Does anybody make a giraffe w/a big (26") wheel? I like being up high on my
giraffe w/a 20" wheel but I like the distance and speed I get w/my 26". Maybe I
need to contact the Unicycle Factory because I’m thinkin’ of a tall frame w/a
big wheel! Perhaps a Coker would do the trick? I kinda like a chain drive
though! Comments? Stay on Top! Steve
p.s. Still no idle! How do ya learn that? I’d hate to go back to holdin’ onto
something! Is that what it takes?
Re: Giraffe w/big wheel
Steve,
Idling top tips (not in order):
keep your weight in the seat. weight on lower foot not top foot. Go from 3 to
9 o’clock and back. build up to doing lots, try single idle at a time, then
ride off, then try 2 etc. Use your hips, your head stays almost stationary
when idling.
I hope this helps
Roger
ps my 5.5’ carbon fibre giraffe has a 24" wheel on it 
The UK's Unicycle Source <a href="http://www.unicycle.uk.com/">http://www.unicycle.uk.com/</a>
----- Original Message ----- From: “IROLLMYRPM” <irollmyrpm@aol.com> To:
<unicycling@winternet.com> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 4:00 AM Subject: Giraffe
w/big wheel
> Does anybody make a giraffe w/a big (26") wheel? I like being up high on
my
> giraffe w/a 20" wheel but I like the distance and speed I get w/my 26".
Maybe
> I need to contact the Unicycle Factory because I’m thinkin’ of a tall
frame w/a
> big wheel! Perhaps a Coker would do the trick? I kinda like a chain
drive
> though! Comments? Stay on Top! Steve
> p.s. Still no idle! How do ya learn that? I’d hate to go back to
holdin’
> onto something! Is that what it takes?
Re: Giraffe w/big wheel
You could just change the gear ratio on your current giraffe - same effect. Get
a larger diameter set for the top and/or a smaller diameter set for the bottom,
and you’ll increase the distance travelled per peddle stroke without having
added any weight.
The number of teeth on the top divided by the number of teeth on the bottom
gives you the number of revolutions of the wheel per peddle stroke. To simulate
a 24" wheel with a 20" uni, you need 1.2 times as many teeth on the top as the
bottom. To simulate a coker, you would need 1.8 times as many teeth on the top
as the bottom.
Luke
IROLLMYRPM wrote:
> Does anybody make a giraffe w/a big (26") wheel? I like being up high on my
> giraffe w/a 20" wheel but I like the distance and speed I get w/my 26". Maybe
> I need to contact the Unicycle Factory because I’m thinkin’ of a tall frame
> w/a big wheel! Perhaps a Coker would do the trick? I kinda like a chain drive
> though! Comments? Stay on Top! Steve
> p.s. Still no idle! How do ya learn that? I’d hate to go back to holdin’ onto
> something! Is that what it takes?
Re: Giraffe w/big wheel
Roger@unicycle.uk.com (unicycleSourceUK) wrote:
>Steve,
>
>Idling top tips (not in order):
>
>keep your weight in the seat. weight on lower foot not top foot. Go from 3 to 9
>o’clock and back. build up to doing lots, try single idle at a time, then ride
off, then try 2
>etc. Use your hips, your head stays almost stationary when idling.
Good tips. One more thing:
I think that being able to come to a full stop (without dismounting) and then
going forwards again is a good beginners’ drill. If that’s too easy, then try to
go backwards a short distance instead of stopping; it doesn’t have to be more
than a few inches at first. You’ll want to move backwards more than that during
idling, though.
One of the things you have to get over is the fact that you’ll be leaning
backwards (or, rather, your center of balance will be behind you) right before
and during the backwards movement. Until you get used to that (and it will be
harder if you’re holding onto something for balance), idling will be difficult.
>
>I hope this helps
>
>Roger
>ps my 5.5’ carbon fibre giraffe has a 24" wheel on it
>
>--------------------------------------------
> The UK’s Unicycle Source http://www.unicycle.uk.com/
>--------------------------------------------
>----- Original Message ----- From: “IROLLMYRPM” <irollmyrpm@aol.com> To:
><unicycling@winternet.com> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 4:00 AM Subject: Giraffe
>w/big wheel
>
>
>> Does anybody make a giraffe w/a big (26") wheel? I like
being up high on
>my
>> giraffe w/a 20" wheel but I like the distance and speed I get
w/my 26".
>Maybe
>> I need to contact the Unicycle Factory because I’m thinkin’
of a tall
>frame w/a
>> big wheel! Perhaps a Coker would do the trick? I kinda like
a chain
>drive
>> though! Comments? Stay on Top! Steve
>> p.s. Still no idle! How do ya learn that? I’d hate to go
back to
>holdin’
>> onto something! Is that what it takes?
>>
>
>
>
Ken
Got questions? Get answers over the phone at Keen.com. Up to 100 minutes free!
http://www.keen.com
Re: Giraffe w/big wheel
>You could just change the gear ratio on your current giraffe - same effect. Get
>a larger diameter set for the top and/or a smaller diameter set for the bottom,
>and you’ll increase the distance travelled per peddle stroke without having
>added any weight.
Thanks Luke, I should’ve thought of that! Thanks to all you other folks too for
the idling tips. I’ll get it. Steve