rec.sport.unicycling · Public discussion

Historical 45' Giraffe; Photos

Bondo · 2007-11-05T17:53:47+00:00

I was just in Grand Junction Colorado for a night this past weekend and was walking Main St. I walked into a bike shop I found because they had a bunch of funky bikes, tandems, and farthings. I asked if they had unicycles. The sales clerk said "Wow, you're like the third person in two weeks to ask about unicycles, the only one we have is right above me." As she pointed up to the ceiling. I was confused as all I saw above her was (I thought) the fire sprinkler pipes. It wasn't a fire pipe, it was a 45 foot giraffe. It stretched from one end of the store to the other, hung by the ceiling. Turns out there was a semi-famous circus-unicycling family that lived in Grand Junction and they built this unicycle to break the world record. Here is a picture of that record setting ride: [image: http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/uni45.jpg] The record held for two months I was told. A museum in Grand Junction held onto the unicycle in peices for many years and was going to throw it out when the bike shop saved it from the landfill and put it on display. A cool piece of Unicycle history that I thought needed documenting here. Some details; The wheel assembly: (20" white wall!) [image: http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0049.jpg] Wire guides along the length: [image: http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0054.jpg] How 'bout this seat? Ouch! [image: http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0061.jpg] [image: http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0051.jpg] The shop was pretty busy and the guy was trying to find the newspaper articles, but I told him don't worry I would stop in some other day, and they should put it up on their wall. I gave him my email for when he had an electronic version available. I don't know the name of this family, or what year this may have happened. (Pic looks like 60-63?) I'd be curious to know if there is any other mention in any unicycle histories someone may have. ? -- Bondo ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bondo's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/15716 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/65475 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com

Started by Bondo · 5 November 2007 · Last activity 7 November 2007 · 43 posts · 338 views

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01 / Original postHistorical 45' Giraffe; PhotosBondo · 5 Nov 2007 02 / This pagePosts 1–20Page 1 of 3 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #43john_childs · 7 Nov 2007

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Original section: rec.sport.unicycling
Published: 5 November 2007
Last activity: 7 November 2007
Original author: Bondo
Posts: 43
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 338
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Original post
Bondo
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5 November 2007, 17:53 UTC #1

I was just in Grand Junction Colorado for a night this past weekend and
was walking Main St. I walked into a bike shop I found because they had
a bunch of funky bikes, tandems, and farthings.
I asked if they had unicycles. The sales clerk said "Wow, you're like
the third person in two weeks to ask about unicycles, the only one we
have is right above me." As she pointed up to the ceiling. I was
confused as all I saw above her was (I thought) the fire sprinkler
pipes.
It wasn't a fire pipe, it was a 45 foot giraffe. It stretched from one
end of the store to the other, hung by the ceiling.
Turns out there was a semi-famous circus-unicycling family that lived
in Grand Junction and they built this unicycle to break the world
record.
Here is a picture of that record setting ride:
[image:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/uni45.jpg]
The record held for two months I was told. A museum in Grand Junction
held onto the unicycle in peices for many years and was going to throw
it out when the bike shop saved it from the landfill and put it on
display.
A cool piece of Unicycle history that I thought needed documenting
here.
Some details;
The wheel assembly: (20" white wall!)
[image:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0049.jpg]
Wire guides along the length:
[image:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0054.jpg]
How 'bout this seat? Ouch!
[image:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0061.jpg]
[image:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb148/Telehoar/Unicycle/DSC_0051.jpg]
The shop was pretty busy and the guy was trying to find the newspaper
articles, but I told him don't worry I would stop in some other day,
and they should put it up on their wall. I gave him my email for when
he had an electronic version available.
I don't know the name of this family, or what year this may have
happened. (Pic looks like 60-63?) I'd be curious to know if there is
any other mention in any unicycle histories someone may have.
?
--
Bondo
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rem48
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5 November 2007, 18:20 UTC #2

thanks for sharing. Looks great!
--
rem48
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rem48
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5 November 2007, 18:20 UTC #3

thanks for sharing. Looks great!
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rem48
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rem48
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5 November 2007, 18:20 UTC #4

thanks for sharing. Looks great!
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oneisenough
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5 November 2007, 21:17 UTC #5

thats cool. thanks for the info, very interesting!
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oneisenough
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5 November 2007, 21:17 UTC #6

thats cool. thanks for the info, very interesting!
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oneisenough
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5 November 2007, 21:17 UTC #7

thats cool. thanks for the info, very interesting!
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skilewis74
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6 November 2007, 05:06 UTC #8

