Don't ever do this!

General
1

Hey,

I just barely missed getting my Semcycle XLW run over tonight.
I was practicing riding off the sidewalk curb outside my house when it happened. I live on a very very busy four laned street and at rush hour, there is seldom a break in traffic.

So I ride off the curb as I have been doing for the past week and I get distracted and lose my balance. Out shoots, my Muni like a shot into traffic. The Explorer just missed it in lane one and the Muni stopped in lane 2 just in front of a Jetta. Fortunately, the 8 foot wide bike path used up some of the momentum.

Oh my God I thought, it was in slow motion, I was going to see my 3 bills wind up as a hood ornament or deep in someones radiator and there was nothing I could do but watch. Not to mention how responsibility for damages might have to be worked out! Fortunately, The Jetta stopped and was hospitable and nothing more happened.

What did I learn, go around the corner and find a less traveled street even if I only practice for 10 minutes. Never practice on a busy street. I almost lost the Muni 10 minutes later while I was gapping on my driveway and it shot out again heading for the street before I caught it. Whew!!:frowning:

I was lucky!:slight_smile:

2

> I was practicing riding off the sidewalk curb outside my house when it
> happened. I live on a very very busy four laned street and at rush hour,
> there is seldom a break in traffic.

It’s hard to believe it took a dangerous incident to make you realise how
dumb this was!

Arnold the Aardvark

3

Take a chill-pill Ardvark! It takes a cool cat to bring your mistakes out and share with others. We all benifit. Thanx Rod.

Christopher LeFay

4

> > I was practicing riding off the sidewalk curb outside my house when it
> > happened. I live on a very very busy four laned street and at rush
> > hour, there is seldom a break in traffic.
>
> It’s hard to believe it took a dangerous incident to make you realise
> how dumb this was!

The hard part sometimes is finding an empty piece of street. Every time I
used to go out into the street to practice, it would turn into a freeway.
I remember this most notably back in the days when we worked on skills
like coasting, where you needed the smoothest surface possible. This was
always well-traveled car pavement.

I remember practicing late one night near the Hemminger house in Redford.
A seemingly constant stream of cars came by on Kinloch, which is not a
busy street. They were just spaced far enough apart to be annoying. Then,
when we sat down to take a break, there was like a ten minute stretch with
no cars at all.

So we got up and started again, and here came the cars… :slight_smile:

Does this happen to anyone else?

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com

“Our time is a most precious commodity, but it’s how we spend it that
makes us rich.” - John Foss

5

jfoss@unicycling.com writes:
>> > I was practicing riding off the sidewalk curb outside my house when
>> > it happened. I live on a very very busy four laned street and at rush
>hour,
>> > there is seldom a break in traffic.
>>
>> It’s hard to believe it took a dangerous incident to make you realise
>how
>> dumb this was!
Maybe unicycles need to come with little stickers on them that list all of
the stupid things you shouldn’t try or do. Or perhaps justa link to John
Foss’s webpage would do – he’s got some amazing photos and words re"
things NOT to attempt. No mention there of unisex, tho.

Talking of which…John, your wife rides a unicycle…

David

                    Co-founder, Unatics of NY
                    1st Sunday / 3rd Saturday
                     @ Central Park Bandshell

1: 30 start time after 11/1/01

6

> Or perhaps justa link to John Foss’s webpage would do – he’s got some
> amazing photos and words re" things NOT to attempt. No mention there of
> unisex, tho.

That area is picture-based. In other words, without a picture, nothing to
“laugh” about. And if I had a picture (which I actually do, explanation
below), would I actually want to use it on my otherwise “family” Web site?

> Talking of which…John, your wife rides a unicycle…

Now hold on there. People climb Mt. Everest because it’s there. But some
things, I don’t necessarily feel a need to do them. What good would it be
to own the title of doing it first, without wanting to tell about it or
share a picture (or worse yet, a video)? :slight_smile:

About the picture I have: So once upon a time, Bradley Bradley cut an
illustration from an old issue of OUI magazine. It was an ink rendering,
as tastefully done as could be under the circumstances, of a man and woman
“doing it” on a single unicycle. No, I’m not going to describe it in
detail, but the number 69 comes to mind. also, the artist apparently had
to stretch one of the participant’s necks quite a bit to make the picture
work, so keep this in mind when practicing this trick.

