I really appreciate reading through this forum when I got my giraffe, and found some really useful suggestions.
Now that I have succeeded, I want to add something back to the forum, and here it is:
You don’t need to be able to ride well …
You don’t need to be able to ride a giraffe well to freemount it
I have had my giraffe for around 3 weeks, and have the “climb” freemount completely down pat (10 out of 10 tries). I got this freemount right before I could idle on the giraffe (and although I can ride a normal uni backwards, I can’t yet ride the giraffe backwards).
I do believe you’ll need to be confident at idling on a normal uni, before being able to use the climb method for the first time on a giraffe. But you certainly don’t have to be able to ride backwards on the giraffe, or even idle on the giraffe.
A detailed description of the method
Here’s the method I use for the freemount, in some detail:
(1) Giraffe upright, facing forward (no twist, or lean)
(2) Right hand completely down
(3) Left hand pedal made level (to receive left foot).
(3) Right hand gripping front of the seat, in the way that you want it to be once you are up and riding (ie over the top of the seat)
(4) Left hand coming from left hand side, on the middle of the seat (this will stop giraffe twisting on the way up).
(5) Left foot heel approximately the diameter of the wheel behind the wheel.
(6) Left foot facing out left (ie not the direction of the wheel) … there is a good reason for this … it naturally stops your left leg pushing up too much (which will just launch you over the Uni, and lead to another non-landed-attempt).
(7) Look up
(8) You will be concentrating on keeping the uni completely upright while you steadily rise up to the right level.
… NOW (you need to do the next stuff all in a single fluid (but not fast) movement …
(9) Leaving your left foot where it is, move your whole body closer to the Uni
(10) Put pressure on your right foot, and use your right foot to stand up … DO NOT JUMP WITH YOUR LEFT FOOT … THIS IS CRITICAL
(11) When you are standing up, your right hand will move the seat under your goolies (or family jewels) and at the same time your left foot will hit the pedal
(12) You are now on the seat, and the wheel needs to come backwards a little to get your balance right.
(13) You will pedal backwards about a quarter rev, and off you go.
Problems I’ve encountered
[] not getting up high enough … try try again (for me, over 150 attempts in a row)
[] going too far over the top … try try again (and remember - keep the Giraffe upright on the way up … so that your hand puts the seat under the important bits)
[] going too far off to one side … try try again (your left foot placement is important … read above about the heel placement).
How long did it take ?
Day 1 - just jumping up and down and getting nowhere near it
Day 2 - 160 attempts, 5 successes (pure luck)
Day 3 - 160 attempts, 25 successes (pure luck)
Day 4 - 150 attempts, 15 successes (oh #@$%^& !!!) 
Day 5 - 100+ attempts, 5 successes (!!!)
Day 6 - 25 attempts, 10 successes
Day 7 - 15 attempts 10 successes
Day 8 - 8 attempts 5 successes
Day 9 - 5 attempts 5 successes
… now it is pretty much every time, unless I’m not concentrating, or one of my kids gets in the way (I’m 38 … my youngest is 3 and doesn’t understand how it’ll hurt if I land on him).
Regards from sunny (and dry) Brisbane, Australia.
