I have been working on stalls for the last few days and am doing fairly ok
with both right and left foot in front. I am hoping that this will lead
into idling… any suggestions on ways to make the transition?
Also, I have tried a few hops from a stall. It seems an appropriate way to
learn that skill. Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Erin
Re: Stall on the way to Idiling?
Erin wrote…
> I have been working on stalls for the last few days and am doing fairly ok
Uh? What’s a “stall”? I on a trip around the world and haven’t been following closely,
so maybe I am asking a silly question.
>with both right and left foot in front. I am hoping that this will lead
>into idling… any suggestions on ways to make the transition?
>
>Also, I have tried a few hops from a stall. It seems an appropriate way to
>learn that skill. Any other ideas?
>
>Thanks,
>Erin
>
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
>rec.sport.unicycling mailing list - www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu
>
Stay on top, Jack Halpern
Executive Director for International Development
International Unicycling Federation, Inc.
Website: http://www.kanji.org
u seem to be on the same path i took toward idling
except for your ambipedal approach
i got to idling using a combination of stalls and rollback mounts
the confidence of the balance in the stall and the willingness to commit to the movement of the wheel in the roll back kinda morphed in to idling without me looking
my failed attempts of going into an idle from a stall turned into my early practise runs for riding backwards
hopping in the stall is fun an an important skill to take with u into the wonderfull world of unicycling
i cant for the life of me thing of a way it can benefit idling
and i’m capable of a couple of tenuous links when cornered
i cant really offer any advice at this stage
i was quite surprised to find someone approaching idling in this way as i thought i was special
keep your back straight and keep looking in the distance and not on the floor in front of the uni
oh, yeah, try n keep the wheel movements parallel
if u find u need to move the wheel at an angle to the left to maintain balance, try n straighten the wheel and move it straight back and not back to where it came from
if u can imagine idling in a puddle of water on a cement floor so u can see the tracks of your wheel
the ideal pattern looks something like an H with several added ‘legs’ as opposed to a ‘wheel’ consisting of your wheel tracks as the spokes
eventually your control will allow u to run in a very narrow H
my two cents worth
i’m curious to read ccomments on this
have fun
Fairly close to GUILD’s experience: stall/pause/still stands as a bridge to roll backs, then tighter into idles. First idles weren’t true, but really very small roll backs. ‘True’ idling seems to have a bit of a crecent motion; my first successes left me turning in circle in place tword the down foot side. I tend to (incorrectly) employ a good bit of top foot controll- one foot idling doesn’t work so well when you need your top foot- and I blame this on learning it from roll backs. The top foot’s job can be transfered to the pelvis -if you’re brave- by complementing your down foot pedal stroke; this should make the crecent path of the wheel more natural. I think 
-Christopher
I rode for years and years without ever learning to idle, then I saw someone doing it, and got a few ideas off them, and learned fairly quickly thereafter.
First: get the tyre pumped up good and hard, as squidgy tyres put an extra ‘variable’ into the equation.
Second, for similar reasons, choose a good smooth level piece of ground.
Consider lowering the seat a tad. (A tad = 10 gnat’s eyebrows and is sometimes called a decagnat. Likewise, a gnat’s eyebrow is occasionally called a decitad.)
Now, riding fairly slowly forward, do what you have called a ‘stall’, which I interpret as a fairly sudden stop, with one pedal down.
In the stall, the wheel will run slightly ahead of your centre of gravity. The momentum of the wheel will push your foot up a little behind you.
Now, push that foot down again in a smooth movement.
Keep looking ahead as you do this.
The uni should pass under your centre of gravity and your foot will be pushed up slightly in front of you.
Now ride off.
Repeat this sequence: stall, back, ride off. Stall, back, ride off.
Move onto: stall, back, forward, back, ride off.
Aim for a positive pendulum movement. You are moving between two positions: leaning too far backwards and leaning too far forwards. You should not try to be perfectly balanced at all parts of the movement.
Incidentally, the wheel track should be a series of N shapes, not H shapes. (H shapes would be a challenge. ;0) )
I found that learning idling and learning to ride backwards were closely linked. When you have the confidence and ability to back pedal a complete revolution rather than about 1/3 of a revolution, you have made a break through.
I did NOT find it helpful to try idling whilst leanin against a wall, or holding a post. You might.
Once you can do about 7 pedal strokes, get into the habit of counting pedal strokes and keeping a ‘best score’. Once you can regularly do 10 pedal strokes, you’re well on the ay to being able to idle indefinitely.
And don’t look at the ground.
Good luck. :0)
Re: Stall on the way to Idiling?
Jack,
by stall (whether this is the correct word for the technique, I’m not sure)
I mean coming to a momentary stop with the pedals horizontal.
From this position I try to go one revolution forward so that the other foot
is in the rear position. In this way each foot gets a chance at both front
and rear horizontal positioning.
Sometimes when I come to a stall from quite a fast freeride, I can transfer
the momentum into a hop - that is kinda fun!
But mostly I try to start doing a little rocking back and forth type motion
from the stall hoping I am on the way to a sort of semblance of an idle.
Given what folks have said here so far I think I’ll make that rocking motion
into more of a rollback as this sounds like this technique will lead more
neatly into a valid idle.