OMFG that is a tall uni and ouch is right!
Anybody know what the record now is?
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skilewis74
Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you
are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the
time do it along the way.
Parafrasing a pro skater when asked for advise to kids who wanted to
get much better and maybee turn pro one day.
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skilewis74
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6 November 2007, 05:06 UTC #9

OMFG that is a tall uni and ouch is right!
Anybody know what the record now is?
--
skilewis74
Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you
are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the
time do it along the way.
Parafrasing a pro skater when asked for advise to kids who wanted to
get much better and maybee turn pro one day.
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skilewis74
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6 November 2007, 05:06 UTC #10

OMFG that is a tall uni and ouch is right!
Anybody know what the record now is?
--
skilewis74
Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you
are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the
time do it along the way.
Parafrasing a pro skater when asked for advise to kids who wanted to
get much better and maybee turn pro one day.
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Daytripper63
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6 November 2007, 05:14 UTC #11

That seat looks about as comfortable as a Torker Lx seat
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Daytripper63
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6 November 2007, 05:14 UTC #12

That seat looks about as comfortable as a Torker Lx seat
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Daytripper63
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6 November 2007, 05:14 UTC #13

That seat looks about as comfortable as a Torker Lx seat
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john_childs
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6 November 2007, 08:09 UTC #14

skilewis74 said:
OMFG that is a tall uni and ouch is right!
Anybody know what the record now is?
'115 feet' (http://www.semcycle.biz/record/) give or take a few inches.
Record by Sem Abrahams. See the link for pictures and video.
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john_childs
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6 November 2007, 08:09 UTC #15

skilewis74 said:
OMFG that is a tall uni and ouch is right!
Anybody know what the record now is?
'115 feet' (http://www.semcycle.biz/record/) give or take a few inches.
Record by Sem Abrahams. See the link for pictures and video.
--
john_childs
john_childs (att) hotmail (dott) com
Team Never Wash Your Muni
'My Gallery' (http://tinyurl.com/3d57bn) :: 'Unicycling Bookmark List'
(http://backcountry.unicyclist.com/) :: 'World Clock'
(http://tinyurl.com/2blym3)
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john_childs
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6 November 2007, 08:09 UTC #16

skilewis74 said:
OMFG that is a tall uni and ouch is right!
Anybody know what the record now is?
'115 feet' (http://www.semcycle.biz/record/) give or take a few inches.
Record by Sem Abrahams. See the link for pictures and video.
--
john_childs
john_childs (att) hotmail (dott) com
Team Never Wash Your Muni
'My Gallery' (http://tinyurl.com/3d57bn) :: 'Unicycling Bookmark List'
(http://backcountry.unicyclist.com/) :: 'World Clock'
(http://tinyurl.com/2blym3)
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tomblackwood
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6 November 2007, 08:15 UTC #17

Coolest new RSU thread in a while, and absolutely forum appropriate.
Thanks Bondo! Great job on the pictures!
Now we just need our esteemed historians to jump in with some details
around the history of the actual ride. I wonder when it happened, and
whether T. Miller had anything to do with the construction of the
giraffe.
--
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Tailgate at your own risk...
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tomblackwood
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6 November 2007, 08:15 UTC #18

Coolest new RSU thread in a while, and absolutely forum appropriate.
Thanks Bondo! Great job on the pictures!
Now we just need our esteemed historians to jump in with some details
around the history of the actual ride. I wonder when it happened, and
whether T. Miller had anything to do with the construction of the
giraffe.
--
tomblackwood
Tailgate at your own risk...
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tomblackwood
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6 November 2007, 08:15 UTC #19

Coolest new RSU thread in a while, and absolutely forum appropriate.
Thanks Bondo! Great job on the pictures!
Now we just need our esteemed historians to jump in with some details
around the history of the actual ride. I wonder when it happened, and
whether T. Miller had anything to do with the construction of the
giraffe.
--
tomblackwood
Tailgate at your own risk...
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Naomi
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6 November 2007, 09:26 UTC #20

Bondo said:

I don't know the name of this family, or what year this may have
happened. (Pic looks like 60-63?) I'd be curious to know if there is
any other mention in any unicycle histories someone may have.
?
Interestingly the Seb Site lists his record progress, one of which was
45 feet. In 1976.
Might it be possible that the shop has his old record breaking
unicycle. Or was the record held jointly by him and another?
Nao
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The dress in which I unicycled was not THAT short, but in retrospect, I
think that maybe the blue one would have been more appropriate to the
terrain. Nao April 2007.
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