Two "Firsts" Today!!!!

[chirokid]

One was good, the other bad.
My two oldest daughters were in their first Parade today. It was a
Christmas Parade. The route was 2 miles long. I logged in 3.81 miles
and my ll year old girl logged 3.72 miles. (I must have done a few more
figure 8's than her). My 8 year old daughter was great. She is really
small, and a very good rider. The crowd just loved her (read that, they
ignored ol' Dad). Seeing my girls on thier unis in a parade sure made
me proud. They smiled and waved and spead Christmas Cheer all along the
parade route. We really had a woderful time. Normal people love
watching unicycle riders, we really do have something special.
Second (this is the bad part). About a 1/4 mile into the parade, the
floats were going really slow, so I was riding back down a slight hill.
Seeing as how there were only a few people on the sides of the street at
this point in the parade, I thought it would be a perfect place to ride
one footed. (Note: never attempt a trick you do not totally own, while
in a parade) I am not sure what really happened, but I can tell you I
ended up laying flat on my back. I was fine, thank you Lord, but it was
my worst fall in 32 years of riding. Totally flat on my back, during a
parade. Yes, I did feel like a clown!!! Proud and humbled all in the
same Parade.

Anyone else been in Christmas Parades yet this year? We do two more
next week. Yippee!!! --chirokid--


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chirokid

"my gyroscope is in my head......." Zod
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[Rowan]

chirokid wrote:
> *Normal people love watching unicycle riders, we really do have
> something special.*
Are you suggesting unicyclists are not normal? :mad: It's those
bicyclists with a trainer wheel who are weird. Bummer about the spill,
although I think a crowd is the best place to crash in front of. At
least the people get to appreciate the humour of the crash. If you crash
by yourself then you get hurt, but no one is there to witness the event,
making it a waste of crash. Catching bails on video camera is the best,
for repeated enjoyment. One footing is not too hard once you suss it,
I've fallen on my back lately while practising wheel walking though,
breaking my fall with my hands


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[chirokid]

Rowan wrote:
> *Are you suggesting unicyclists are not normal? :mad: *
>
> >
> > Yes, I feel we are very abnormal. For confirmation, check out the
> > current thread, ??who are you in real life??. Most are nurds (read,
> > not normal) and some are super-jocks like myself :D (also read, not
> > normal). But I feel we are abnormal in a very outstanding and
> > positive way!
> >
> >
> >
> > Rowan wrote:
> > > *Catching bails on video camera is the best, for repeated
> > > enjoyment. *
> >
> > I agree completely. I told my daughters later, "I sure wish someone
> > would have caught that fall on video." I'd love to watch it, again
> > and again, and send it in to "America's Funniest Videos" :)
> >
> > Any more Parade riders? --chirokid--



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"my gyroscope is in my head......." Zod
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[gerblefranklin]

Rowan wrote:
> *Are you suggesting unicyclists are not normal? :mad: It's those
> bicyclists with a trainer wheel who are weird. Bummer about the spill,
> although I think a crowd is the best place to crash in front of. At
> least the people get to appreciate the humour of the crash. If you
> crash by yourself then you get hurt, but no one is there to witness
> the event, making it a waste of crash. Catching bails on video camera
> is the best, for repeated enjoyment. One footing is not too hard once
> you suss it, I've fallen on my back lately while practising wheel
> walking though, breaking my fall with my hands *


I both agree and disagree. Since I now perform almost entirely trials
(informally), although I can do one footed, wheelwalking, gliding and
all that, my falls tend to be disappointingly unspectacular. Most of the
time the injuries come from a bailed attempt at a hop, and then smashing
the crown into my knee:( . That used to really hurt, but my new KH pads
protect from it, so I'm doing well. Also, when I do perform freestyle,
my falls still tend to be unspectactular. Unless I do a really bad seat
drag, or attempt standup wheelwalking (I suck at it), my falls are still
boring.

I do agree that onefooting is simple once you get it, and you should
keep at it.

