I got my copy in the mail yesterday and plugged it in last night.
I really enjoyed it. First off, I personally loved the music choices. There was plenty of ‘cokering’, which I found refreshing. Some of it was downright amazing. Loved the NYC street footage. It was inspirational. I NEED to learn how to turn my Coker like that. I also liked the reality check of plenty of UPDs (some of those just HAD to hurt). Something about only filming the stuff that goes right makes the rest of us feel somehow inferior or inadaquate. It’s good to see that the ‘pros’ aren’t perfect. The short bits of juggling and Parkour provided a nice interlude. My wife, who really couldn’t give a hoot about unicycling videos, said she liked that fact that it wasn’t totally uni. The only other video that I have that she likes is “Into the Thunder Dragon” because of it’s cultural/ethnic backstory.
Anyway, have any of you received your copies yet? And, what did you think?
Connie has a 2-wheeler where the pedals go in opposite directions. Is that the one? Problem is, I don’t know what she calls it, other than “you can’t ride it.” Apparently the mechanism is fairly fragile so, at least when it was newer, she hardly let anyone else mess with it.
I was presuming that was the one he was referring to, saw a vid of her riding it at unicon (ah the ambiguities of the english language! i meant i was at unicon, and while there saw a video of her riding it)
I watched my copy on Friday night, and was generally blown away with it. Even my girlfriend loved it, although it’s the first unicycle film I’ve made her watch. I think it’s the variety that I liked the most - whatever your passion, there’s some of it in there.
However, there were a couple of bits that I thought were pretty irresponsible, namely the cokering through New York and the riding down the central divide on a motorway (freeway, major road, whatever).
The ride through NYC at night might just look worse because the camera is following the riders. I ride through central London each day, and maybe from someone elses viewpoint I might ride like that. I don’t know. Probably for the riders there and then it was fine, but it gave the impression of wrecklessness.
Riding down the central reservation on a 2’ high plinth horrified me, however. I know we all love to see riders going down dangerous skinnies where we know they’ll hurt them selves if they fall off, but with 60+ mph traffic either side they’re not just risking their health, but their lives and the lives of the drivers going past.
I know I probably sound like an old fuddy duddy there, but I really did enjoy the rest of it, and look forward to Brians next offering.
The NY cokering in the trailer did look a bit reckless to me… Although not necessarily actually dangerous it did give the impression that traffic and pedestrians were being used as an obstacle course. That said, riding around Cambridge and dodging the tourists probably looks broadly similar, and I doubt I’m as skilled / safe a rider!
Riding the central divide on the freeway sounds pretty terrifying! Can’t you be arrested for that? I’m not sure I’d want to see that when driving down the road either.
TWNR had a couple of scenes - riding the barrier beside a major road, and trials riding on a loose rocky cliff above a major road - that made me cringe a little in a similar way. They were still cool shots, but they did look like they could be dangerous to the traffic as well as the riders.
I love it. The music is great. I love the variety of riding and even some not riding. I love the coker scenes. Personally I could do without the uPD sections, seeing people get hurt just makes me not want to try things. (I know, I’m a wimp).
I didn’t like it, sorry. Nor did I like the one before (TWNR).
I found that there just wasn’t enough going on to enertain me, this could be because I’m not really interested in the style’s of riding though. I found Shauns bit pretty good though, that was a plus.
But reading other peoples experiances they clearly enjoyed it so that’s good.
I really like it, and the bonus footage goes on… and on… and on… which is great. The music was much, much better than TWNR, the concentration on lots of different styles from all over the world was a huge plus for me, since I do a little of everything. All the riding was top-class as well, which I think was a criticism of TWNR. Best muni guys, best street, best trials, best coker, etc etc. Really nice to watch, and the ‘interlude’ style non-uni entertainment was interesting and well paced. Camera work has to get a mention, that glidecam rig really really works, and makes for some amazing shots, especially in the coker, and shaun’s street section.
In short, loved it, and having the ‘little bit for everyone’ approach makes it a much more approachable film for the majority of riders.
The funky two-wheeler that I was riding was built in less than 12 hours by Tommy Miller (Unicycle Factory). I call it the “Myron cycle” because my good friend Myron suggested that it was something I should learn to do. I convinced Tommy to build it during a weekend visit to the Unicycle Factory.
Shortly after it was built, I did let others try the unicycle, but one guy got on it and after 5 seconds seriously bent part of the unicycle. Because I want to keep the unicycle working, I haven’t allowed others to try it since then.
When riding it, I usually start with the pedals together at the bottom. The odd thing is that after going several revolutions, the location shifts where the pedals are together. If you’ve ever ridden a chain-driven unicycle that has two chains, but with different number of teeth which changes from a standard giraffe to a kangaroo giraffe, you know what I mean.
ill admit it that the movie was good, but it needed alot different music for some parts (as in more hardcore and not so technoy.) and some more street riding would of been nice.
the cokers were awesome and so was the giraffe riding .the guy who jumped onto the rock and busted his butt on the giraffe , that was awesome.
the guy on the bc wheel was pretty good too.
shaun johannesons part was good and that crash he took over the rail looked pretty painful.
I was expecting that. I would, however, like to mention that there are things riders wanted to do that I refused to film because it would have almost positively caused harm to the rider, or to other things like traffic, and I thought would be very irresponsible.
You’ll notice a few things in that NYC scene. Adam is 100% confident in what he is doing. He has the ability to circumvent any pedestrian traffic he might see, and predict their movements, and always be looking for an out or two. (Very Cokeur-esque and a skill I did not want anyone to miss) After seeing Adam ride, I had no issue in filming him do what he’s been doing for years. Also notice, that of all the traffic and pedestrians Adam passes, no one seems to care, or even notice him. I would not have believed it myself had I not gone to NYC 3 times and witnessed it for myself.
If it wasn’t two unicyclers going in traffic, it would have been 5 or 6 bike couriers riding the same stuff, but faster and crazier. (and without a doubt, a fraction of the control Adam exhibits)
The traffic divider…well, you’ll have to talk to Shibumi about that one, I left my camera with him
It takes a great rider to do some of the stuff shown, and a great filmer to make it look even more intense (for example, the previously mentioned TWNR scenes…there was a good 30 feet minimum between the traffic and the riders)
(for example, the previously mentioned TWNR scenes…there was a good 30 feet minimum between the traffic and the riders)