The Official Discussion/ Competition Thread for Stand Stills

[wickedbob]

This is the place to discuss stand stills and share tips on how to improve, and a little friendly competition.

Stand Stills seem to be one of the most strongly ignored skills, at least to people out of trials, seems like I'm not the only one who skipped out since they really aren't the most interesting thing in the world.

I feel the unicycle community strong lacks smoothness and flow. Many of us look like pogo sticks, not unicycles. The stand still transfers over into every other single type of riding, adding smoothness and grace.

I myself am a horrible stand stiller. The best I have got is like 10seconds.... So bad, I'm really trying to get it up to at least 30-45. Really pathetic I've been riding trials for a little over 2 years and that is all I can do, I'm not so good... Any tips? I know practice practice practice, but any way of thinking about it to make it easy(ier)? Which part of your body do you really gain your balance from, etc... Would love to hear it all.


Comp(s) General Overview

1. Unlimited entries, will set a comp up when we have enough people to participate (At least 3 people are so minimum). Hopefully we will have several comps, different level comps welcome to be arrange. Beginner, proficient, advanced etc.. The sig trophy will be designed by whom ever and when agree upon by majority it will be selected. Should include the winning number of seconds and class, doesn't have to, as said we shall go with what most like, but it would be nice.

2. The stand still can be preformed where ever you wish, though later comps may have restrictions due to class such as 2x4's only or rails only.

3. We have to be able to see your entire body, duh. No tricks or anything fishy or your clip will be ignored.

4. Must be filmed after the date/ time this thread was made. Nothing old.

5. If more comps are arranged we shall go by the organizers/participants specific rules.

6. Does not matter what wheel size you use unless stated specifically. Would be cool to set up comps for 19, 24, 29, and 36er.


If you would like to have a comp simply say so and we'll see what we can do.


Anybody interested in a comp?

[MuniAddict]

I'm realizing really quick that still stand skills are essential if you want to be a good trials rider! Btw, a 10 second still stand is not bad, and way more than enough for most trials riding; if you need to still stand that long between maneuvers, something isn't right, lol! But I guess the longer you can do it, the better, especially for skinny riding!

[wickedbob]

Originally Posted by MuniAddict

I'm realizing really quick that still stand skills are essential if you want to be a good trials rider! Btw, a 10 second still stand is not bad, and way more than enough for most trials riding; if you need to still stand that long between maneuvers, something isn't right, lol! But I guess the longer you can do it, the better, especially for skinny riding!

That is my best, not even consistent. Most are like 5sec or something lame.

It's not about being able to due just want you 'have' to be able to do. It is about removing all prehops, and using the stand still to take a break, as bike trials riders do. It would be nice to wait 30sec or so then move on.

Prehops drain energy extremely fast and make riding ugly, the less they are done the more energy the rider has to do actual riding.

[MuniAddict]

Originally Posted by wickedbob

That is my best, not even consistent. Most are like 5sec or something lame.

It's not about being able to due just want you 'have' to be able to do. It is about removing all prehops, and using the stand still to take a break, as bike trials riders do. It would be nice to wait 30sec or so then move on.

Prehops drain energy extremely fast and make riding ugly, the less they are done the more energy the rider has to do actual riding.

I was talking about being able to still stand *still* for a solid 10 seconds, which I still say is pretty darn good. Yes, prehops/corrective hops look bad and so if you can replace those with a still stand, even for a few seconds, then move on, that's a lot better looking, and shows control and good technique.

[Harley]

If you want to see some awsome still stands, check out Ryan Atkins as a youngster in Brian Mackenzies, Training Wheel Not Required Video from a few years back.

[phlegm]

I don't think trialists necessarily ignore learning to still stand. It's just a lot easier when you're first starting out to work on other skills. I've noticed that my ability to still stand has improved simply by purposing to still stand between trials moves.

I agree about there being a general lack of grace.

No matter what you're doing, balance originates from your hips.

[unicyclepa]

+18209809380912908098198209182

this is what unicycling needs not all the silly pogostick action. No one cares what trick you can do if it takes you 15min to hop before you do it. We need to bring back manifesto style trials and incorporate it into street.

[unicyclepa]

I learned to smooth out my riding buy making everything a hop. Meaning hop still stand, hop still stand. Not bounce, bounce, bounce. Make every hop a progression. This was something kris holm demonstrated at a demo, and has helped me alot. We ride unicycle not pogosticks.

[kerosian]

I agree entirely, it makes trials look graceful. Almost like every move was planned weeks before.

[MuniAddict]

Originally Posted by kerosian

I agree entirely, it makes trials look graceful. Almost like every move was planned weeks before.

I like the little parody video Jackie posted a while ago where he does a ton of little prehops just to hop up a small first step of a little stair set, then falls!

[johnfoss]

Sounds like a fun idea. I recommend the video show the entry and exit from the stillstand, not just the still part. Did the rider spend a lot of time getting into position? Did he/she ride away or fall off? Etc.

Also you might want to define how much the wheel is allowed to move for it to count. Most stillstanders pedal slightly to the front and rear, but in pretty tiny amounts. Example:
http://unicycling.smugmug.com/galler...420_bRKh3-A-LB

We call them stillstands.