I don’t know what issue of OUI this was from, but I think Bradley found
it in 1980 or earlier. It has always been the image that pops into my
mind when someone mentions “unisex.” And no, I will not be posting it on
my Web site.

Actually, I’m not sure if I still have a copy, so please don’t ask
for scans.

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com

“Our time is a most precious commodity, but it’s how we spend it that
makes us rich.” - John Foss

7

John Foss wrote:
> > Talking of which…John, your wife rides a unicycle…
>
> Now hold on there. People climb Mt. Everest because it’s there. But some
> things, I don’t necessarily feel a need to do them.

hehe… Ifen at MUni weekend John comes up to you with a wink and a high
five I think that means that he’s tried it. You know the old axium about
now that it’s ‘out there’. :slight_smile:

What good would it be to
> own the title of doing it first, without wanting to tell about it or
> share a picture (or worse yet, a video)? :slight_smile:

“HEY!!”… Joe Marshall… here’s somethin’ to add to your Coker
video page!

Christopher

“Be Bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” -Basil King (Anyone who
can give me more info on THIS Basil King please email
me.)

8

David Stone wrote:
> Maybe unicycles need to come with little stickers on them that list all
> of the stupid things you shouldn’t try or do.

Like an extension to the Coker Owner’s Manual, which warns: “WARNING:
Riding a unicycle is a hazardous activity and can cause serious injury or
death. Even experience riders will fall and should follow the following
set of SAFE RIDING PRACTICES when engaging in unicycling:” etc

Tickled me the first time I read it.

–
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny )
Recumbent bikes page: http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ “Make
it idiot-proof and someone will build a better idiot.”

9

David Stone wrote:
> Maybe unicycles need to come with little stickers on them that list all
> of the stupid things you shouldn’t try or do.

Like an extension to the Coker Owner’s Manual, which warns: “WARNING:
Riding a unicycle is a hazardous activity and can cause serious injury or
death. Even experience riders will fall and should follow the following
set of SAFE RIDING PRACTICES when engaging in unicycling:” etc

Tickled me the first time I read it.

–
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny )
Recumbent bikes page: http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ “Make
it idiot-proof and someone will build a better idiot.”

10

John Foss wrote:
> sat down to take a break, there was like a ten minute stretch with no
> cars at all.
>
> So we got up and started again, and here came the cars… :slight_smile:

Unicycles = car-magnets ??

Christopher

“Be Bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” -Basil King (Anyone who
can give me more info on THIS Basil King please email
me.)

11

Similar situation…my boys and I were riding out on the concrete
breakwater toward the lighthouse at Presque Isle Park in Marquette, MI.
The flat top spans about 8 feet from side to side. I took a pitch forward
and my uni started bouncing down the sloped side of the breakwater toward
Lake Superior. I dove after it and caught it by the pedal just before it
bounced over the 6 foot drop into 25 feet of water. There is a small
picture of the breakwater at
http://www.mqtcty.org/departments/parksrec/presque.htm

Speaking of such, the second half of the breakwater is comprised of
bolders and the opening scene in Universe at Santa Cruz reminds me a great
deal of the bolders at Presque Isle. Here’s a picture http://www.midwestc-
onnection.com/Lighthouses/lk_superiorLT/PresqueIsleHarborLT.htm but the
picture does the ruggedness of the bolders an injustice. They are quite
difficult to traverse. I wonder if anyone else has visited the park and
considered riding the breakwater, specifically the bolders.

There’s no place like home…in the U.P.! Bruce

John Foss wrote:
>
> > > I was practicing riding off the sidewalk curb outside my house when
> > > it happened. I live on a very very busy four laned street and at
> > > rush hour, there is seldom a break in traffic.
> >
> > It’s hard to believe it took a dangerous incident to make you realise
> > how dumb this was!
>
> The hard part sometimes is finding an empty piece of street. Every time
> I used to go out into the street to practice, it would turn into a
> freeway. I remember this most notably back in the days when we worked on
> skills like coasting, where you needed the smoothest surface possible.
> This was always well-traveled car pavement.
>
> I remember practicing late one night near the Hemminger house in
> Redford. A seemingly constant stream of cars came by on Kinloch, which
> is not a busy street. They were just spaced far enough apart to be
> annoying. Then, when we sat down to take a break, there was like a ten
> minute stretch with no cars at all.
>
> So we got up and started again, and here came the cars… :slight_smile:
>
> Does this happen to anyone else?
>
> John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com
>
> "Our time is a most precious commodity, but it’s how we spend it that
> makes us rich." - John Foss

