I was making a freewheeling, geared uni with brakes as you may no but after realising it would be nearly imposible to ride i thought i would get the grinder out and weld it into a girrafe uni, well i finished it earlyer, its 7.5 high i havnt tried riding it yet because its now dark but i was woundering how hard is it going to be to ride because it looks very high. i have heard there easyer to ride than normal unis.
Giraffes just feel weird at first.
Mounting them can be a hassle at first too, but if you have something tall to climb onto, then get on the uni, its easier then just trying to do a running mount or something.
Anyways, just get one and ride it, you’ll get used to the height and how it handles in a few mins.
Giraffes are easier providing they’re of a good quality, so there is minimal slack in the chain, frame is stiff etc. Homemade giraffes (particularly ones cut from bikes) are notoriously difficult to ride because they lack these qualities. Obviously I have no idea how good yours is, it;s just somethign to bear in mind. If this is your first giraffe experience i wouldnt go for 7 1/2 feet, you hit the ground at a hell of a speed from that height, most probably enough to break your ankles if it goes wrong. Cut it down to 6 or 5 feet and learn to ride it well, then maybe remake it in to something more exceptional.
does it make much difference to how hard it is to ride if you make it a foot or two shorter? or is it just so that when you fall off it doesnt hurt as much?
the chain on what i have made is very nice and tight as i have added another gear that tentions the chain half way between the pedals and the whells axle
It’s more just about how far you fall, in theory the higher you go the easier it is to ride. The extra chain tensioner sounds like a very good idea.
the main reason for the chain tentioner was so that it was posible to vary the length of the chain for if i want 2 change the gearing but all is good
one more question, hod do you mesure the hight of giraffe unicycles? i stated that the one i have made is 7.5 ft but im not sure if it was mesured corectly, i mesured it from the ground to the seat, is this right?
That makes the most sense, but most giraffes you buy are measured to the top of the frame, where the seatpost clamp is. As an example, my torker 5 foot giraffe saddle is actually 5’8" off the ground, because I have the saddle quite high.
thanks
that makes mine only a 7 ft giraffe then
if its easy enough to ride i may work out how much it will cost and how hard it will be to make a 116 ft uni and claim the record for the tallest giraffe uni rider 
Remember to always dismount a raffie with the uni in front of you.
This is to ensure that you always know exactly what the wheel is doing while you’re getting off.
If you dismount with the wheel behind you and the wheel stops against something unseen while you’re on your way down you can injure yourself quite severely.
It’s a major safety issue, dismount with the unicycle in front of you.
Have a spotter or two with you on your first ride. It can’t hurt.
If you can, make it a double-chain raffie.
Add another chain on the other side of the frame.
This is another safety issue and while it’a a nice to have, it’s not crucial.
I still ride a single-chain 5footer.
Oh, and this should be in Rec.Sport.Unicycling…
ok that makes sence thanks, I just thought you are ment to just fall down forward to get off but i can see that will hurt if it hits somthing
Aye, getting off with the uni in front also gives you a much surer chance of catching the uni on landing, and a drop from that height can damage your frame.
That is so very true, the giraffe i have is 1.5m high and my good friend has this. http://www.unicycle.au.com/View.php?action=ProductDetail&Code=UNIG20E
The giraffe i have now (which is the 1.5m) was a B’day present she gave to me and i take good care not to damage it. It’s kinda like a hi-maintenance thing to me. You know, clean it, check the chain isn’t rusted or snapped, polish it nicely, etc. Pretty much keep in good condition. 
The good thing that comes out of it is the amount of fun you can have and the fact that people who stare at you while riding up that high question how you ride the damn thing. So all in all, it was $$$ put to good use. She’s happy that i’m riding it and i’m happy too. Cause i get to ride it.
I made a couple of adjustments and i took it for a ride, it feels sooo cool almost as if you are flying, i would recoment to anyone that if they havnt tried it, buy one, make one, borrow one or even steel one it feels amazing
thanks for all your advise
Now you have to learn to freemount.
I was easier to learn how to freemount on a giraffe for me. But patience was definitely needed.
Thought I would post this pic coz I thought it looked pretty gd
thats me on my giraffe and my ginger friend that i ride with
can you free wheel on it?
edit: looks good
no, I tried after the hub broke and couldnt go anywhere and as it took a while to get on because i had to climb a tree i decided to fix it, tomorrow im going to try and make it so it is posible to change gear so i will hopfuly be able to do it on the go