mini giraffe(s) (unicycles, not the ones at the zoo)

I’m interested in mini giraffes. I saw just such a unicycle at unicyclist.com. It was that little blue one with the KH saddle. A nice looking uni. It says it comes with a 12" seat post add-on thing, but I don’t know if it was on in the pic. It looked like it might be a bit hard on the knees without the extension for the seatpost, unless you happen to be around 3 feet tall. I also like that fat little 10x3" tire. It could be a mini-trials unicycle. I can see it now…

I would like to buy something like that, but from a Canadian supplier. Bedford does not make anything like that to my knowledge. If anyone could tell me more about where I might be able to get one in Canada, it would be appreciated.

Thank you for reading this far in my post and don’t hesitate to reply. No, really.

I have a Fleet Mini Giraffe <http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=86>

If you are going to get a mini giraffe you have to realize that the whole point of the thing is to be silly. It needs be ridden in “mini mode” to get the necessary effect. Why get it if you’re just going to put the seat way up like a normal unicycle? A mini giraffe purist will undoubtedly say that a mini giraffe should not be sold with an extension or an extremely long seatpost.

Riding it with the seat way down low is a bit of a challenge, but not too difficult. The difficulty comes in if the seat is so low that your heel hits your buttocks as you pedal. At that point it gets too difficult for me so I have to keep the seat up high enough so I don’t hit my backside with my feet.

As long as you can comfortably bend your knees enough to be able to ride in “mini mode” you aren’t going to hurt your knees. You can’t put enough mileage and time on a mini giraffe to cause injury to your knees from the odd posture. I wouldn’t do a parade with the mini giraffe in mini mode because a ride that long probably would cause some soreness in my knees.

With the seat up high with the seatpost extension a mini giraffe is no harder to ride than a standard unicycle with a small wheel. The Fleet giraffe is geared so that it rolls like a 16" wheel. I don’t know what the gearing is on the GB4 mini giraffe.

Man, that is so cute! Wow, if ever I saw one of these on sale used, I would snap it up ! Just way too cute … !

Erin

With the seat post extension and that bouncy tire, it might be fun to take some of that silliness on the MUni trails.

I recently had a silly 16" uni ride. A visit to the Memphis Unicycle Club provided an opportunity to try a 5 foot and 6 foot giraffe, and a 16" non-giraffe for the first time. I’m feeling the urge to expand my uni collection.

The 16 was very silly, but fun, as long as I kept my toes up (to keep them from dragging the floor at the same time my knees were trying to knock my teeth out).

A full sized giraffe doesn’t actually eliminate the silly factor, after you get over the terror of the first few launches into unknown territory. It was easier than I expected, but a parachute might be a good idea for anything larger than a 6 footer.

Additional silliness was added by riding the unibike around inside the church recreation room. It’s not very stable at slow speeds.

Silliness is addicting, and helps to retain youth.

I can’t wait to see it moving at cruising speed. I think Jeff said it has some 27 gears!

Jeff provided us with a room full of grins.

Silliness is a worthy goal in itself.
Tom.

That’s it exactly. I want to be able to have a funny-looking and still functional giraffe. It’s the best of any worlds I can think of. Go silliness! Gets out cheerleading pom-poms.