I just bought a used giraffe, and am learning to ride it. I’m
wondering which direction you’d recommend hopping off. I’m currently
hopping off, letting the giraffe slide out in front of me, and
catching it as I drop. Is that OK, or is there some unsafe aspect to
that method?
-Ajit
Ajit,
Dismounting with the giraffe in front of you is the “best” way to do so. Dismounting with it to the rear is frowned upon because you can’t see where the uni is going (may hit objects or people). Dismounting to the side, or at an angle is not endorsed as the risk of twisting an ankle/injuring youself, due to the inability to easily land squarly on both feet, is increased.
Sounds like you’re off to a great start. Best of luck!
Later,
Eli.
Does anybody just climb back down? That’s what I’m gonna practice next time.
You must have to climb down those 9-11 footers, no?
The party line on this forum is dismount with Uni in front. I see their point. I prefer Uni out back. I typically know what’s back there because I typically have just come from there. Uni in front puts seat uncomfortably on the twins.
However, you should be familiar with both. Both will happen.
Michaeli is correct that to the side is not a happy thing. But this too happens, so be prepared. I’ve tried to spin that direction. A properly executed roll is a good skill.
Also, mine is a 5 footer. I wouldn’t guess on how to dismount an 11 footer. Try to ride back over to the ladder from which I mounted, I suppose. Its the UPDs that concern me.
How tall is your Giraffe?
SOFA!
Yo guys.
I got a 6’ DM for Christmas, and for the last 2 weeks, ive had 100% success rate of mounting it. Ive only had it, as i said, since christmas, which is like 5 weeks or something. Is that good? because from what i’ve read, it usually takes a while.
Back to dismounting… I dismount from the back (uni goes forward). It is much safer, yes, but i have also practiced (front, back and sideways) for 'em (rare) UPDs, especialy when practicing Pirouttes on it!
Ive climbed down it once. It was kool. Ill try it again sometime, and get a vid or pics of it!
Could any give me help with Saddle out front riding. Is it just a case of finding your balance? I can almost do it on the clubs little 5ft, but not my 6’.
Im hoping to get some giraffe trick pics up soon.
Any advise would be great!
Cheers,
Joe,
Uhhhhh…GILD?!?
The atypical situations are the reason for the recommended uni in front. Sooner or later, you’ll have a surprise. I don’t experience the “twins” problem you mentioned. When I dismount to the rear, I usually let the wheel roll out in front of me so there’s no weight on the seat at all, and I basically land behind the unicycle, holding the seat.
In shows, I like to dismount by riding up to the edge of the stage or audience, popping the seat out front, and then dropping straight down behind the unicycle, landing with it standing next to me. The idea here is that the unicycle doesn’t move from the time I jump off, and just stands there.
Way true. Any good giraffe rider knows how to dismount to every point of the compass.
Yup. Best way to get off a tall giraffe is to return to your starting point, or a similar place where you can dismount onto something high. If none is available, such as at the end of a parade, you can usually have someone catch the unicycle as you dismount to the front.
Front, you say? When dismounting a tall giraffe, don’t let the wheel roll out. Hold the pedals steady. This will bring you down in a curve, where you won’t pick up as much speed. Your spotter catches the unicycle as it comes down, so you can concentrate on landing on the soft patch of grass or whatever spot you’ve chosen. Spotters can even slow the fall of the giraffe by letting it down easy, which is handy for giraffes over 10’.
I find it handy to look for little hills to land on, and have even dismounted giraffes onto the tops of vans or other high objects.
Kudos to the guy with 100% success after 5 weeks of giraffe ownership! I presume you are talking about freemounting? Many professional performers never learn to do it.
The known record for consecutive freemounts is 130, held by Carol Bricker on a 4.5’ Penguin and me on a Schwinn Giraffe. Now there’s a fun record to try breaking!
Not trying to be concieded or anything, but I freemounted on my first day of giraff ownership, of course not with a 100% success rate though. That came the next day…jkjk. It took a couple of days 'till I was at near 100%.
Yeah, it only took me about an hour to free mount it. (over 2 sessions)
It’s all ‘How bad do you want to do it?’ mentality.
If you are happy with climbing up somethign and riding, then you’ll probably never learn.
If you’re someone like me who ‘has to learn it’ then you’ll get it in no time
The person who let me try their’s said, ‘don’t feel bad about not getting on it, I know a professional entertainer who’s been riding it for 6 years and can’t mount it.’
He obviously hasn’t tried too hard…or at all
I’m still only around 33% freemounting on my giraffe, but I do agree that if you want to be able to do it and are willing to put in the time, you’ll get it. I don’t have many skills from the skills levels, but I wont buy a unicycle unless I plan to be able to freemount it. It wouldn’t feel right for me and borders on an abusive relationship for the beast, I think.
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ
I freemounted during the first session of attempting it. Maybe after 15 tries.
I approach it much like a golf shot. In golf, Your coach will tell you if you set your feet exactly the same way every time and use the exact same grip and swing exactly the same swing, then you will hit the same shot a very high % of the time.
Same here. Hold the (5’)Giraffe dead straight up. Then place foot on pedal. Hold front of seat with same hand as that foot. Put ground foot’s heel right behind wheel. Calf should be 1 inch from tire. Foot angles 45 degrees from line of wheel. This position automatically leans Uni forward some 10 degrees. Launch. Quickly straighten mounting leg, land on seat…do whatever it takes to stay up there.
If you fall backwards every time, move grounded foot’s heel closer to tire (increments of 1/4 inch). If, instead, you go over the top every time, move grounded foot’s heel back (1/4 inch at a try).
Find your stance. Disect it. Memorize it. Get into it systematically the same way every time. Bang. You’re 100%.
I mount a bit of a different style. A bit more difficult than what Mamphis Mud said. I first stepup onto the wheel, then onto the pedal, as oppose to putting your foot straight onto the pedal from the ground, and then pushing up. I think that the way I do it, better prepares me for wen I ever have to learn to mont a 9 footer or something.
Re: Giraffe dismount
On Wed, 5 Feb 2003 08:23:05 -0600, Memphis Mud
<Memphis.Mud.idt8n@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>
>The party line on this forum is dismount with Uni in front. I see their
>point. I prefer Uni out back. I typically know what’s back there because
>I typically have just come from there. Uni in front puts seat
>uncomfortably on the twins.
>
>However, you should be familiar with both. Both will happen.
>
>Michaeli is correct that to the side is not a happy thing. But this too
>happens, so be prepared. I’ve tried to spin that direction. A properly
>executed roll is a good skill.
>
>Also, mine is a 5 footer. I wouldn’t guess on how to dismount an 11
>footer. Try to ride back over to the ladder from which I mounted, I
>suppose. Its the UPDs that concern me.
>
>How tall is your Giraffe?
It’s a 6 footer. BTW, what is a UPD?
Thanks for the info!
-Ajit
Re: Re: Giraffe dismount
UPD = Unplanned Dismount.
This should be part of an official you-must-read-this-before-posting-on-the-forums FAQ. (Nothing personal Ajit, just many, many people ask this.)
Later,
Eli.
Re: Re: Giraffe dismount
I haven’t yet learned the 6 footer. There is one in our club, so some day it will lure me. The low pedal is probably too high off the ground to start with a foot on it. I’m 6’1", with long legs, but will probably have to add a step on the tire.
Anyway, the golf coach approach will still work. Before adopting it, I would have to deal with different problems with every try. This way, you should only have to deal with the same problem until you know how to handle it.
UPD=UnPlanned Dismount.
tom
Re: Re: Re: Giraffe dismount
That’s why I never use it.