Since we are into the jump/hop topic, I have big troubles initiating an
aerial 180 or 360. I can do it in the static form, ie hop + twist but the
ride + jump + twist is not working good (the max I get is a 90).
Any tips on how to initiate this move ? It seems I can’t twist enough my
upper body and/or my legs are too busy switching from ride to jump.
Oli-
opaugamATaptilonDOTcom !
I can almost do the 360 statically - I found hopping heigh was the key for
me, I was way too low and not quick enough to spin.
I found also that a 180 (and tentatively a 360) is way easier and fluid
without grabbing the seat by hand but rather by compressing it with the
legs. This one was not tried while riding but would look real cool.
Oli-
-----Original Message----- From: Neil Dunlop
[mailto:n.dunlop@kildrummy.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 11:10 AM
To: Olivier Paugam; unicycling@winternet.com Subject: RE: aerial 180 or
360 [was jumping higher]
For me (I think) it’s like coming to a mini and ever so brief standstill
then launching yourself round bringing the uni with you. Preloading your
body by swivelling at the waist slightly to the opposite direction to
which you are going to spin also helps me get round. This preloading is a
last minute thing and forms a fairly fluid motion - grab the handle…
the rear pedal is at the lowest position before it comes up to
horizontal… rotate shoulders to the left… rear foot stops rear pedal
as it hits horizontal… brief stationary moment… launch up on the
pedals… twist shoulders round to the right bringing hips and,
hopefully, the uni with them.
I can’t (yet) get any further than 180 and can only ride off forwards
after landing. How Dan pulls 360s in Universe is beyond my comprehension.
I can’t even do that in the spot let alone moving. Oh well… practise,
practise, practise is how the mantra goes.
Neil
-----Original Message----- From: opaugam@aptilon.com
[mailto:opaugam@aptilon.com] Sent: 19 June 2001 15:36 To:
unicycling@winternet.com Subject: aerial 180 or 360 [was jumping higher]
Importance: Low
Since we are into the jump/hop topic, I have big troubles initiating an
aerial 180 or 360. I can do it in the static form, ie hop + twist but the
ride + jump + twist is not working good (the max I get is a 90).
Any tips on how to initiate this move ? It seems I can’t twist enough my
upper body and/or my legs are too busy switching from ride to jump.
Oli-
opaugamATaptilonDOTcom !
> I can’t (yet) get any further than 180 and can only ride off forwards
> after landing. How Dan pulls 360s in Universe is beyond my
> comprehension.
I think I had the honor of being there the first time Dan did this. This
was in the Santa Cruz portion of the tape, on a trail called Mailboxes. It
took him a bunch of tries, but he finally did get it twice. I don’t think
any of us had seen that before. I couldn’t tell if he thought up the idea
on the spot, or if it was something he had worked on before.
The 360 Dan did required massive body twisting, much of which I assume has
to happen before leaving the ground. If you pre-wind your body, you have
to start the unwind while you still have ground contact (something to push
against). Once in the air the object is to continue the rotation as much
as possible, which is why height should help. Dan did his Santa Cruz feat
off a little jump on a downhill section of the trail.
I don’t think I’ve attempted a 360 like that, but I am known for doing
what I call an axel jump in shows. This is kind of a riding 360, but you
wind into it to build up the rotational momentum (so it isn’t practical
for the trail). You ride into a spin of decreasing size, and give a big
jump so you can spin around and ride out forward. Occasionally I have
gotten clean jumps of 540 (riding out backwards) but usually part of this
rotation is happeneing after the landing.
I’ve heard rumors of Yuichiro Kato doing a 720 axel jump, but I never saw
him come close to doing one at a UNICON so I’m not sure about that.
Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com
“I used to practice a lot”
For me (I think) it’s like coming to a mini and ever so brief standstill
then launching yourself round bringing the uni with you. Preloading your
body by swivelling at the waist slightly to the opposite direction to
which you are going to spin also helps me get round. This preloading is a
last minute thing and forms a fairly fluid motion - grab the handle…
the rear pedal is at the lowest position before it comes up to
horizontal… rotate shoulders to the left… rear foot stops rear pedal
as it hits horizontal… brief stationary moment… launch up on the
pedals… twist shoulders round to the right bringing hips and,
hopefully, the uni with them.
I can’t (yet) get any further than 180 and can only ride off forwards
after landing. How Dan pulls 360s in Universe is beyond my comprehension.
I can’t even do that in the spot let alone moving. Oh well… practise,
practise, practise is how the mantra goes.
