I am REALLY having trouble on my unicycle; I can idle quite a bit
(15secs or so); but as soon as i pedal, when my cranks are 12/30, I
fall off. Getting on my nerves now; any suggestions?
Also, when you guys do trials (I know, I have seen you from behind the
bushes- yes, that is me!)- you all stand up right on the pedals, and
hop. Would practising standing up help me now? Or should I just worry
about rolling?
Thanks- you must get asked this all the time. I am 36 going on 21, but
this makes me feel 96!
i’ve been riding for almost a year now and i can’t idle! still, if you’re new, just get so you can ride in your sleep. as soon as you’ve accomplished that, standing up should be NO problem. as for the idling, i can’t help you. just practice, i suppose. you will need to stand up to jump, though or you’re going to be in some serious pain. it will come naturally though.
-EDIT- oh, and for the 12/30 problem, try leaning forward. it should make you pedal forward naturally. otherwise, make sure all your weight is on the seat and pedal away! keep at it, you’ll get it.
you might also want to pedal faster, i have tried to teach some people and a lot of times they just arent pedaling fast enough, i mean dont go really fast just keep moving
That’s quite ironic; when I got my uni at xmas, I thought you had to learn idling 1st. It was only when I did a bit of research on the Internet that I found out how you did it.
I taught someone to ride recently, and he had spent a lot of time indoors in a doorway, semi-idling. Outside, when he tried to go anywhere, he did exactly what you describe - pedals would stop at 12:30 and off he’d come. He’d learned the balance but not the ‘spinning’. Maybe a psychological thing too.
The good news is, when I held his hand and walked alongside him he rapidly learned the right motion. Maybe 1 hour in a couple of sessions, he was bombing about unaided. Do you have someone you could call on?
Seat wants to be at a height that allows your leg to be slightly bent when the crank’s at its lowest point.
Stick with it - sounds like you’ve done the hard part!
the seat should be a down to the point that when u hop it doesnt come up and touch ur ‘ass’ as such but not to low so u cna ride comfortably with out to much strain in ur legs.
Huh? Never heard that one before, nor do I understand what he means. Seat height should have your leg extension the same as on a bike. In other words, high.
Getting past the dead spot is a matter of making circles with your feet, not simply pushing down. It’s one of those “humps” you have to get over in early riding. Just push through it and concentrate on rolling, rather than walking.
still, if you’re new, just get so you can ride in your sleep. as soon as you’ve accomplished that, standing up should be NO problem. as for the idling, i can’t help you. just practice, i suppose. you will need to stand up to jump, though or you’re going to be in some serious pain. 
it will come naturally though.