12

Chill, man :slight_smile:

The best teacher is experience. Now he knows :slight_smile:

Graham

Health warning: diet soft drinks, Equal sweetener and NutraSweet contain
the artificial sweetener Aspartame WHICH CAN CAUSE CANCER, DIABETES,
OBESITY, EYE DISEASE, PARKINSON’S AND MORE. Read more here:
http://www.dorway.com/

>
> It’s hard to believe it took a dangerous incident to make you
realise how
> dumb this was!
>
>
> Arnold the Aardvark

13

Bruce & Mary Edwards wrote:
> There’s no place like home…in the U.P.!

Eh!?

Christopher Grove (Canadian)

“Be Bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” -Basil King (Anyone who
can give me more info on THIS Basil King please email
me.)

My short story at: http://www.rosedog.com/manuscript.asp?m=9389256&manusc-
ript=6862016&t=The+Determination+of+Jeffery&fn=Christopher&ln=Grove&srdt=-
9%2F27%2F01+5%3A32%3A05+AM&fs=2&ff=Arial%2C+Helvetica%2C+Verdana&ps=4000&-
s=735143750&folder=Search+Results

14

Bruce & Mary Edwards wrote:
> There’s no place like home…in the U.P.!

Eh!?

Christopher Grove (Canadian)

“Be Bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” -Basil King (Anyone who
can give me more info on THIS Basil King please email
me.)

My short story at: http://www.rosedog.com/manuscript.asp?m=9389256&manusc-
ript=6862016&t=The+Determination+of+Jeffery&fn=Christopher&ln=Grove&srdt=-
9%2F27%2F01+5%3A32%3A05+AM&fs=2&ff=Arial%2C+Helvetica%2C+Verdana&ps=4000&-
s=735143750&folder=Search+Results

15

Greetings

In message “RE: RE: Don’t ever do this!”, John Foss wrote…
>> Or perhaps justa link to John Foss’s webpage would do – he’s got some
>> amazing photos and words re" things NOT to attempt. No mention there
>> of unisex, tho.
>
>That area is picture-based. In other words, without a picture, nothing
>to “laugh” about. And if I had a picture (which I actually do,
>explanation below), would I actually want to use it on my otherwise
>“family” Web site?
>
>> Talking of which…John, your wife rides a unicycle…
>
>Now hold on there. People climb Mt. Everest because it’s there. But some
>things, I don’t necessarily feel a need to do them. What good would it
>be to own the title of doing it first, without wanting to tell about it
>or share a picture (or worse yet, a video)? :slight_smile:
>
>About the picture I have: So once upon a time, Bradley Bradley cut an
>illustration from an old issue of OUI magazine. It was an ink rendering,
>as tastefully done as could be under the circumstances, of a man and
>woman “doing it” on a single unicycle. No, I’m not going to describe it
>in detail, but the number 69 comes to mind. also, the artist apparently
>had to stretch one of the participant’s necks quite a bit to make the
>picture work, so keep this in mind when practicing this trick.

This reminds me that Bill Jenack, “the father of modern unicycling” once
gave me a copy of cartoon in a Swedish magazine (I still have it) in which
the seat of a giraffe is shaped like you know what pointing straight
upward. The woman was riding the giraffe, with an expression of ecstacy on
her face, after slipping onto the saddle.

>
>I don’t know what issue of OUI this was from, but I think Bradley found
>it in 1980 or earlier. It has always been the image that pops into my
>mind when someone mentions “unisex.” And no, I will not be posting it on
>my Web site.
>
>Actually, I’m not sure if I still have a copy, so please don’t ask
>for scans.
>
>Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
>www.unicycling.com
>
>"Our time is a most precious commodity, but it’s how we spend it that
>makes us rich." - John Foss
>
>__________________________________________________________________-
>_________
>rec.sport.unicycling mailing list -
>www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu
>

Regards, Jack Halpern President, The CJK Dictionary Institute, Inc.
http://www.cjk.org Phone: +81-48-473-3508

16

YO… I just want to write in old fart convesration:D

17

Please don’t bring up old threads just for the sake of it. It’s confusing and annoying.