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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