Hey gang,
I perform for a music group and we do parades yearly (we just did the 2010 Rose Parade!).
I thought in past of riding my Coker for parades but now I am thinking of buying a giraffe for added height.
I was thinking of getting a 5’ Torker Unistar TX Giraffe:
http://www.bicyclebuys.com/bikes/Unicycles/TOUNTXSB
Any advice about parading on giraffe?
And are they difficult to ride, mount, etc?
Thanks
You absolutely have to have freemounting and idling “nailed” to ride a giraffe in a parade. Freemounting can take a bit of work (I have not mastered it yet on a giraffe). Idling is easier to master (assuming you can idle on a regular uni).
Fitness is the next issue. Riding a couple of miles with lots of idling (as the parade pauses for units to perform in front of the judges’ stand) is hard work.
Ive done parades on both, The coker is a lot more fun than the giraffe as you can swoop up and down the road much faster. Id say go with that.
Back in 04 I rode my coker in the DC independence day parade with about 50 giraffe’s and would ride under all the other people holding hands on their giraffes it provides an interesting contrast and the audience seemed to think it looked pretty cool. It was a lot of fun.
Decorating the wheel is flashy as well.
This is us in the the macys’ day parade, everyone was on giraffes for this one:
Hey cool pics!
So the Coker would appear “small” next to a giraffe?
Yes! I reckon get a giraffe for parades and a 36" for riding. If you don’t have 50 giraffes already in your parade then the crowd will probably be more impressed by a giraffe than a 36". You don’t need to know how to freemount as long as you can ride without falling off. Freemounting a 5" is relatively easy as you can step directly up to the top via the lower pedal.
With my giraffe all bent out of shape it is no fun to ride- I’m wondering if that cheap one will be able to handle the forces. I had a go on Rodolfo’s giraffe and it was fun to ride without being bent and with a nice tire and seat. I’d probably go for high quality if I ever buy another giraffe.
I’ve had people ask me where my big one is while I’ve been riding my 36", and when I say it is my big one they say they are sure they have seen me on a bigger one.
A 5’ giraffe isn’t very big for a parade scenario. A Coker will make more of a visual “footprint” and be more noticeable, though you won’t be as tall, and it might not look harder to ride (which it is).
The upsides for the giraffe are that it’s a great platform for doing other stuff, such as playing a musical instrument or juggling. Also it’s easier to go slow, though that isn’t really a problem with the Coker. Also, it’s fun to pretend to be falling onto the audience, though again this is less effective if the giraffe is only 5’.
The upsides for the Coker are speed, speed and speed. If you are with other unicyclists (or most any other parade vehicles) you can ride rings around them. You can always catch up. Though it’s hard to ride at walking pace, you don’t have to, just zig-zag and fly around. Also, perhaps my favorite aspect of using a large wheel in parades, the Coker is much easier for returning to the car afterward. In other words, riding the parade route, either before or after the parade, is much quicker on the Coker!
For my parades I have a choice of a 9’ giraffe or a 45" big wheel. Or other stuff, but those are the most visual two. I almost always choose the big wheel because I have a lot more fun on it. Also with a tall giraffe it’s a lot harder to get down during the parade, so you’re usually just stuck up there for the duration. Sore crotch! With a lower giraffe, being able to freemount is a great crowd-pleaser so learn it as soon as you can.
I’ve done both the Coker and giraffe (at separate times) in parades and prefer the Coker as you have more options (speed, stopping, dismounting, mounting, etc).
As has been previously discussed, unless you can freemount the giraffe the ride will be problematic. I’ve had to move to a sidewalk and mount on stop signs! It’s fun to talk to the crowd during these mounts but also dangerous to them and yourself.