Where did they all go?

General
1

While trying to find threads on “crank length”, I spent some time reading several that were written in 1995. More interesting than the information contained in the threads were the names of people that were sharing information at the time. I only recognized a few.

I realize that since then some people have changed their name and/or email address, therefore I may not recognize them. But even so, there were a different group of people sharing than now. Where did they all go? Did they stop unicycling? Could this be an indication of a sport that may be fickle?

dan

2

They’re out unicycling, duh. They got enough inspiration from the board and became bored of the board, so they hit the streets!

3

Re: Where did they all go?

Share some of those names with us, maybe someone knows what happened to them.
Barb K.

4

more important than the names u didn’t recognise may be the names that u did
i wouldn’t call the sport fickle
yet i think a majority of unicyclists will agree that it is a sport with a high rate of attrition
trying to get unicycling a touch more organised in SA have led me to getting in touch with the companies that have imported uni’s to SA
they have brought in hundreds in the past five years
yet we know of only a handfull active unicyclists
i would’ve thought that once u got to this board, u were probably in deep enough to avoid falling victim but i must accept that they have become garage uni’s
:frowning:

5

Looking at the blurb there are currently 1,090 registered members to the forums here, and no doubt lots of people who read / used to read r.s.u through the newsgroup. I would have thought only a small number of them are currently active; lots will have been set up by people who never actually got round to posting, but I imagine quite a few will be from people who just… went away.

Looking at the top posters list I recognise most of the top lot and I’ve been here since about January; but there are people who’ve made about the same number of posts as I have that I’ve never heard of.

It’s quite sad, really… you don’t notice at the time until you suddenly realise an absence of posts from someone… where did Animation and Rhysling go? I used to look forward to their banter…

Phil, just me

6

Phil,

Hey, thanks for the kind memories.

I’m still unicycling a whole bunch … but less than I did. I maybe cycle 4-8 hours a week (I had been doing 8-15 hours a week). Things are really, really hot now. Also, my company (WorldCom) has been having problems and so I’m always worried about layoffs and possibly having to move and blah blah. Finally, Rhysling has a medical condition that prevents him from unicycling.

So, between those items, I’ve been cycling less, and depressed more, so I post less. I still read fairly regularly.

As for Chris (Rhysling), he isn’t really any better, and he can’t do any physical activity for more than 5 minutes. He gave himself a serious stabbing headache / dizziness episode (or so I hear; I had to leave early) just because he went to juggling club this past saturday, and he moved around a bit too much.

So, he has been unable to ride at all for months now … so I think he isn’t posting.

So, we are out here, but a little down and out for banter right now. :slight_smile: I’m still waiting until I have the time and motivation to replace my schwinn wheel set, and I’m still irked that my Hunter makes a ton of noise. I cant wait until Tommy finishes his early summer vacations so I can take a road trip to Memphis to do some riding and to have him look my Hunter over.

Oh yeah, that’s another reason I havent posted here in a bit: shame. :slight_smile: I have yet to do any of the mechanical stuff to my unicycles, so I feel stupid for coming back to the well and posting, since I’ve just left my schwinn wheelset upgrade self-appointed task for dead. It’s a temporary shame, I’m hoping. :slight_smile:

Well, back to work. I’ve let procrastination put me in a tight spot. Argh I hate porting my old applications. :slight_smile: It is frustrating work.

Oh and here are a couple of updated pics of me and Rhysling:

http://lwb.org/public/ChrisPose.jpg (Rhysling)
http://lwb.org/public/LewisSophia-2.jpg (Animation)

If I can just pay off my house and relax a little, I will perhaps be back to posting more often.

Lewis

7

:frowning:

I wouldn’t let that put you off… only yesterday I was trying to tighten a pedal crank; I was there for ages heaving away with a spanner and a crank remover only to suddenly remember you’ve got to take the nut off first. Not once, but twice… <hangs head in shame…>

Good luck, I look forward to your proper return!

Phil, just me

8

That’s a fine looking picture…of the Krispy Kremes, I mean.

Bruce

9

I like the specially elongated red crew-cab pickup truck for giraffe unicycles that you’ve got in the background.

Leo White

10

Where did they all go? The answer is almost certainly boringly prosaic. Or perhaps prosaically boring. There will be two factors at work:

  1. As with any activity or sport, especially a minority and difficult activity, for every ten people who try it, only 3 or 4 will have any real degree of success, and only a couple of those will become enthused, and only one of those will stick at it for more than a couple of years.
    Most people move on through, with just a few really getting the bug and sticking with it. This is probably exacerbated by the fact that unicycling is attractive to the young free and fit; young free and fit people get older, more tied down, and less fit, and move onto more mature activities, like taking their kids to McDonalds.
  2. Of those who stick with the sport, only a few will stick with this forum. Human nature means people will only contribute when they get something back - whether that is advice, encouragement, interest, or a feeling of status.
    There’s only so much one can say on the subject. I bet a search of the archives would find that about three quarters of the posts refer to one of the following: crank length, wheel size, tyre choice, seats, air seats, pedals, protection, mounting, basic maintenance and tools. Perhaps after a few months in the forum, most people have nothing new to say, and nothing more to ask.

Is it a problem? I think not, because the forum provides a useful service for new and aspiring riders, a way of meeting other riders, and a bit of fun when it’s too wet/dark/cold to ride. As long as the equipment remains available, and there are a few other riders to meet now and again, what more could we want?

11

Leow,

Well, this is Mississippi, so you see that everywhere. That was out behind our classiest shopping mall, NorthBarn. I mean NorthPark.

It was the 4th, and people had hauled all their hot air balloons to the field out back, about 15 in total. I think the trucks were part of all that. At night, they all kicked on the flame at the same time and in patterns, for the 4th. Then they moved them all, so that the normal fireworks could commence.

But, you see those trucks everywhere here. It is the soccer mom vehicle of choice.

Lewis