U-Turn said:*I can't agree that a unicycle would have been "safer" or less risky.
*
I don't think we differ much for the most part. Certainly that trail
contains plenty of danger, even if you're just hiking! Any rider is well
advised to really think about it before attempting such a section. We
have a couple of similar trails in my area, which I hope to someday work
into a MUni Weekend (that's the Stevens Trail and South Yuba Trails:
http://www.unicycling.com/brett/steven.shtml
http://www.unicycling.com/brett/southyuba.shtml).
However, I will maintain that the unicycle is clearly safer in terms of
the type of dismount that rider did. His bike went off balance to the
exposre side, and he had nowhere to put his foot. Down he goes! If the
same thing happened on a unicycle, the rider could just take the other
foot off the pedal, and drop straight to the ground.
Where Phil had to stop and put a foot down, a unicyclist would either
stop and hop, or dismount to the front, putting his feet squarely on the
ground. He would not be "strung up" by the frame, which is the
difference here.
This is why I would ride a unicycle in many places I'd be too chicken to
ride a bike!
--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com
"It's good to find something that makes boys into men and men into boys,
my opinion is that unicycling fits the bill." -- Lloyd Johnson
"Read the rules!" -- 'IUF Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/) -- 'USA Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
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