Gliding

Before attempting to learn to glide, one should first learn to wheel walk forward and wheel walk forward one footed.
When wheel walking one footed, intentionally let the foot slide on the tire on the return stroke, to prepare for the next step. Repeat this step, then try the next step until there is good success with next step.
When wheel walking one footed lighten the pressure of the foot on the tire and stop in the middle of a stroke allowing the tire to slide (glide) an inch or two. Immediately go back to one footed wheel walking. Repeat this several times.
When this becomes easy increase the length of the glide. Soon you will be gliding a quarter turn of the wheel and more. After a few weeks practice, you may eventually glide 10 meters and more.

Hints:

In gliding, one controls forward / backward balance by varying the pressure of the foot on the tire. The key to gliding long distances is applying almost no pressure on the tire, varying pressure very slightly and quickly in response to any forward/backward imbalance.

If one minimizes the gliding pressure to zero, one would actually be coasting (although the foot would be too close to the wheel for anyone but the unicyclist to tell). When coasting, forward / backward balance is maintained by bending the torso and arms down forward and down backward, back and forth as needed. These coasting balance moves can be applied when gliding (even if one can not yet coast), to reduce the amount of pressure on the tire needed to maintain balance and further increase gliding distance achieved.

Many may find that learning to glide on a slight downhill may be easier, but unless the downhill is uniformly smooth and without stones or pebbles, a level indoor gym may be a better place to practice gliding. Of course any downhill gliding course offers the possibility of gliding distances far in excess of any level course.

Ken Fuchs < kfuchs@winternet.com>

Edited by Beirne Konarski beirne@neo.lrun.com>