Learn to Ride a Unicycle

Anyone that can ride a bike can learn to ride a unicycle. All it takes to learn to ride a unicycle is a little practice and dedication.

The best way to learn to ride a unicycle is with friends. Having friends to compete and learn with will help you go farther and faster on your unicycle than just learning to ride by yourself.

The first thing you need to do is to find a good place to learn to ride a unicycle. I recommend learning at a school. Literally, there will be nice handicap ramps with bars on both sides so that you can have something to grab on to so that you can ride/pull your way forward.

When starting to learn to ride a unicycle it is important that you learn to mount the unicycle properly. The best way to do this is to have the pedal for your dominant foot pointing slightly toward you. This way, when you push the pedal into the 6'oclock position it will rock underneath you.

After you get both feet on the pedals you should try to make yourself comfortable.  The fastest way to learn balance on a unicycle is to practice.  You will want to rock back and forth with your dominant foot down about 20 times, and then do a half rotation, and rock back and forth with your other foot.  By repeating these warm-up steps you will grow comfortable on the unicycle.

After you get your bearings on the unicycle, the fastest way to learn to ride a unicycle is to start peddling forward.  This can be done most effectively if you are next to a wall, fence, or most optimally, some sort of long handicap ramp that goes slightly downhill.  

If you are learning to ride a unicycle with friends, it is nice to have one friend on each side give you their shoulder to balance on.  You can then switch off as you get tired pedaling.  You will be using muscles you never knew you had, so these will be quick changes.

After a couple of hours of practicing rocking back and forth, and moving forward holding on to objects, you will be ready to start pedaling on your own.

When you venture away from the wall/post/friend, the most important rule to know is DON'T FORGET TO FLAIL YOUR ARMS!  Flailing your arms will help you learn to ride a unicycle faster than reading this blog!  It is the single most effective way to gain balance, so go crazy.

Keep practicing and don't give up.  If you would like more information, I recommend you check out this short video to help reinforce these ideas.