Riding Backwards

I learnt to ride backwards without using helpers - one of my fairly strong
beliefs is that people learn far better in the long run if they don't have
'crutches'.

OK, this is how I did it: I had already learnt to idle and could do that
reasonably well. I then learnt to 'super-idle'. This is where instead of the
1/4-revolution or so that happens during idling, it's extended to a complete
revolution backwards, so I ended up on my left foot slightly forward instead of
my right foot slightly forward. Unless you can rock on either foot, you'll think
'Oh, weird!' and fall off. With a bit of practice (maybe use a wall to start
with, although try not to - in the process you swerve about a lot, and in so
doing learn to control it - the wall'll just get in the way) you go forward
again and end up rocking on the your 'right' foot again. Try to end up doing
this continuously.

Apart from being a) a neat trick in itself, you'll have b) almost learnt to idle
on the 'wrong' foot and c) being some way to going backwards. Now try to extend
this to the 'mega-idle' where there are two revolutions, and it ends up on the
right foot again. This is in a sense easier since you're straight into rocking
on the 'right' foot again.

You can probably see where this is going now...Just keep extending till you get
to about four revs, by which time you'll be all excited and wanting to go back
forever. The advantage of this method is d) by learning these extended idles,
you've also learnt to _stop_ going backwards, and so control the speed. This is
more important than you might imagine - watching people learn to ride backwards
just by speeding off will show you how crucial stopping is (my friend broke his
wrist learning this way).

Hope this helps. Mail me is anything isn't clear!

Cheers, Paul.