Re: [New giraffe!]
Gravity Guy <gravityguy_99@yahoo.com> wrote: HI Everybody!
I just got my brand-spankin-new giraffe today.
It is about 5 feet. I was just wondering where I should start? I have some good
Ideas from books N stuff, but I’d like to have some personal oppinions.
I suggest learning things in the following order:
-getting on with help (help = friend and wall, more about that later) -falling
off with help (forwards) -falling off without help (forwards) -falling off
without help (backwards) -riding forwards -idling -getting on without help
The logic is you are a lot more comfortable with riding if you know you can fall
safely. Try to avoid falling sideways if you want to remain in one piece. (Twist
so you are falling either forwards or backwards.
The safest way to get on is to find a wall and place the unicycle with the
tyre against the wheel. Get your friend to put a foot behind the wheel so
that it can’t move and have them hold the frame so that it is upright and
make sure the pedals are vertical. While your friend is holding it upright
climb up onto the seat.
You climb the unicycle like it is a ladder. First step onto the wheel, the next
foot goes on the lowest pedal, then lift your foot off the wheel and onto the
highest pedal. Get yourself on the seat and get a feel for the balance up there.
Friend should now be able to let go.
Work your way around so that you have a clear place to fall and then fall
forwards. Don’t worry about catching the uni, thats what your friend is for.
Practice this several times till you are comfortable coming off the uni. Next
repeat getting on but when you fall off forwards reach behind and catch the
seat. Repeat a few more times.
Now try falling off backwards. Just step off backwards, holding onto the seat.
It is scarier but I find it easier (And its a lot safer for the people around
you as you can see where the giraffe is).
Once you are comfortable with dismounting get back on and go for your first
real ride.
Idling is easy though different. Things slow down a bit on a giraffe. Its
actually easier to juggle on a giraffe while juggling because of this.
Freemounting is fairly tough. Having said that, I learnt to freemount the first
time I tried a giraffe. A 5ft is a lot easier than a 6fter. There are many ways
to freemoun and it depends a bit on your size and suicidal tendencies which one
you use. There are some nice descriptions on unicycling.org.
o o Peter Bier o O o Juggler, unicyclist and mathematician.
o/|\o peter_bier@usa.net
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