IowaKid said:can you give me tips on how to learn to idle
Hopping is mostly covered, but for idling maybe this extract from
"Learning to Unicycle" helps:
Idling is riding half revolutions forward and backwards repeatedly,
effectively staying on the spot. Learning to idle may take quite a
while and can be very frustrating, however it is an extremely
important skill. Firstly, you will often find yourself in a situation
where you're riding and need to stop for some reason but want to stay
on the unicycle. This is where idling is very useful. Secondly and
possibly even more importantly, the coordination you develop in
learning to idle is needed for many more advanced skills and will give
you a much greater control of the unicycle.
· In the "Learning the basics" chapter we have described
"Rocking on the spot" while holding onto a support. In it, the cranks
oscillate around the horizontal position. If this is done without
support it is called "Horizontal Idling". This is more difficult than
normal idling, which involves oscillating the cranks around the
vertical position.
· To start learning (normal) idling, sit on the unicycle beside
a support with the cranks horizontal. Hold on to your support with one
or both hands. Lean slightly forward while keeping the wheel
stationary for a little while. Then pedal forward for half a rotation,
at the end of which you should be leaning slightly backward.
Immediately after the forward half rotation, pedal a half rotation
backwards, at the end of which you should be slightly leaning forward
again, so you can rightaway start the next idling cycle.
· Focus on using a pendulum motion as opposed to moving your
whole body back and forth. That is, your body should ideally stay
more or less in the same place, while the wheel "swings" forward and
backward under you. Remember to keep your upper body straight and
upright and to keep your weight on the seat. Your leading (or
"strong"😉 foot should be on the bottom and move back and forth past
the 6 o'clock position.
· Try to maintain forwards/backwards balance by adjusting the
timing and power of your pedal strokes, as opposed to pushing the
support. It is OK to use the support for sideways balance for now, but
try to push and pull as lightly as possible.
· If you idle too slowly it will be more difficult to maintain
balance. On a 20" wheel the idling frequency should be about 1 per
second, on a 24" wheel it is usually somewhat less.
· Now it's time to leave your support. Ride forwards in the
open, not too fast. Slow down while leaning back, throw in one half
revolution backwards, during which you should regain your forward
lean. Then continue riding forward. Repeat.
· If you are somewhat solid at throwing in single idles, try
inserting two idling cycles at once, then three, etc.
· The greatest difficulty is usually found in controlling the
side to side balance. Focus on keeping the unicycle under you rather
than you staying on top of the uni. If you find yourself leaning too
far to the right, you must move the wheel to the right to keep it
underneath you. To do this, twist your lower body to the right as the
wheel rolls forward and to the left as the wheel rolls backwards.
That way, you turn the whole unicycle by the seat.
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
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Clearly a system of 1/14 and 1/16 is not decimal - Mikefule on the English weight system