On the topic of firsts, I landed two 2' jumps onto a box today, in a
row:D . This is really great for me, as I had a goal of doing just what
I did today, before my birthday, which happens to be on the 30th (of
November). Now to get it down, and continue onto 26" whicl I will
hopefully land before x-mas, as I have also set that goal.


--
gerblefranklin

I don't break equipment, I make it cheaper.
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[grey]

chirokid wrote:
> *Any more Parade riders? --chirokid-- *

RTUC has been in four parades this November, and I was with them for two
parades as my first. It was fun!
One city put some pictures of us on their 'city website'
(http://www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us/city/sld008.htm). (click forward for two
more pictures of the club.) I wasn't with them on that day.:(


--
grey - George Kleinert

"The feeling is weird - sort of like learning to use a single-wheel
prosthetic device to keep the earth away." - cyberbellum
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[billham]

I'm thinking about doing a parade or two next year. I did one when I
was a kid, but haven't been riding now for over 30 years and am ready
for the streets again.

Besides figure 8's and an occasional back slam, what other tricks do you
do during a parade?

How old was your 8 year old when she started? I am giving my daughter a
uni for Christmas, she is 6.5 years old. Any good tips on teaching
someone that young?

Bill


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Direction is everything, distance is secondary.
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[Eublapharis13]

The MUC is doing 2 christmas parades this year that i know of.


--
Eublapharis13 - Unicycle destroyer

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their
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[chirokid]

billham wrote:
> *
> Besides figure 8's and an occasional back slam, what other tricks do
> you do during a parade?*QUOTE]
>
> Bill, I am LOL at your BACK SLAM comment. That is too funny. As for
> other tricks, there are many. If you will do a search for Parades,
> you should be able to find a post about just this topic. This was a
> hot topic in July 2003.
> Some of my favorites are: giving high-fives to rows of kids along the
> route, riding backwards, acting like your out of control and about to
> run into the crowd, then stopping and backing away, riding big circles
> or figure 8's and letting your tire almost run into the crowd, spins,
> idling. One of the suggestions from this board during the July
> discussion was to push the float in front of you. I have not done
> this, but it sounds like lots of fun, as well as a crowd pleaser.
>
> *How old was your 8 year old when she started? I am giving my
> daughter a uni for Christmas, she is 6.5 years old. Any good tips on
> teaching someone that young?
> Bill *


She has just been riding for 5 months. I also have a 5 year old. She
has a little 12" unicycle. She can ride it with me holding her hand, or
my 8 or 11 year old riding beside her and holding her hand. However,
she can't ride it totally by herself yet. She can only ride 2 to 6 feet
by herself. But she's getting there! I thing the best teaching for a
little one is watching Dad or Mom ride and them being motivated to
learn. Then just give them a helping-stablizing hand and lots of
encouragement.
Your 6.5 year old will love her unicycyle. --chirokid--


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chirokid

"my gyroscope is in my head......." Zod
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[billham]

I'll search the forum for parades. Sounds like fun reading.

I enjoy Muni and trials riding and thought it would be fun to have a
trials float in a parade. You could set up steps and ramps onto a small
trailer, then have some boxes on the trailer. You could ride along the
float while moving and do some trials when it is stopped. I figure you
could even have an item or two dragging behind the trailer also.
Has anyone done this before? I'd like to hear how it worked for you if
you have.

Bill


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[joemarshall]

billham wrote:
> *I'll search the forum for parades. Sounds like fun reading.
>
> I enjoy Muni and trials riding and thought it would be fun to have a
> trials float in a parade. You could set up steps and ramps onto a
> small trailer, then have some boxes on the trailer. You could ride
> along the float while moving and do some trials when it is stopped. I
> figure you could even have an item or two dragging behind the trailer
> also. Has anyone done this before? I'd like to hear how it
> worked for you if you have.
>
> Bill *


How about jumping between two moving trailers?

Joe


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[billham]

I assume you mean two trailers moving in opposite directions at 45 mph
each. No, I hadn't considered that. :-) Probably since the slow speed
of the parade would prevent getting the trailers up to speed.

Bill


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