Getting used to gliding

Howdy! I bought my 24" Torker in June and since then have been training
a lot on riding and freestyle tricks, and now I can say I master
one-foot pedaling, wheelwalking, backwards riding, idling, onefoot
wheelwalking, seat-out-in-front and hopping.

I've now been practicing on gliding for a couple of weeks, and I can do
some ten meters. Sometimes I get it going nicely but maintaining the
right pressure on the tire still needs a lot working on.

I'd like to ask you gliding pros, how long did it take you to get it
going in a natural and smooth way? Does it become so 'automatic' at some
point, that you can just roll down hills whistling and watching the
flowers as you go? At the point when I was still learning to ride, I had
to keep all my concentration on riding and I thought I would always have
to. Now after a few months of continuous riding it goes almost as easily
as riding a bicycle. I wonder if this happens with gliding too? I'd also
like to know what is your average speed when gliding?

btw., I've found that a rather easy way of getting into glide is to
transition to wheelwalk by slowing down and putting the non-dominant
foot on the tire when the pedal comes up and after that setting the
other foot on the tire too, then taking one step with both feet to get
the non-dominant foot on the crown and the other one on the tire. Do you
know of an easier tehnique?
cheers!


klaym


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klaym
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Sorry,I cant Glide.can barley even wheel walk,so i cant help you
there.Do you mean to say that you learned how to unicycle in
june??!!!!And now your gliding?If so WOW!

I have noticed (with regular riding) how at first your concentrating and
once you get better you just ride along automaticlly

Sorry I cant help you.ive been trying to learn wheel walking,but im not
trying to hard.Good Luck on gliding!!


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forrestunifreak - Unicycle Rights Activist

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Yes I received my Torker in june, and since then I've been uni'ing a
lot, almost everyday. It has taken a lot of training to be able to
wheelwalk, but it has definately been worth the effort! Looking at the
unicycling levels list, I'm barely at level 3 now, since I haven't
really practiced on the things that are needed to advance on the levels.
I've concentrated on the skills that most appeal to me and practiced
them day after day. I've noticed, though, that along with practicing the
more advanced skills your ability to control the unicycle generally gets
better too.

Try dedicating one or two training days (almost) only for wheelwalking
and I'm sure you'd get it right!
Thanks !


klaym


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I would be level 6 if only i could wheel walk.I think maybe i will
practice more.i can W.W one revolution of the wheel than get back on
the pedals but thats about it.I've just done what i wanted to,instead of
following the levels.I also MUni alot and trials.wish i could help you
with gliding.

uh,Cheers!


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forrestunifreak - Unicycle Rights Activist

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I pulled my first succesful landing on pedals from wheelwalk just two
days ago. I had never really practiced that before, but it took many
tries, wasn't that easy after all.

I mUni and trials quite a lot too. Mainly I spend my uniing time
practicing on the street skills though. How lame it is now when the
school started. Not much time for uniing anymore Actually, I should
be making an essay of 'electric cars - the future of commuting?' (or
something like that) right now.
------


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klaym - Cosmic Osmo
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klaym wrote:
[b]I pulled my first succesful landing on pedals from wheelwalk just
two days ago. I had never really practiced that before, but it took
many tries, wasn't that easy after all./B]


I'm at basically the same place, but my wheel walking is really erratic.
Sometimes I can go 50 feet, and the next time, 10 feet. When I start
sketching my feet start moving like Fred Flintstone and I quickly go out
of control (way too fast). And just now my balance isn't good enough to
go super slow with any consistancy. Practicing WWing is boring (for me),
but I've got to get this consequent to learning to glide so I don't have
to peddle down all the fire roads around here (Santa Monica Mountains)
while MUning. Any hints on smoothly getting back to the pedles is most
welcome.

JL


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vivalargo
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I have heard of two ways of returning to the pedals from wheel walking.
One way is to one foot wheel walk, then put the non-wheel walking foot
on the corresponding pedal when it is near the top. Although this seems
to work well for some people, I have never tried it. I usually return to
the pedals by wheel walking normally and as smoothly as possible,
waiting until the right pedal is between 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock. Then
I place my right foot on it smoothly and firmly push it all the way
down. Now the left pedal is at 12 o'clock and I place my left foot on it
and ride off. The most important thing to remember is to wheel walk
smoothly and fairly slowly.


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jsm - unicyclist, violinist, and juggler

"You did that hill easier than I could on a bicycle"- Some lady while
passing me after an insignificant slope which I hardly noticed.
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unicycling since june and you can 1 foot wheel walk? the only advice
that can be given to you is keep practicing. i learned to glide last
months after 7-ish months of hard (daily) riding.


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TheBadger587 - HSG/DH MUni (Represent?)

Gliding, finally.

AIM:TheBadger587
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I can glide well(110 revs down hill), or i used to be able to i am
unsure now i have not done it in soooo long.There is no point where
suddenly your just like gliding as well as you can ride. Though you
notice you get faster and faster. Once your shoe is woren it becomes
easier. Just stick at it find the best places to glide from in general i
found the ball of your foot is quickest and th heel area more controling
and slows you down. DO IT DOWN HILL best tip ever!
Ben


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Gliding is, in my experience, much easier when going down hill.
Nevertheless, it is actually preferable to do it "flatland" since
otherwise it doesn't count for the skill levels. Of course if you have
no interest in the skill levels go ahead and do it any way you want. My
best glide is only about six meters, so I don't really no for sure, but
I suspect that there eventually comes a point at which gliding requires
very little concentration. Certain people have glided farther than a
mile or at speeds above 25mph. Anyone who can do this is probably also
able to glide without thinking about it very much.


--
jsm - unicyclist, violinist, and juggler

"You did that hill easier than I could on a bicycle"- Some lady while
passing me after an insignificant slope which I hardly noticed.
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