Anyways, hope that makes some sort of sense.
Cheers,
Erin
“Jack Halpern” <jack@kanji.org> wrote in message
news:mailman.1029232587.32224.rsu@unicycling.org…
> Erin wrote…
> > I have been working on stalls for the last few days and am doing fairly
ok
>
> Uh? What’s a “stall”? I on a trip around the world and haven’t been
following closely,
> so maybe I am asking a silly question.
>
> >with both right and left foot in front. I am hoping that this will lead
> >into idling… any suggestions on ways to make the transition?
> >
> >Also, I have tried a few hops from a stall. It seems an appropriate way
to
> >learn that skill. Any other ideas?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Erin
> >
> >
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
> >rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu
> >
>
> Stay on top, Jack Halpern
> Executive Director for International Development
> International Unicycling Federation, Inc.
> Website: http://www.kanji.org
Re: Re: Stall on the way to Idiling?
With due allowance for democracy, free speech, liberal values and your right to your opinion, and that at least one person in this forum will disagree: No no no no no no no no…
(repeat ad lib.)
The important thing about idling is that you think of the top pedal and the bottom pedal. Horizontal cranks, if they occur at all, are an accidental and rare by-product of idling.
Think of the bottom pedal swinging through the bottom dead centre position. On a clock, it would swing from around 8 to around 4, give or take.
Most of the effort and attention should be directed at the bottom foot. In the learning stages, you may well use your top foot to regain control in desperation, but you should be working towards a smooth bottom foot idle. (Ultimately, 1 foot idling is almost as easy.)
I knew how to ride backward before I learned to idle. The way I learned to idle was to ride one full pedal revolution forward and one full pedal revolution backward. This is more like riding forward and backward than idling. After I became comfortable with the constant change in direction it was easy to reduce to half pedal revolutions which is considered the upper limit for idling. The pedal excursions decreased from there with practice.
Mike’s reference to the top (control) and bottom (power) foot should be taken seriously. He is also correct that it is as easy if not easier to idle one-footed. For one thing you are more likely to put your weight on the seat when one-foot idling.
Re: Stall on the way to Idiling?
Mike your tips have been very helpful. Just one thing I am still not clear
on: I do understand that idling starts with the pedals vertical but I take
it that my understanding of stalls is wrong and that stalls also begin with
pedals vertical not horizontal, is that right?
What about the set up to hop then? That seems to be initiated with
horizontal pedals I think ? And it is from that horizontal pedal ‘platform’
that the uni rider seems to hop…?
I know we are talking about three different skills here, idling, hopping and
stalls, and I just wanted to be sure I understood the accepted way of doing
each skill.
Thanks,
Erin
“Mikefule” <Mikefule.9c9by@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:Mikefule.9c9by@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
> Erin wrote:
> > *(whether this is the correct word for the technique, I’m not sure)
> > I mean coming to a momentary stop with the pedals horizontal.
> >
> > From this position I try to go one revolution forward so that the
> > other foot
> > is in the rear position. In this way each foot gets a chance at both
> > front
> > and rear horizontal positioning.
> >
> > *
>
> With due allowance for democracy, free speech, liberal values and your
> right to your opinion, and that at least one person in this forum will
> disagree: No no no no no no no no…
> (repeat ad lib.)
>
> The important thing about idling is that you think of the top pedal and
> the bottom pedal. Horizontal cranks, if they occur at all, are an
> accidental and rare by-product of idling.
>
> Think of the bottom pedal swinging through the bottom dead centre
> position. On a clock, it would swing from around 8 to around 4, give or
> take.
>
> Most of the effort and attention should be directed at the bottom foot.
> In the learning stages, you may well use your top foot to regain control
> in desperation, but you should be working towards a smooth bottom foot
> idle. (Ultimately, 1 foot idling is almost as easy.)
>
>
> –
> Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling
>
> For all your opinion needs. No issue too small. Ask for a free no
> obligation quote - interest free.
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>
horizont vs. vertic [AL’s TOY BARN?]
i think much of your confusion re: stalls and hops, can be cleared up by thinking of the “braking” portion of the stroke, starting when the pedals are vertical, and ending when they stop horizontal, as part of the skill listed.
so with stalls and hopping, you brake from rolling, to flat pedals in one quarter-rotation
and for idling, you don’t brake completely, and let the stop and reverse carry you somewhere into the just-past-vertical, or not-quite-horizontal range, reverse, and do the same on the next direction reversal.
making any sense at all:
John M?
Re: Stall on the way to Idiling?
yeah, that helps.
Erin
“billnye” <billnye.9cq00@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:billnye.9cq00@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
> i think much of your confusion re: stalls and hops, can be cleared up by
> thinking of the “braking” portion of the stroke, starting when the
> pedals are vertical, and ending when they stop horizontal, as part of
> the skill listed.
>
> so with stalls and hopping, you brake from rolling, to flat pedals in
> one quarter-rotation
>
> and for idling, you don’t brake completely, and let the stop and reverse
> carry you somewhere into the just-past-vertical, or not-quite-horizontal
> range, reverse, and do the same on the next direction reversal.
>
> making any sense at all:
> John M?
>
>
> –
> billnye - Junior Mint
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/19795
>