So I’m finally the proud owner of a 5’5" giraffe, and contrarary to all my
expectations, I’m getting along just fine riding the thing - you guys weren’t
lying when you said it’s easier to balance on than a “normal” uni (can there
really be such a thing?) - even to the point where I couldn’t ride my small uni
cause I’d got so used to the girraffe.
Anyway, to the point… my flat-mate, who thinks he knows everything about bicycles rekons the chain is too tight. Well, I had a look at the thing, and
yes it is very tight - too tight for a bike - but I got to wondering that maybe
it needed that rigidity: surely if I loosened the chain, I’d introduce more
slack, and this would add some sort of time-lag to my pedaling motion, right?
Well the Q is: “how tight should the chain be?” - anyone have any suggestions?
BTW, for those who may be searching for a giraffe in the UK, Boggle in Bath
is your best bet if you can’t wait for DM. They seem to have a fairl;y wide
range in stock.
Good news about the giraffe. I’m considering an investment myself - would it be
rude to ask intimate questions like “Is it a DM?”, “How much was it?”, “Was it
worth the money?” and “How hard is it to mount?”
Cheers, Mark.
Mark Wiggins, | markw@fulcrum.co.uk +44 (21) 771 2001 Fulcrum Communications
Ltd, |------------------------------------------ Fordrough Lane, | You’ve broken
the speed of the sound of Birmingham, | loneliness. You’re out there running
ENGLAND | just to be on the run. John Prine.
So I’m finally the proud owner of a 5’5" giraffe, and contrarary
to all my expectations, I’m getting along just fine riding the thing -
you guys weren’t lying when you said it’s easier to balance on than
a “normal” uni (can there really be such a thing?) - even to the
point where I couldn’t ride my small uni cause I’d got so used to
the girraffe.
I have always wondered this question of ‘ruining’ my balance on one uni because
I get used to another. When I started to learn a two- wheeler (wheel on top of a
wheel so you pedal backwards to go forward), I thought that I would mess up my
balance when I returned to a ‘normal’ unicycle. Well I never mastered a
two-wheeler but I did become very procient at other tall unicycles. The more I
ride the tall ones the easier it is to switch between tall and short unicycles.
In other words, the wider range of unicycles that I ride the better my balance
is and the quicker I can adapt to differant size and kinds of unicycles.
My sister who is one the best at riding the two-wheeler finds that she has no
problem switching between unicycles. Since the two-wheeler forces very good
control for pedaling backwards she has the national record (and maybe
international record, I can’t remember) for the slow backward race.
Anyway, to the point… my flat-mate, who thinks he knows everything
about bicycles rekons the chain is too tight. Well, I had a look
at the thing, and yes it is very tight - too tight for a bike - but
I got to wondering that maybe it needed that rigidity: surely if I
loosened the chain, I’d introduce more slack, and this would add
some sort of time-lag to my pedaling motion, right?
Well the Q is: “how tight should the chain be?” - anyone have
any suggestions?
I like my chain as tight I can get it without it making hard to turn. The looser
the chain the less responsive the unicycle. Also, the chain will loosen with
time as it wears in, this will warrent some chain tightening. The chain will
tighten and loosen depending on the stresses put on the frame. When mounting the
uni, the chain will be tight on one side and loose on the other.
BTW, for those who may be searching for a giraffe in the UK,
Boggle in Bath is your best bet if you can’t wait for DM. They