Quoted message said:You see, a good reason to idle should not be "something to do at a
stop light" or "something that may be useful."
What's wrong with arguing the you should learn something because it's
useful?
Freestyle riding is a lot more popular than you seem to think. It's just
that most of the freestylers don't frequent this forum for one reason or
another. (I think a lot of them are in clubs like TCUC, and so they are
around other unicyclists a lot and feel no need to visit a forum.) I
actually maintain that freestyle is the most popular riding style. I
think almost everyone does it a little bit, if only for the satisfaction
of being able to do backward riding, wheel walking, or whatever.
As Moogs has not yet stated which style of unicycling he wishes to
pursue, it is unreasonable to assume he is intending to ride trials or
MUni or whatever. If he is like me, he probably hasn't decided yet. I
experimented with various kinds of riding until I found after about six
months that freestyle worked best for me. Also, seeing as he has a 20"
Sun, it is rather thoughtless to advise him to work on gapping,
climbing, and skinnies. While a 20" Sun should hold up fine to freestyle
and distance riding, it is not going to put up with too many of the
types of falls involved in gapping and other trials-type riding.
It seems to me, that a good strong idle would be a great skill for any
Cokeur to have, especially in urban commute situations. Because of the
boring (for the observer, not the rider) nature of distance riding,
videos of it are rarely posted, so I don't know how many of them idle
regularly instead of dismounting. I do know that on the rare occasions I
do distance, I find good uses for idling quite frequently. Conversely,
when I do distance, I scarcely ever hop.
The ability to remain in place without dismounting is simply so useful,
that it should be part of the repetoire of all unicyclists except
exclusive trials and MUni riders. (From what I have seen, most trials
riders don't even need to know how to pedal. No offense meant, just my
personal observation.) Sure hopping works for staying in place, but it's
more tiring, and requires that you hold the seat, besides which, it's
less attractive. A non-unicyclist I know says hopping looks downright
stupid. Idling is good for:
1. Freestyle
2. Basketball and unicycle hockey
3. Stopping at traffic lights, or before crossing streets or for any
other obstacle.
4. Juggling on the uni, and other skills useful for busking.
5. Stopping to read street signs.
6. Stopping while removing a sweatshirt, or doing some other activity
that obscures your vision.
7. Stopping to talk to people.
8. Stopping to read a map while on a MUni trail.
9. Adjusting your pedal orrientation before hopping onto or off
something.
10. Stopping to enjoy the scenery.
11. Navigating crowds.
Admitedly, not everyone is going to want to busk, or do freestyle
skills, or do basketball or hockey, but most of us encounter some of the
other situations at one time or another, and it's convenient not to have
to dismount all the time.
Summing this up, I maintian that idling is useful and important to
learn.
--
jsm - Dark and stormy stand-up wheel walk
Help edit the Unicyclopedia!
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/The_Unicyclopedia
Proud Freestyler and Freestyle Club Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------
jsm's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/6911
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/39122
