foot under the rim of the wheel by the downwards facing pedal. Lift the wheel with your weaker foot while at the same time easing your weight on the upwards facing pedal. Your dominant foot should now be at its lowest point while the weaker foot should be seated nicely on the pedal at its highest point. This position is similar to the normal freemount - just reversed.
- Jump Mount
- This is very similar to a jump mount on a unicycle, except more difficult to master. Firstly, hold the UW in a position where the pedals are aligned horizontally. From here, jump onto the UW without affecting the angle of the pedals. If you aim correctly, you will land on the pedals. You should now push down on the forward pedal using your dominant foot, and ride away.
- Spin Mount
- This skill is similar to the jump mount, except you spin the wheel before jumping. Start learning the trick by spinning the wheel 180 degrees and work your way up. The pedals should be aligned vertically before you spin. You can see it at 0:23 of this clip
- Air Mount
- With this skill you jump in the air while holding the Ultimate Wheel and mount it before you touch the ground. You can see it at 1:14 of this clip
Riding
edit- Forward
- This is just regular riding which in itself is extremely hard. Here's a clip that shows it
- Idling
- This is rocking back and forth (with your pedals in horizontal position) and staying at one place. You can see it at 4:00 of this clip
- Backward
- Here you do the same as forward except you pedal backwards. You can see it at 1:32 of this clip
Tricks
edit- 180 Spin
- While riding the UW twist your body 180 degrees and continue riding in reverse. You can see it at 1:53 of this clip
- Freewheel Jump
- Start off by riding your Ultimate Wheel in a circle. Jump off the wheel so that it continues rolling in a circle on it's own. When it comes back around jump on it (basically a roll mount) and keep riding. Once you master this technique, you can add 180 or 360 spins as you jump on the wheel or even do everything in reverse. You can see it at 2:08 of this clip.
- Double Freewheel Jumps
- This is the same trick but with two UW's. Start off by riding your wheel in a circle with a second wheel in your hand. As your riding, roll the wheel in your hand so it keeps going in a circle. Now wait till the other wheel rolls about half a circle and jump of your wheel. The wheel that was in your hand should now be coming back to you so you can jump back onto it. Practice and timing is everything. You can see it at 2:38 of this clip.
- Twisty Jump
- Start off by riding your ultimate wheel in a straight line. Jump up off the wheel, do a 180 degree spin and land back on the wheel (make sure your pedals are horizontal). Now continue riding in reverse. Note: Be careful with this trick as you can badly sprain or break an ankle. You can see it at 3:38 of this clip.
- Leap of Faith
- Start off by riding your ultimate wheel while holding another wheel in your hand. Now roll the wheel in your hand in a straight line and follow behind it. Jump from the wheel your riding onto the one you rolled. It's important to watch the pedals on the wheel as it rolls. You have to time it just right so that you land on the wheel right before the pedals line up horizontally. It may help to be slightly to the left or right of the wheel your jumping on instead of right behind it. You can see it at 3:18 of this clip.
- Ultimate Spin
- This feels exactly the same as a unicycle spin except that your on an ultimate wheel. You can see it at 4:28 of this clip.
- Jump Rope
- Start by idling with your pedals in the vertical position. Now hook your foot under the top pedal and start bouncing up and down. You can see it at 5:05 of this clip.
External links
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