How to idle on a Unicycle: Beginner to Advanced Tutorial

What if I told you you could do just about anything you want on a unicycle? From fishing, weight lifting and cutting your hair to washing your car, disc golf or going on a boat ride, you can do it all on a unicycle. The only thing you have to learn is how to idle.
Well in this video I teach you exactly how to idle. Whether you are a beginner looking to learn a new skill on a unicycle or an advanced rider looking to idle like a pro this video is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:30 Beginner Tutorial
02:07 What is the best size wheel for idling?
02:38 Practice Techniques
04:01 Advanced Idle Tutorial

[@HoboDan]

Almost hitting your head on the ceiling on the 36" 😂😂 Thanks for this! Very informative

[@bewg]

Great vid. I started unicycling when I was 5, 30 years ago I did it for the next 12 years and never learnt to properly idle, picked unicycling back up in recent years and this vid has helped me learn to idle properly, thanks! ps. I love the whole concept of this channel, I used to try do as much as I could on my unicycle when I was growing up so I totally get it

[@punpck]

cannot be stressed enough how important is core and hips for balancing and NOT arms! Waving around with your arms is for noobs but being able to drive and balance without arms at all is very elegant 😍 Looks even more cool when having a touring handle mounted and being able to drive completly without arms.

[@donandmissyingram623]

Thanks for the instructional video Jeremy. The cats even like watching you idle 😃 Stay warm❄️

[@PacoOtis]

Dude! Very professionally presented and very informative! I didn't learn to ride until I was forty four when I was deployed to Africa in the military for a year. When I returned my son learned to ride and we rode in a couple of modest parades in rural Missouri. I strongly feel unicycling and juggling should be offered in schools as they each contribute to confidence. Thanks for sharing and the best of luck!

[@archieporter5429]

Great video

[@moto434]

Love the plastic wrap idling. Very impressive. I’m still working on regular idling on my unicycle.👏👍

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

I really hope this tutorial helps you learn!

[@circusbysilk]

Same! I had a good practice today though, and this video will help also. Thankss to the owner of this channel 👌👌🍀👏

[@capnDJ]

Big help!!

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

Glad to hear it!

[@derek_underwood]

Dude the things you're doing on a unicycle in your videos are so entertaining! You should clip them for TikToks and drive traffic to this channel from there! Guaranteed you'd blow up #ytfamous

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

Thanks for the suggestion! I definitely think you’re right. I keep telling myself I need to get a TikTok but keep putting it off.

[@odan08]

Nice video Jeremy!!!!!

[@MotoTrialGuarulhos]

Thanks for share!

[@Neeko_Z]

Haha. This was great. 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@thelonelyunicyclist]

A great video. A very in depth look at idling technique. I like the way you gradually progress through the steps. I'm currently learning how to idle on my 20", before I attempt it on my 27.5" or 36". I can tell it's going to take a while. Yours is one of a few videos I'm getting help from. Thanks for your contribution.

[@unodos9297]

Nice

[@cycleofgrowth3202]

Awesome video! I think I'm gonna practice my jump mounting and idling right now. Thanks for the motivation!

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

Thanks for sharing! Hope this video helps!

[@eitanshirman9072]

How is it going after four months? You’re probably pretty good by now;)

[@adamkozlevich7282]

Idling was super hard to learn in the beginning, but then all of a sudden it burst and now I just need to practice it. As a side effect I learned the riding backwards! which is also very impressive. So, Jeremy , would you say that unicycling balance helps you in other balance related activities, like slacklining or wheelie, manual on a bike etc..? I badly wanted to learn wheelie on a bike, but still cant do it, riding a unicycle very confidently though. Awesome channel btw! thanks!

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

I think the slack line and other related activities help with unicycling lol. In my experience the slack line is a very different type of balance and it took me quite a while to learn despite being proficient on the unicycle. I’ve also never been able to wheelie or manual on the bike for any kind of distance. I think the best way to learn a skill is to practice that skill, unicycling definitely won’t hurt. Hope that helps and best of luck with your practice 😀 Thanks for watching!!

