Can anyone out there help me? Here is my question should I learn to ride unicycle backwards before I learn to idle and if so how far backwards in feet? Any tricks to learning to idle would also be very helpful.


Thanks

It is much easier to learn to idle than to learn to go backwards.

Before learning to idle you should learn to free-mount. It's essentially the same thing only just done once.

Idling is about a third of a turn of the wheel each way.

Nigel

Nigel

I can free mount but I can only idle for about 15 seconds. How long does it take to idle for 2 or 3 minutes. I am trying to learn to idle before Christmas so I can buy a Girafe.

Thanks Shel

And if I may suggest, learn to idle with each foot. At first it will feel more 'comfortable' to use one foot vs. the other however it helps to be able to idle on both sides. Accomplishing that is just a short step away from riding backwards. It all comes down to PRACTICE ...

Aloha-ha,
Cap'n Mike
====================

Idle first. Its hard but once it clicks its great. Keep one foot down and just rock it. Do it as much as you can and you'll get it. There is no real trick to it.

Anton

Thanks Cap'n Mike and Anton. I will keep working on it until I get it. Do you have any time lines on how long it takes so I will know if I am "Unicycling challenged".

Thanks Shel

You know, it'll actually be easier to idle on a tall/giraffe uni... once you get used to being up on one (you mentioned earlier that you wanted to eventually get one). Just like it is easier to balance something that is long or tall as opposed to something short... same principal applies to idling on a uni.
To answer your other question, there is no absolute time line for this kind of thing. The one thing that is for sure... the amount of time that you put into practicing is directly related to how quick you will learn it. Once you learn to idle, riding backwards is a short step away. Idling opens the possibilities of performing another skill or doing something else while you are on the uni... like passing with a partner, etc.... Good luck. Start working on your free mount as soon as you get comfortable on a giraffe. It another good skill to learn.
AL

Al

Do you think I should get giraffe and learn on it?

Thanks Shel

NO!!!! That would be very bad. Also while the physics of idling on a tall unicycle seem to work out to being easier it can and more than often is more difficult. The weight of the tall unicycle is somthing people forget about and that weight makes it harder to idle. Also the fear of being up high will make you very nervous. Falling from that hight can be extreamly dangerous and possibly deadly. It toome me 2 months to learn to ride forward and idle and then another month to juggle on it. It took me a long time. Also Free mounting a giraff took FOREVER. Tall unis are not east to practice on without a solid freemount, wall, or lader. Learn everything on the small uni and then adjust to the tall one.

Unicycling is hard. It takes months to get the hang of but years to perfect.

Anton

P.S. the above infpo about the giraff is only from personal experience and what others tell me as well.

Anton

Thanks for the help Anton. It seems that Nigel advice of idling is free mounting repeated seems to be working I can idle for about a minute (my best time). Thanks again to everyone who has posted you are all motivation to beginners even 40 year old beginners

Thanks Shel

Good luck and keep going. It will happen! It is a test in self trial.

Anton

How long (minutes) should I learn to idle for before I start trying to juggle?

Thanks

Um well heres the thing once you can truly idel you should "feel like you could do it indefinatly" or in other words you should be able to do it till you are physicaly to tired...not because you lose your balance but because you lose your stamina.

When you can idle without moving your shoulders (more or less) and juggle without moving your feet you'll be fine to start practicing.

Anton

Moving your shoulder not sure I know what you mean. My left leg (down leg) gets tired at 5 minutes why? Because I am putting too much weight on it? Should more weight be on seat?
Again Thanks Anton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Think about it this way...when you are moving your shoulders and arms around so you can keep your ballance you will not be able to juggle and ballance at the same time...if you can idle with your arms crossed or by your sides or on your hips and feel comfortable then its a safe bet that you will be able to juggle in a reasonable amount of time.

And also your down leg will get tired if you keep all the weight on it...

I find that when I am idling without juggling I keep most of the weight on the seat and am very loose with the uni...when I get ready to juggle I switch more weight to the leg and idle with less rotation per idle...I feel more stable in this position so its the position I choose to juggle in... Also from what I have been told and eperienced it is the position (all weight on down foot) you will need to be in to idle on one foot, or the under the leg trick.

Hope this helps...juggling on a unicycle is a great feeling...

Anton

This helps greatly. Thanks Anton