Personally I don’t like any of them and prefer the current original 1-10 skill levels with maybe a little bit of modification. Then create similar levels for MUni, Street and Trials. If you want to add more for expert, then just add 11, 12, etc.
gossi, thanks for trying to update the skill levels!
Feedback for A:
Level 2 is out of line with my experience. It took me 3 months to become good at idling and about 2 days to become decent at hopping. This is probably different for 15 year olds but I expect most adults would agree hopping is MUCH easier to learn than idling.
Levels 4-10 is too difficult for 99% of the population to understand.
Feedback for B:
For level 1, riding forward inside a 5M circle is too ambiguous. I don’t understand it. Do you mean ride a circle with a diameter equal or less than 5M?
For level 2, idling needs clarified. Plus I feel it’s too difficult for level 2.
For level 2, I also think riding backwards is too difficult for level 2.
I’m confused as to the difference between beginners and seniors. Why not just have one list?
Feedback for C:
This seems more straightforward than the previous 2 but leaves out skills that I find to be classics. The younger generation may not care to learn frontspins and backspins but I think they are musts for anyone wanting to be a great unicyclist.
Feedback for D:
Now I understand. You have one skill level list for “extreme” and one for freestyle. The skills I call frontspins and backspins you call backturns and front turns. With this said, I would suggest having a core group of skills everybody should consider learning before specializing.
Feedback for E:
This is my favorite of the 5. It somewhat follows the recommendation I just made. Unfortunately it still seems convoluted compared to the original skill levels.
Overall Feedback:
Personally I would just modify the existing skill levels. I would either delete the stomach on seat skill or put it later in the progression. Then I would integrate unispins, basic trials skills and the like to get it more current with popular goals. I’d date the system and state that it would be updated again in 5 to 10 years as the sport evolves. Therefore a finalized set of skill levels would have a name like “2010 Skill Levels”.
Wow.
OK, none of them seem to be my preference. I like the base levels seen in C and D (though C seems to be a little tough). I think it is worth keeping the first 3 conventional levels as the base levels, as the skills in them are very much a base for anything else.
I also like the idea of different skill levels for different disciplines, but they need to be defined in the same way as the base levels, ie completely set, not using some crazy points system. However, as I am a low levelled rider, I may be overlooking things.
I also feel that the levels of the disciplines should continue the numbering from the base level, so:
base levels 1-3
freestyle levels 4-10
muni levels 4-10
trials levels 4-10
etc.
This way if you say “I’m a level 5 freestylist” then it means you have all the base skills, and a bit on the freestyle too, plus it then gives you just one meaning for levels 1 to 3, rather than 2 (disciplined and not).
I agree with the general opinion that option e is the best. It’s the only one I really like at all at this point.
The one category I see missing: jumping. I think there should be either a long/high jump category or a seperate category for each.
Hey everybody. Thank you so much for your Feedback.
Well, we decided to raised the deadline to 30th of June. So everybody who was unable to send his/her feedback yet has been given additional time to achieve this.
Thank you very much.
gossi