So, who can idle on their unicycle, and who wants to get better?
If you want to get better, correct mistakes and stay on the unicycle longer?
Comment back to me on your current struggles and progress.
I know a few keystrokes of research will give you an avalanche of data on this topic.
However, for us “tick-tock brained” people. We are too lazy to do that, and we want to be “spoon fed” the right info when we are in the right mood. Okay, I’m serving.
This is not for beginners.
If a lot of beginners are really interested, reply back to me and maybe I wil start another topic string for you’all.
This is what intermediate level, Idling looks like: 1. You can only do about 10 back/forth idles before you get tired. Especially, bottom pedal leg. 2. You rely on very steep forward and back leaning action that is very exhausting. 3. You rely on violent hip twists for lateral balance to prevent falling.
How would you like to:
Be able to idle for 5-10 minutes easy. No more fatigue, and not make that down pedal leg work so hard.
Rock back/forth with as little as 2 to 5 degrees. Hey in a crowded intersection you look like you are standing still.
Stop relying on hip twisting to maintain lateral balance. It takes a lot of energy and there is a better way.
Anybody interested? Happy 2025 One wheelers Let’s get back to riding and riding better.
…slam
I am interested!
This thread sounds like a great idea!
Just checked, I am an intermediate idler, even with my poor leg.
Maybe this thread can motivate me to get out practicing in the cold and wet weather.
Please serve. (I hope your offer is also valid for non-tiktokers)
I estimate my longest idle so far to be about 1.5 - 2 minutes.
Need to train idling (at all) on the 36er - it’s somewhat embarrassing when you have to dismount after unsuccessfully trying to idle, with dozens of people around you…
Alright guys(Wheelo, Pier, Unik), sounds like we are all on the same level.
I was planning to present a “learning process”.
However, if it’s just you 3 then I can give individual tips. Let’s give it a day or two for others to sign up for the class, okay.
By the way, Wheelo trying to idle on a 36" will be epic, because you will be fighting the evil forces of “rotational inertia”. A commendable uphill battle we will fight.
Also, do you guys have any “injury” stories from learning how to idle? It is a relatively low risk maneuver, but the learning process is never easy.
5 minutes of idling is a long time, what ever your skill level. Top riders and performers do not do this. For idling at interactions… I do that for only a few seconds, for more than that I either still stand or micro hop every few seconds.
If you want to get better at idling, work on idling one footed. This will force you to control your idling using your core, not your legs.
I am interested too. I can idle regularly with either foot. When I was learning and counting idles, I could get up to over 100 with my stronger leg and over 50 with my weaker leg, but it has been a while since I counted. Sometimes I have tried to idle without using my arms, but I can’t do this very long.
No steep leaning or wild hip thrusts but yeah I’d like to be able to do even more before tiring out my bottom leg, and ideally cut down on the back and forth “travel”, which I think would help with juggling. (I can juggle while riding but haven’t been able to while idling so far).
Heh, my injury story is also my 36" idling story. I tried a little on my 36" but had a UPD that sent the pedal hard into my ankle. I had a pretty nasty bruise, and a hard lump there that’s only now after a couple months mostly gone away.
I gashed my leg while learning one-foot idling on my muni. That left a nice big scar. I have several pictures from the wound and it’s healing, but I figure that’s not the best to post here.
Can’t remember ever getting an injury from idling. The crank arm of my first uni had a fatal thread failure though…
Injury from riding in the woods and muniing is a different story, but I am generally cautious.
Seems like we have a class of lower end intermediate to definitely higher end idlers.
Alright, alright…Happy 2025…let’s get down to some idling
All you cold weather northern/east coasters/midwesterners get out of the cold get inside.
Find a nice doorway, “grab” the edges and sit your bums down.
We do not want to get injured.
From our input, I take it there is always a risk of injury:
a.) Falling down into the unicycle, which can easily twist an ankle in some cases.
b.) How would that happen? Staying on when you are about to fall or mind “glitches/freezes”
c.) Let’s practice with something “near by” to grab on to just in case.
Anyways, I am going to completely change my approach thanks to Wheelou. He has shared with us a great video. I want you’all to watch this and give me your feed back.
The assignment is: a.) What is he doing right? b.) Is this what you do?
c.) Finally, Wheelou doesn’t “think” he’s advanced. What more does he need to do for control, comfort and confidence?
Class is in session:
…slam
Thanks Wheelou great youtube video. Notice this is from your smaller unicycle. We will save your other video with big wheel for a more advanced class.
Staying roughly in place, one foot at the bottom, one at the top, staying in balance, no excessive twisting. The basics are obviously there.
I’d say the idling motion is a bit big (particularily going back), shorten it and he can probably be a bit more relaxed.
Other than that, just practice, vary the motion (shorter, longer, faster, slower, twist either direction), that will teach control and increases confidence.
You’re welcome, but honestly: you are confusing me with somebody else
Feet passing 6 and 12 o’clock positions (as opposed to 3 and 9 o’clock). The travel seems a bit long to me, but I think my idling is comparable in this regard. I’m pretty sure that I do idle at a slightly higher cadence, though, at least with a small wheel.
I feel the position of the feet is the natural way of idling, but thinking about it some more, the horizontal position would allow to spread the work on both feet whereas the vertical position forces the lower foot to do all the work. On the other hand, the working leg is not bent so strongly in the vertical pedal position as it would be in the horizontal position, so that is less tiring…
No, I won’t train that indoors. I want to go out and enjoy the snow! Today I still had sore muscles from my ride three days ago, but tomorrow I should be back on the sledding trail. Studded tires rule!°
haha thanks and no worries about the confusion. Hopefully i can get some idling in and try some of this feedback before winter finally arrives here in TX in a couple days
(I hope your offer is also valid for non-tiktokers)