Neil
-----Original Message----- From: opaugam@aptilon.com
[mailto:opaugam@aptilon.com] Sent: 19 June 2001 15:36 To:
unicycling@winternet.com Subject: aerial 180 or 360 [was jumping higher]
Importance: Low
Since we are into the jump/hop topic, I have big troubles initiating an
aerial 180 or 360. I can do it in the static form, ie hop + twist but the
ride + jump + twist is not working good (the max I get is a 90).
Any tips on how to initiate this move ? It seems I can’t twist enough my
upper body and/or my legs are too busy switching from ride to jump.
Oli-
opaugamATaptilonDOTcom !
You’re right - height is most probably a key factor for a 360. Perhaps
holding the arms in close to the body would help the spinning part to. Dan
certainly gets some good air in the video when pulling a 360 but I can’t
remember about the arms…
Neil
-----Original Message----- From: opaugam@aptilon.com
[mailto:opaugam@aptilon.com] Sent: 19 June 2001 16:22 To:
n.dunlop@kildrummy.co.uk
Cc: unicycling@winternet.com Subject: RE: aerial 180 or 360 [was
jumping higher]
I can almost do the 360 statically - I found hopping heigh was the key for
me, I was way too low and not quick enough to spin.
I found also that a 180 (and tentatively a 360) is way easier and fluid
without grabbing the seat by hand but rather by compressing it with the
legs. This one was not tried while riding but would look real cool.
Oli-
-----Original Message----- From: Neil Dunlop
[mailto:n.dunlop@kildrummy.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 11:10 AM
To: Olivier Paugam; unicycling@winternet.com Subject: RE: aerial 180 or
360 [was jumping higher]
For me (I think) it’s like coming to a mini and ever so brief standstill
then launching yourself round bringing the uni with you. Preloading your
body by swivelling at the waist slightly to the opposite direction to
which you are going to spin also helps me get round. This preloading is a
last minute thing and forms a fairly fluid motion - grab the handle…
the rear pedal is at the lowest position before it comes up to
horizontal… rotate shoulders to the left… rear foot stops rear pedal
as it hits horizontal… brief stationary moment… launch up on the
pedals… twist shoulders round to the right bringing hips and,
hopefully, the uni with them.
I can’t (yet) get any further than 180 and can only ride off forwards
after landing. How Dan pulls 360s in Universe is beyond my comprehension.
I can’t even do that in the spot let alone moving. Oh well… practise,
practise, practise is how the mantra goes.
Neil
-----Original Message----- From: opaugam@aptilon.com
[mailto:opaugam@aptilon.com] Sent: 19 June 2001 15:36 To:
unicycling@winternet.com Subject: aerial 180 or 360 [was jumping higher]
Importance: Low
Since we are into the jump/hop topic, I have big troubles initiating an
aerial 180 or 360. I can do it in the static form, ie hop + twist but the
ride + jump + twist is not working good (the max I get is a 90).
Any tips on how to initiate this move ? It seems I can’t twist enough my
upper body and/or my legs are too busy switching from ride to jump.
Oli-
opaugamATaptilonDOTcom !
opaugam@aptilon.com writes:
>Since we are into the jump/hop topic, I have big troubles initiating an
>aerial 180 or 360. I can do it in the static form, ie hop + twist but the
>ride + jump + twist is not working good (the max I get is a 90).
>
>Any tips on how to initiate this move ? It seems I can’t twist enough my
>upper body and/or my legs are too busy switching from ride to jump.
Here is one idea: Get really good at jumping (and hopping, if you see the
difference) without your hands on the seat. I have been doing 180s for a
long time now and can only guess how I started doing them, but I never
even thought of jumping or hopping with a hand on the seat until a few
years ago when I saw someone doing it and corrected him.
Jumping without hands involves setting the seat the right height (maybe
leaving yourself 2-3" when standing on the pedals). To hop, you stand up
and grab the seat with your thighs. I have also noticed that it helps to
squeeze your thighs a bit before you are completely standing so that you
get a tighter grip. Anyhoo, at this point, you need to have the balls of
your feet on the pedals – none of that pedals near the heel stuff here.
You use your ankles and feet (and upper body) to initiate this type of
jump or hop.
Before 180’ing, you should be able to jump handless for about a foot
forward while riding. To do this (and the 180) you need to jump when the
pedals are level, but you probably knew that. You mention that you do it
in the static form, so now go for it anew, only this time try not only to
jump in a 180 but also to go as high as possible.
David