Innovative community outdoor space unicycle suggestions/ideas

General
1

I’m in discussion with a local community organisation that are setting up a creative play space, and who want to integrate some unicycle stuff into it.

It’s a medium sized outdoor space and it’s going to be innovative, rather than the usual swings/roundabout park space.

It’s going to have a network of serpentine earth mounds and paths, and the idea was that these would form a kind of small trail, which could be also be used by unicyclists.

Sheffield isn’t known for it’s high population of unicyclists, but we think that with good publicity, in conjunction with an organised unicycle project for beginners, there should be plenty of interest.

I’m putting up this post in the hope of gathering ideas and suggestions of things we could incorporate into this space, especially from people who’ve had experience of setting up something similar.

Looking at other threads I’ve found the following links: -

Bear in mind that the space will be used for lots of other stuff (eg there’s going to be art sculptures carved from wood)- it’s definitly not a dedicated unicycle space, so we can’t have loads of trials obstacles all over the place.

From the above links I’m pretty sure we’ll be OK in putting together the usual trials obstacles kind of stuff, so we’re mainly interested here in ideas for unusual things that can be seamlessly incorporated into the space.

Also, at least initially, skill levels of the users will not be high as they will mainly be complete beginners.

We’re thinking more of a small muni trail incorporated into the earthwork mound, with some logs and maybe a couple of low ‘skinny’ ramps etc.

One question I have concerns the mounds themselves- on the plans that have been drawn up, the sides seem to be around 45 degrees, which is obviously not ideal for riding up.

One of the things we’ll be discussing with the designer of the site is ensuring that there will be lower angled approach ramps to the mounds, but I’m just wondering if it’s feasable to construct earth mounds with a shallower angle, or, is it just the nature of earth mounds that they end up around 45 degrees?

Any thoughts/ideas or links to other similar projects would be much appreciated :slight_smile:

Dave.

2

If you can sell them the idea of an out door trampoline go for it. There is one in exeter at “flowerpot fields chill zone” and its top fun on a uni, you can hop REALLY high . Its embedded in the ground so you CAn just ride on to it or rather hop over onto it as riding on tends to bounce you off!

Also be cool to have something about the height of a 5 bar gate that one can perch on with the back of the saddle resting on it for chilling out and watching the world go by. May need to be a slopeing rail to accomadate different height riders?

How about round bars at about chest hight for beginners to hang onto or any one to swing upside from.
Sarah

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Re: Innovative community outdoor space unicycle suggestions/ideas

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 07:46:33 -0600, “onewheeldave” wrote:

>One of the things we’ll be discussing with the designer of the site is
>ensuring that there will be lower angled approach ramps to the mounds,
>but I’m just wondering if it’s feasable to construct earth mounds with a
>shallower angle, or, is it just the nature of earth mounds that they end
>up around 45 degrees?

There is a /maximum/ stable slope to earth mounds, which may be in the
45 degree range depending on grain size distribution, grain
angularity, moisture etc. But there is no /minimum/ slope. So a
not-steep* ramp should be possible. Not sure if this is your question
because it seems quite obvious.

*is there an adjective for “not-steep”? Shallow?

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict

people who unicycle are shyly exhibitionistic - GILD

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Re: Re: Innovative community outdoor space unicycle suggestions/ideas

Gentle or gradual are probably the better way to describe a “not-steep” slope. A gentle slope or a gradual slope.

I’ve been known to use shallow to describe the opposite of a steep learning curve, as in a shallow learning curve. But that’s not the best word to use. Gentle or gradual would be much better. A gentle learning curve or gradual learning curve.

5

Sarah- cheers for the chest-high round bar idea; I should have thought of it myself cos currently I’m running a small uni project for kids, and they’ve made a lot of use of the round metal rails outside the offices.

Concerning the recessed trampoline idea, do you have any links to pictures of one, or to links to the manufacturer. It’s not something I’d push for purely for a small-ish unicycle project, but it does sound like something that would fit into the ethos of a creative play area.

6

The press release from the council about its opening is here.
http://www.exeter.gov.uk/news/newsreleases/media_releases_2004/april_2004/teenagers_chill_out_over_easter.xml
the skate mini ramp is actully pretty big, the whole area is well put together and includes a couple of seating areas including a hamock or two and a small shelter along side a large skate park. exeter city council take their skate parks quite seriously and there are a few dotted around the suburbs giving teen skaters and hangers on somewhere to play and hang out.

This below ids lifted from the ECC website
Details of skate/BMX facilities in the City of Exeter

Exhibition Fields
A large street course with Skate-Lite surfacing designated for skating and BMXing. Two sets of ramps provide an opportunity to practice your tricks and grinding.

Flowerpot Chill Zone
This £84,000 skate park was designed by the City’s teenagers, making it a ‘park for the people’. The skate park, with Skate-Lite surfacing, has a variety of ramps, steps and grinds.

A vert wall offers plenty of adventure for those who want it! The park has three quarter pipes and a number of boxes for grinding.
The skate park is full of variety that makes it ideal for skateboarders, in-line skaters and freestyle BMX riders.

Don;t know who the manuafture is tho, some one at the Ecc park dept might be able to help, phone no is on the web site
Sarah