I found that after learning to idle (somewhat, about 10 times) my general riding and balance have greatly improved. Although I can’t seem to get past my ten idles before falling, and was wondering if there is anything that I can learn that takes more balance than idling that would hopefully in turn help me idle?
Thanks
Logan
Re: How to gain Balance
nu_uni wrote:
> I found that after learning to idle (somewhat, about 10 times) my
> general riding and balance have greatly improved. Although I can’t seem
> to get past my ten idles before falling, and was wondering if there is
> anything that I can learn that takes more balance than idling that would
> hopefully in turn help me idle?
Logan,
Don’t count the idles, just focus on what you are doing. Often when you are
trying to get beyond a certain milestone you will get anxious as you
approach your previous best. Also try to be as light on the pedals as
possible, don’t jam you foot down into the bottom of the stroke.
John Hooten
Re: How to gain Balance
Try riding around with your arms crossed or straight by your sides. This will help you improve your balance and help you to learn how to control the unicycle with your hips which will help with idling.
My response doesn’t relate to idling. Try riding along the curb. It’s about 6 inches across and gives you a challenge not to ride off. Ride up the driveway edges to get on the curb.
I have found it really helped for general balance even in rough terrain.
Make sure you are eating your RDA of Balance Bars from Nabisco. John Childs loves the yummy yellow lemon ones. They must go well with a dark rich brew.
David Maxfield
Hurry, get me some milk…
in Mitchell, SD
Practice stillstands. I don’t know that they’ll improve your idling, but they will improve your sensitivity to being at or near the balance point.
Before you ask without reading (it’s listed in the IUF Rulebook), It means to balance in one place with as little pedal movement as possible.
Personally and it’s only me, I do find it helps to count pedal strokes when learning a new skill - at least unitl you feel that you can do the skill ‘almost indefinitely’.
Improving your balance will come from lots of practice of different skills, riding fast, riding slowly, going over small obstacles, riding up and down slopes, and so on.
A good exercise, when you can idle, is to idle on a steepish slope and gradually rotate, so that you idle ‘up’ then ‘across’ then ‘down’ then ‘across’ the slope, and so on.
Your balance will improve if you look further ahead.
Re: How to gain Balance
On Fri, 7 Feb 2003 12:54:08 -0600, Mikefule
<Mikefule.ihv2m@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>Personally and it’s only me, I do find it helps to count pedal strokes
>when learning a new skill - at least unitl you feel that you can do the
>skill ‘almost indefinitely’.
Being a collector of pointless data (or a pointless collector of data,
I don’t know) I have a strong compulsion to count pedal strokes when
learning. I have no idea whether it speeds up the learning process per
se but it helps ME - by providing a means to monitor progress.
"The national sport on Naura, a tiny Pacific island, is lassoing birds in flight. "