From what i understand trials is doing tricks, going off picnic tables and hopping and such. What is freestyle? Performing levels?
It is basicly performed on a flat smooth surface like a gym hall
where you express yourself with high skills on a unicycle with music if you like. Ussually done on a 20" wheel
http://www.unicycle.uk.com/faq.asp - Then click what style? It describes many different styles of unicycling form freestyle to Giraffes, hope this helps 
Bicycle trials is trying to get from point A to point B without putting your foot down or “dabbing.” The route you have to take is usually difficult to cross, tree logs etc.
To do stuff like that on a unicycle is almost all hopping and jumping.
Freestyle is the more traditional skills. One foot riding, wheel walking, different mounts, seat out in front, out in back. Competitions are done to music, it resembles figure skating.
To me Freestyle is a doing tricks, it can be anywhere , not just in a hall. Trials is mostly jumping but it can incorperate freestyle skills in with it.
Trev
Yeah I don’t see freestyle as something only done in a hall. I ride one footed all the time. 
It seems like some people could focus on just freestyles and have no interest in trials, but I would imagine anyone who rides trials would practice some freestyle. Unispins!
These videos will give you an idea of what artistic freestyle is. The Japanese style is different than what you’ll see most American or European riders doing. The Japanese to more spins and standup glides to make it look more like figure skating. American and European riders will usually link up more variety of skills, but it won’t be as flowing as the Japanese style.
Thiers a reason why Non Japanese riders dont do what they do… because they cant. We might be able to do advance tricks but when it comes down to doing ridiculous stand up glides there the best at it!
Trev
Your wrong Trev. Don’t believe these videos. They are all trick photography. At least that is my theory and it sure makes me feel better. 
--chirokid–
WOW!!! those vids are phenomenal. that’s the kind of performance I would like to do someday. train, train, train
If you can look at that and even hope to be able to do it someday, you must be way better than me.
I’m far more into the street/trials scene than freestyle. But it’s good to include freestyle into that riding because some of it just… fits in.
It seems to me though, that for a lot of people, it makes more sense to just get a trials uni. They’re sturdier, and from what I can gather are just as capable of doing tricks as freestyle unis are.
Yes you can do a lot of freestyle tricks on them I think, but you just won’t be able to use them on a gym floor (I think). So if you do your freestyle there it’s probably not the best place for a trials uni. Also trials uni’s commonly have metal pedals, which aren’t gym floor friendly either. Other than that probably just a few simple things like shape of seat, I’m sure a handle gets in the way for freestlye.
The style of freestyle that the Japanese girls are doing would look good in a show like Cirque du Soleil. It’s very smooth and flowing.
I keep expecting to see one of the Japanese girls performing in something like Cirque du Soleil in the future.
Trials unicycles are good at doing some tricks, mainly those involving jumping, or going in a straight line, but not so good at doing tricks involving turning.
For example spins and frontspin/backspin are harder and slower on a trials uni and wear out the tyre too quickly. Doing nice smooth turns in any trick is harder too.
When I’ve seen US and UK riders doing freestyle it’s mainly looked like people just doing clever tricks and I got bored, from what I’ve seen I think only the japanese riders really take it beyond that into a really amazing performance.
I think the other interesting thing happening to freestyle is street riding, where people are doing trials, but also doing freestyle tricks and trying to make it all look stylish and flow together. Some of that looks pretty darn amazing and so much better than just plain freestyle or trials.
Joe
Yeh the japanese are definatly the best at performance side of things. I must train a young girl up one day to do those sort of tricks. I very much dought they will have Unicycles on Cirque Du Soliel just because of the context of the actual performance. Anyway im trying to train in what they do tricks wise. Ill have to become a dancer if I truly want to be japanese
Trev
I think I’m turning Japanese
I think I’m turning Japanese
I really think so…
trials unis weigh a LOT more than freestyle unis. If you’re doing hard core freestyle, a trials would not feel very good, in the same way that if you were doing hard core trials, a freestyle would not feel very good.
Most unicycles are purpose-built for whatever function they are designed to do, and granted, most of them can be used for other things, but using one made for your task just makes it easier.
matt
Why a girl? If you haven’t seen a video of Kazuhiro Shimoyama, you haven’t seen the very highest level of Freestyle yet. Kazuhiro won the event at UNICON X, but was unable to go to UNICON 11. He told me in a recent email that he plans to do his best performance ever at UNICON XII!
I kind of know what you mean, but if they can have BMX bikes, I’m sure some Japanese-style unicycling would fit right in.
Ive got it into me head that Girls learn unicycling quicker than males. I dont know if it is that way but from the people ive seen ive just made the assumption
Yeh they have some strange things in Cirque DU Soliel, maybe one day unicycling will be acepted.
Trev
Re: Trials vs. Freestyle
On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 13:04:09 -0600, unicycleboy wrote:
>Ive got it into me head that Girls learn unicycling quicker than males.
>I dont know if it is that way but from the people ive seen ive just made
>the assumption
I’ve researched that and it’s true.
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
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