Tips on Unicycle Safety

Unicycling, like any sport done in a gravity environment should be done with some caution.  Though unicycling is not as dangerous as you may first think, you can get pretty beat up if you are not careful.  Please follow these recommendations to keep your body happy while learning to ride.

1. Wear a helmet.  Your brain is important and concussions are bad.  Please wear a helmet starting out.  People rarely will fall to the ground before catching themselves on a unicycle, as it is only one wheel and you can control the momentum, but it does happen.  To learn how to avoid falling on your back I recommend reading 7 Tips to Help You Learn to Ride a Unicycle Faster.  
2. Be careful when it is wet.  If your feet are wet, make sure that you get good grip on your pedals.  If there is not enough friction it can be very frustrating, and even painful as you get hit in the shin or the calf from slipping off of your pedal.  This is where grippy shoes, and quality pedals are important.  
3. Wear Proper shoes.  If sandals and flip flops are not a good idea for bicycling, they are most definitely not appropriate for unicycling.  
4. Protect your legs.  When learning to ride, or new tricks, or trying almost anything new, it is important to protect your legs.  It is very easy for the unicycle's pedal to hit you in the shin or in the calf.  At least try wearing pants, if not shin guards.
5. Wrist Guards.  If you are feeling extra cautious, these may be a good idea.  It is pretty common to fall and use your hands to keep you from eating poop.  So, where wrist guards are entirely appropriate for bicycling, they may be just right for you and your unicycling adventure.
   

The most important thing to realize is that your body is more important than your unicycle.  If you feel like you are going to crash, do not hang on to it.  Just get off and away from it the best you can.  Later you will be able to reach behind you and make sure it does not fall, but when learning, do not worry about this happening.  My first unicycle hit the ground literally thousands of times while I was learning.  The worst injuries I ever received were scrapes to my legs.   Be careful out there, and