freemounting a 9 foot giraffe

I found this nice set of photos of Wolfgang Strößner freemounting a 9’ giraffe:
http://www.unicycling.org/unicycling/gmount/giraffe_mount.jpg

with a bit of freemounting instructions as well
http://www.unicycling.org/unicycling/gmount/giraffe_mount.jpg

Anyway, I am wondering how the freemount of a particularly tall unicycle might
be accomplished. Specifically, I am looking to know what happened between the
first and second frame in the above linked strip.

In the first frame, I see Dr. Strößner with his foot on the wheel, ready to make
that first step. Then, I assume, he places the other foot on a step on the
frame. Here’s what I wonder about – what happens when he removes his foot from
the wheel? There is a brief moment of time, as his right leg makes its climb
from the wheel to the pedal where only his left foot is on the frame. I would
expect that at this point, if he is not careful, the wheel could easily roll out
from under him. Then, comes frame two, where he catches the pedal, and I can
comprehend accomplishing the remaining steps.

So, did I miss anything? Does this mean it is completly unreasonable to
freemount a 9’ from anywhere other than perfectly flat ground?

jeff lutkus


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Re: freemounting a 9 foot giraffe

Jeff Lutkus wrote:
> In the first frame, I see Dr. Strößner with his foot on the wheel, ready to
> make that first step. Then, I assume, he places the other foot on a step on
> the frame. Here’s what I wonder about – what happens when he removes his foot
> from the wheel?

When you still have any weight on the giraffe, it will slip away, either to the
front or to the back. To avoid that you have to remove all your weight. That
means you jump and while in air you hold the giraffe, not vice versa. So you
can’t raise yourself at the seat post, but you have to jump to the pedals.

> There is a brief moment of time, as his right leg makes its climb from the
> wheel to the pedal where only his left foot is on the frame.

That’s not quite correct. The left foot is simply going upwards. Sometimes it
touches the frame, sometimes it doesn’t. But the frame doesn’t support the foot
nor does the foot support the frame.

> I would expect that at this point, if he is not careful, the wheel could
> easily roll out from under him.

That’s actually true.

> Does this mean it is completly unreasonable to freemount a 9’ from anywhere
> other than perfectly flat ground?

As much as it is to me, yes. Maybe someone else want’s to try it at a steep hill
or in rough terrain. I don’t.

                             Best regards,
                                Wolfgang


\|///
| ~ ~ |
(- 0 0 -)
±-------oOOo-()-oOOo----------+
| |
| Wolfgang Strößner |
| |
| wolfgang.stroessner@sap.com | http://www.unicycling.de | Oooo. |
±------.oooO-----( )----------+ ( ) ) / \ ( (
/ _)

Re: freemounting a 9’ giraffe

> > Jeff Lutkus wrote:
> > > In the first frame, I see Dr. Strößner with his foot on the wheel,
> ready to
> > > make that first step. Then, I assume, he places the other foot
> on a step on
> > > the frame. Here’s what I wonder about – what happens when he
> removes his
> > > foot from the wheel?
> >
> > When you still have any weight on the giraffe, it will slip away, either to
> > the front or to the back. To avoid that you have to remove all your weight.
> > That means you jump and while in air you hold the giraffe, not vice versa.
> > So you can’t raise yourself at the seat post, but you have to jump to the
> > pedals.
> >

Hi everyone,

I use a different method to freemount my 9’ giraffe. I place my foot on the
wheel, and instead of “jumping” to the pedal I stretch my other foot to the
lowest pedal. It takes longer but I always have contact with the unicycle
(either the wheel or the pedal) so the unicycle will not roll out. It does not
make a big difference for me to do it on a flat surface or in a hill.

Learning how to freemount was like learning any other trick… I just had to try
it 1,000 times (and fall of my 9-footer 1,000 times). At first I used to think
that it was imposible to freemount a 9-footer until I heard that Mel Hal could
freemount a 10-footer. After learning how to freemount my 9-footer I found out
that Mel Hal had a brake on his frame, making it easier. By that time I was too
late and I could already do it. A couple of years later I saw Wolfgang freemount
his way (jumping from the wheel).

Stay on top,

Javier

>


         Javier Ruiz javruiz@onebox.com <a href="http://www.javier-ruiz.com/">http://www.javier-ruiz.com</a>

> >
> > > There is a brief moment of time, as his right leg makes its climb from the
> > > wheel to the pedal where only his left
> foot is on
> > > the frame.
> >
> > That’s not quite correct. The left foot is simply going upwards. Sometimes
> > it touches the frame, sometimes it doesn’t. But the frame doesn’t support
> > the foot nor does the foot support the frame.
> >
> >
> > > I would expect that at this point, if he is not careful, the wheel could
> > > easily roll out from under him.
> >
> > That’s actually true.
> >
> >
> > > Does this mean it is completly unreasonable to freemount a 9’ from
> > > anywhere other than perfectly flat ground?
> >
> > As much as it is to me, yes. Maybe someone else want’s to try it at a steep
> > hill or in rough terrain. I don’t.
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Wolfgang
> >
> > –
> > \|///
> > | ~ ~ |
> > (- 0 0 -)
> > ±-------oOOo-(_)-oOOo----------+
> > | |
> > | Wolfgang Strößner |
> > | |
> > | wolfgang.stroessner@sap.com | http://www.unicycling.de | Oooo. |
> > ±------.oooO-----( )----------+ ( ) ) / \ ( (_/ _)
> >
>
>
>
>


         Javier Ruiz javruiz@onebox.com <a href="http://www.javier-ruiz.com/">http://www.javier-ruiz.com</a>


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RE: freemounting a 9’ giraffe

> until I heard that Mel Hal could freemount a 10-footer. After learning how
> to freemount my 9-footer I found out that Mel Hal had a brake on his
> frame, making it easier. By that time I was too late and I could already
> do it. A couple of years later I saw Wolfgang freemount his way (jumping
> from the wheel).

I also have a brake on the step of my 9 footer. When you step on the step, it
presses down on the tire to hold it in place.

What Javier and Wolfgang are doing on their 9 footers is very impressive! The
key thing is that they are not using a step between the tire and pedal.

I have also seen Tom Miller freemount an 8 footer with a static step. But he
did this by putting the wheel in an indentation in his grassy yard. It was
hard riding out of the notch, made worse by the fact that there was snow on
the ground…

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone http://www.unicycling.com

“I’m one of those people who pray, ‘God, give me patience and do it now!’” –
Carol McLean, Twin Cities Unicycle Club