[@trexinvert]

There are 3 stages of learning how to idle: a.) Stage 1: Fast and furious fore/aft pedal kicking, plus hip twisting for balanced. Plus, hand whipping or clawing in the air for balance. If you fall to the right, then quickly "twist" your body and wheel to the right to momentarily stop/arrest the unicycle. This forces to the unicycle to stop and then start to lean the opposite direction to the left. Then twist to the left,....so on and so forth. You get it. This is actually something you do on a bicycle. Same technique, if you wanted to learn how to do a bicycle "still stand". b.) Stage 2: Slow and steady and "very straight back" fore and aft idling. This isn't true idling but rather you are just moving forwards and back with a "pause" to each direction. Also, hands out on the sides like you are tight rope walking. At this point, you may start to add some fore/aft leaning. c.) Stage 3: No hands, no hip twist, all "foot pedal pressure" control for "perfect" lateral balancing. If you are falling to the right, then "slight amount" pedal pressure on the left pedal(at any clock position) or reduce pedal pressure on the right side. No hands needed. Now, for the fore/aft rocking this can be simply done with the head, shoulder or hips. Also, you can even come to a momentary dead pause still stand. This is what Dolt..cycle is teaching us here, but like most "expert riders" he forgot the two steps to get to this point.

[@benspencer8783]

Good to see u haven’t been idle 😆

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

Well you what they say about idle hands.. But idle legs are good.

[@philmickey7247]

@@DoItOnAUnicycle 😂👍

[@mordkontra]

Great video! Thanks:) Btw can you juggle 3 objects while idling on a unicycle and balancing a club on your head? I'd love to see that!

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

I can juggle 3 balls all day while idling. But I can’t balance a club on my head at all, on or off the unicycle. For some reason that was a skill I could never get. Maybe I’ll try and learn it for the new year!

[@mordkontra]

@@DoItOnAUnicycle I saw your awesome skills on the unicycle. Learning how to balance a club on your head is much easier than learning to ride a unicycle in my experience. Balancing is huge fun, too, I encourage you to learn it:) Keep up the great work.

[@circusbysilk]

@@DoItOnAUnicycle I don't know if it's true but once I heard some ppl litterly can't balance a thing on their heads bc the shape is a little little more different (you can't see the difference). Bc of that shape that ppl can't balance anything on their heads. You can do some research yourself if it's true or if it sounds true for you Jeremy! I hope this helps 🙏 💕

[@onewheelisbetterthan2]

I ride a 32 inch unicyle every day ive been riding a little over a year miles and miles...i want to learn this for when im at cross walks and such i can bunny hop or jump over curbs hear and there and do off road but i dream of wanting to idle im super open to tips to practice

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

32” will be harder to learn on. If you have something smaller to practice on that would be ideal. Otherwise just practice a little everyday. You can do it!

[@onewheelisbetterthan2]

@@DoItOnAUnicycle thanks mate

[@adamizzo1142]

Hey I'm 6ft 3 do you recommend a unicycle size . I just started and it's been frustrating . Any suggestions

[@DoItOnAUnicycle]

You would probably do the best with a 24" and longer cranks. You could do 20" but you would need an extra high seat.

[@str4tegyy506]

i dont like how unicycles dont coast like bycicles. i wonder if a company makes unicyles that coast and only move the tire when pedaling.

[@lagsalot3274]

I think idling is a core thing for a unicycle. If you take that away, it's just a bike.

[@trexinvert]

Yes, I know what you mean. So, when we ride a unicycle down hill, we use "negative rotation" force to prevent over-speeding. Not fun if you want to travel 20 miles. However, that's just an added resistance(like weight training) to workout your body. That's how I see it. Riding a unicycle is not maintaining "perfect balance" and then rolling with it as most people assume it is. Each pedal creates a balancing force, and not just when you are "down pedaling". You must also create resistance or "back press" as you continue pedaling. Imagine pedaling a bicycle, but as you press your food down on the pedal at the same time the "other foot" must act to "resist and fight against" the driving pedal. This extra force helps to balance the unicycle mostly for lateral(left to right) balance. Of course, any advanced unicycle rider will fight me on this. This discussion of balancing force and unicycle riding technique is mostly for beginners when they are first apply the correct balancing method. Also, when riding a unicycle "ultra slow" or on "bumpy offroad terrain". However, for riding normal surface when you become more advanced the "extra pedaling effort" becomes almost automatically and you forget that you are doing this.

[@davidh6300]

There is such a thing. It is a freewheel Unicycle. They are very difficult to ride without a brake. Many people ride them downhill, with a brake.

[@philmickey7247]

Inspired to try...till it becomes my 'I' in the alphabet! Thanks!👍

[@motoironman]

😅😅😅😅

[@nabihasiddique8022]

Hello, I'm from Jukin Media, an LA-based media company. We saw your video and we hope to share it with our 200 million fans & potentially license it to our 600+ Clients! Please let us know if you're interested?

[@pablo6305]

I cant ride it yet but i will do whatever i want on my unicycle. Im aware my ankles hurt and my seat burn, burns.