To idle infinity & beyond

Next to straight forward riding, idling was the biggest kick to master.
Congratulations.

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goldenchicken II
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nice job!! idling takes a lot of practice, but once you get it down, you
can pretty much do it in your sleep....and it's a very useful skill too.

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James_Potter - betcha can't stick it!
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cathwood said:

*Yeha. wahoo!
After practicing my idling for about 3 weeks and only managing 2 and
being able to ride (rather than fall) off, on Saturday I managed 3,
then today I managed 9!!!! I think I've got it. Hurrah!
😄 😄 😄
Cathy *

Wow, Cathy, I've never idled more than a few minutes at a time... 9
weeks is awesome! 😉

Anyhow, congratulations!

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

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When I got to the stage of idling about ten times, I was still fairly
wobbly. A friend of mine suggested practicing idling in the lounge while
watching TV.

So I did, within a few minutes I was channel surfing using the CH-/CH+
buttons on the remote, within an hour I could dial in channel numbers,
and the next day I could watch various chapters of a DVD with the DVD
remote in one hand and the TV remote in the other.

Once you can do that, you've on the verge of being able to idle while
doing something else at the time time, such as taking off a jumper when
it gets warm, or drinking out of a bottle.

Idling is really useful to learn, but doing other things with your hands
as the same time (even if riding forwards) is what makes it so fun.

--
gkmac - Never rides in public
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U-Turn said:

*Wow, Cathy, I've never idled more than a few minutes at a time... 9
weeks is awesome! 😉

Anyhow, congratulations! *

LOL.
😄

Quoted message said:

Idling is really useful to learn, but doing other things with your
hands as the same time (even if riding forwards) is what makes it so
fun.

The idea is that I juggle while idling. I think that will take a bit
longer.

Cathy

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cathwood - Lunicyclist

A thought is just a thought.

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Hi Cathy,

With one eye on the level skills, I've managed 25 idles (once) with left
foot down (level 5!!!) but can't manage one with right foot down!

I quite like practising idling as it's not so high impact a skill to
learn as many others (it always seems less likely that I'll fall off in
a spectacular and bone-shattering manner...)

And, just to add (off thread) to your 29er thread - I've got a Schwalbe
Big Apple tyre and it rolls really well, but I have had some problems on
different roads (this could be the crown issue, but I'm not proficient
enough to say). I tend to run my tyres all at near maximum pressure, so
maybe I should let some air out?!

Looking forward to reading your next 29er installment!

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s7ev0 - Here comes the summer!

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was
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I've been working on idling for about 1 and a half weeks or so and all i
can do is:
idle 5 times with left foot down
idle 3 times with right foot down

The weird thing is that i can 1 foot idle with left foot down 7 or 8
times and I have spent more time working on regular idling then 1 foot
idling. Can anyone else do 1 foot idling better then regular idling?

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skate4flip - Almost level 4
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Idling is really something, to get way more balance, to learn to get out
of most situations without UPDs 🙂

Keep on practicing 🙂

--
lleberg - Level 4 unicyclist

I <3 my unicycle!
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skate4flip said:

*I've been working on idling for about 1 and a half weeks or so and
all i can do is:
idle 5 times with left foot down
idle 3 times with right foot down
The weird thing is that i can 1 foot idle with left foot down 7 or 8
times and I have spent more time working on regular idling then 1 foot
idling. Can anyone else do 1 foot idling better then regular idling? *

I can probably idle longer one footed than two footed....but it's not
exactly easier. just uses less muscles, I think..

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James_Potter - betcha can't stick it!
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i agree with mister potter, one foot down is easier cuz it uses less
muscle, and good job learning how to do it. u should try and get one
footed idling down

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Schmidty563 - fearless unicyclist

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Idling, and riding backwards, especially sharp turns, and spins. All
three of these have caused me to amaze myself at my ability to not fall
off sometimes 😄

I'm just now working on idling and juggling three balls at the same
time. I'm not too great at juggling, but I can usually get a few throws
in. I figure by the time I get my idling to a point where I'm stable
enough to catch and throw a ball reliably, I'll be able to juggle three
of them!

Right now, I can idle and one footed idle pretty much as long as I want,
but it's not terribly controlled. A guy at the local juggling club
suggested crossing my arms across my chest, one hand on each collarbone
(egyptian pharaoh style!) while I idle. This basically prevents me from
using my arms and forces me to idle using only my hips. When you're
juggling, this is very important as you can't be waving your arms every
which way for balance because you have to be catching balls and throwing
them!

All that said, congratulations! I started learning to idle so I wouldn't
have to get off at traffic lights. It's definitely been one of the most
useful skills so far. Good luck with the juggling!

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flyer - Level 4 Unicyclist
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I can idle just about indefinately, but 1 footed is definitely easier,
because I only have to concentrate on one foot.

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loosejello - Amanda gives me sunburn
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Wow, this is news to me, and encouraging at that.

I can idle two footed 'til the cows come home, either foot down. One
footed eludes me. Any tips on how to get going on that/?

Thanks,
Blake

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podzol - AKA Dr. BoBo
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I learned to one footed ride before I learned to one footed idle. The
big trick to one footed idling is getting your non-power foot onto the
frame successfully without intersecting teh wheel, which causes pretty
quick falls.

One footed idling is even lazier than two-footed idling, and it requires
slightly smaller idles. Once you can get your foot up onto the crown and
out of the way of the tire reliably, you're well on your way. You'll
probably fall off the first few dozen times, but after a while you'll
start to get the balance. Don't give up!

--
flyer - Level 4 Unicyclist
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Yeah with my foot on the frame good I can usually idle with the wheel
moving 20 degrees or less each way.

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flyer said:

*I learned to one footed ride before I learned to one footed idle. *

Ya i learned to ride one footed too before i tried one foot idling. I
think i am better at 1 foot idling then regular idling because its
easier to rock back and forth with getting your foot in the way. At
least for me it is. My above post said i idled 5 times with left down,
but i was practicing outside and i can do 7!

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I forgot to congratulate you, Cathy.

Nice work! Idling is a challenging skill that will get you absolutely
nowhere. 😉

Your posts indicate such quick progress. It must be exciting for you.

Thanks all you other folks for your one footed idle suggestions. I'll
give 'em a go.
Blake

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Quoted message said:

Idling is a challenging skill that will get you absolutely nowhere.

Am I supposed to be getting somewhere?

😎

Cathy

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cathwood - Lunicyclist

A thought is just a thought.

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The best ive done with idling is about 5 times while falling sideways
and about the tiniest fraction of a rev. Not nearly an idle. I have
done gone foward, backwards for about 4 revs adn then foward again.

e39m5

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