For resting between bigger moves, brief stillstands are good but long ones are probably more stressful than a few short ones tied together with small hops. I've found I can hop ever 3 seconds or so, with tiny hops, taking a minor amount of energy. A sustained stillstand takes a lot of concentration and upper body movement so I don't think it's a plus in the end. It looks cool, though.

[wickedbob]

Originally Posted by unicyclepa

I learned to smooth out my riding buy making everything a hop. Meaning hop still stand, hop still stand. Not bounce, bounce, bounce. Make every hop a progression. This was something kris holm demonstrated at a demo, and has helped me alot. We ride unicycle not pogosticks.

Exactly, no energy wasted. Always moving forward and calculating your path.

Originally Posted by phlegm

I don't think trialists necessarily ignore learning to still stand. It's just a lot easier when you're first starting out to work on other skills. I've noticed that my ability to still stand has improved simply by purposing to still stand between trials moves.

I agree about there being a general lack of grace.

No matter what you're doing, balance originates from your hips.

It is easier, which is why I skipped out. It is nessicary though and the lack of it is astonishing, at least to me. They may not ignore it like 'oh that is stupid', but it is clear people are not learning them. The earlier the better. If I could go back I would learn them first.

Eh, when I balance on chairs I use my legs. I found when doing that there are special ways to think of it which kind of make it 'click' for me. If you go at it like I just have to stay in this spot your not going to go far. You need to break it down and realise which parts of your body to use, how you have to move them and in what direction and how much.

Originally Posted by johnfoss

Sounds like a fun idea. I recommend the video show the entry and exit from the stillstand, not just the still part. Did the rider spend a lot of time getting into position? Did he/she ride away or fall off? Etc.

Great idea, forgot to mention that.

Also you might want to define how much the wheel is allowed to move for it to count. Most stillstanders pedal slightly to the front and rear, but in pretty tiny amounts. Example:
http://unicycling.smugmug.com/gallery/235242#40943420_bRKh3-A-LB

We call them still stands.

I tried to make it so anybody can set up the comp they want, so I suppose it is up to whom ever, or what is agreed upon by majority. Personally anything more than 1/4 rev or so is pushing it for me, kind of have to see the video and take it all in to judge.

For resting between bigger moves, brief stillstands are good but long ones are probably more stressful than a few short ones tied together with small hops. I've found I can hop ever 3 seconds or so, with tiny hops, taking a minor amount of energy. A sustained stillstand takes a lot of concentration and upper body movement so I don't think it's a plus in the end. It looks cool, though.

I kind of agree, but don't, lets make this clear, this is rare for me and I'm a horrid at stand stilling, but there have been time when between a line I can pull off one for like 15sec without barely moving. It feels awesome and the quick rest is always useful in such an explosive sport as trials.

I think the main reason we see the crazy upper body movement is lack of general skill when it comes to stand stills in the unicycle community. As said, on rare occasions I have pulled off some good standstills with pretty much no movement. I catch myself over compensating all the time, when practicing, the cause for the crazy teeter-tooter motion. I believe with time people are going to get more comfortable.

Stupid example// I've started to balance on the back of my chair during chemistry class. When I first started my legs would flail and I would strongly over compensate. Though daily practice is has gotten to the point where my partner will not even realize I am balancing on the back of my chair during class. My legs are pretty much still and only make minor adjustments to keep my body where it needs to be, not throwing it in the complete opposite direction in an act of haste.

Thank you for the support everyone. I'm working on stand stills and smoothness a lot now, trying to make everything perfect. It also makes you much more precise, which is great for every type of riding.

One of the biggest things I hear from outsiders is how pogo stick like out sport is and how unstable we all look doing 20 micro-hops to do one hop. If we want to be taken seriously, and show we've got just as much still as anybody else we really need to increase the flow of out riding collectively. I feel, even with trials, if you can roll there do it, unless it is a gap of course. Hopping is extremely unnecessary in the way we use it, I'm extremely guilty myself.

Just trying to bring awareness so we can all do better.

It's kind of like when you first start on bikes, it seems hard and takes a good amount of energy to do them, but once you good you can relax and let you body take control. Kind of like how when you first uni you flail like mad, but eventually you can ride with a handle bar, not moving your arms for balance at all pretty much. It is just like that, except dialing it in much much more and taking balance to another level. Just like learning to ride at all, and then getting smooth it is not going to happen overnight, but with constant practice I think it is very achievable.

[OneWheelJack]

I'd be interested.

[MuniSano]

Originally Posted by OneWheelJack

I'd be interested.

+1 here.

This has been the one aspect of my trials riding that I'm really trying to improve. I don't have the best still-stands, still getting better, but what improvement I've had has really helped immensely with my other trials riding skills. I've had good success riding skinnies in the past, but I never felt in control and so now I've taken to riding skinnies slower and trying to maintain better form and control. A lot of times I've had reasonable still stands, or pauses w/o corrective hops, mid trials line when I'm not even thinking about it. For me its the thinking part that messes me up.

So I think one interesting addition to this "competition" might be to ride some skinny as SLOWLY as one can. Maybe only a skinny that is 3 or 4 wheel revolutions but do it very slow and in control; an oxymoron I know but sort of a "dynamic still-stand" if you know what I mean?

[surfer1024]

Originally Posted by onewheeljack

i'd be interested.

+1