Unicycle articles (but wait there's more...)

Wheel be rolling along; [FINAL Edition]
Mike Blackburn. Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough (UK): Apr 23, 2005. pg. 3


(Copyright 2005 MGN LTD)
Unicyclists from across the globe are descending on Teesside this
weekend for an action-packed three-day convention.

The British Unicycle Convention, hosted by The Stockton Unicycle and
Juggling Club, is the largest of its kind in the UK.

More than 250 riders are converging on St Michael's School, in
Billingham, from the UK and as far afield as the US, France, Germany,
Brazil and Australia for the 12th annual event.

Those attending include several world champions along with probably the
"most exciting rider" in the World - Simon Wells from Australia.

Events include the British Unicycle Trials competition, the British
Unicycle Hockey championship and the British Unicycle Freestyle
competition.

One of the more unusual events was last night's Ceilidh - conducted on
unicycles.

Roger Davies, of The Stockton Unicycle and Juggling Club, said the
annual convention has helped raise the profile of the sport
enormously.

He said: "Our club alone has 60 members and it has been estimated that
one and a half per cent of the UK population can ride a unicycle.

"It's a lot of fun, the fitness benefits are great and it's a lot less
dangerous than normal cycling - 90pc of the times you fall off you land
on your feet!"

The event includes unicycle workshops to learn everything from how to
ride to "ridiculously hard tricks".


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

¤-Kaycee
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(Copyright The Hartford Courant 2005)
Let's play "Guess the Word Origin!" Can you select the correct
derivation of these terms?

1. Boarders (people who live in rooming houses) are so called because
...

a. many worked in sawmills making boards b. they often slept on boards.
c. their food was served on long boards d. rooming houses were made from
boards

2. "Free-wheeling," meaning loose and undisciplined, derives from ...

a. a steering wheel that's easy to turn *b. a style used in riding
unicycles * c. free rides once available on stern-wheel steamboats d. a
car designed to coast with the engine disengaged

3. When someone betrays an ally, it's called a "double-cross" because
...

a. writing one "X" over another voids the first X b. two hot- cross buns
were once used as a signal to begin a coup c. the two crosses are
associated with the two thieves crucified with Jesus d. such traitors
often looked cross-eyed at their victims

4. "Jaded," meaning dulled by overindulgence or worn out by overwork,
derives from ...

a. aristocrats who owned so many items made of jade that they didn't
appreciate them b. blue jays, whose bright color soon becomes tiring c.
the Icelandic word for a mare d. a variation of "faded"

Answers:

1. C Early inns and rooming houses served food on long boards, so people
who paid by the week for a space at the board were called "boarders."

2. D During the early 1930s, engineers designed cars that would
automatically coast freely downhill without being slowed by their
engines. After many accidents and burned-out brakes, these "free-
wheelers" were discontinued.

3. A In the 1800s, many illiterate people signed their names with an X
(a cross). By folk tradition, writing another X over the first one, that
is, double-crossing, voided the original signature.

4. C When English explorers searched Iceland, they encountered a
native-born mare much smaller and scrawnier than an English horse. The
Icelandic word for "mare" sounded like "jade," and Brits began applying
this term to any horse that looked skinny and worn out. Soon they were
describing people who were tired or surfeited as "jaded."

(The green gemstone "jade," by the way, takes its name from the Spanish
"piedra de la ijada," literally "stone of the loins," because jade was
believed to cure pain in the kidneys.)

Rob Kyff is a teacher and writer in West Hartford. Write to him in care
of The Courant, Features Department, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115,
or by e-mail at .


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

¤-Kaycee
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Kaycees-Unicycle-gallery

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Copyright The Arizona Daily Star Apr 8, 2005
Found two weeks ago at a North Side house

More than 350 stolen bicycles police found at a North Side home may be
returned to their owners Saturday.

The bicycles - road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes, kids' bikes,
antique bikes and even a tricycle and a unicycle - were discovered about
two weeks ago, at a house near East Blacklidge Drive and North First
Avenue.

"It's a potpourri and mishmash of everything," said Sgt. Carlos Valdez,
a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

It took police several days to document and move all of the bikes using
moving vans. Among those quickly identified were six performance racing
bikes that altogether are worth $15,000, Valdez said.

The bicycles had been on the roof, in the yard, in storage sheds and
inside the house.

Police decided to give them back to the public - at least those who have
some proof of ownership - all at once because it was the easiest and the
best way to do it, Valdez said.

Police continue to investigate the people who live at the home, but no
charges have been filed, Valdez said.

The gates to the house were locked with bike locks Thursday, but a few
bicycle rims still could be seen hanging in a storage shed.

Police also seized several computers, digital cameras and security
cameras from the home, according to a search warrant return filed in
Pima County Superior Court.

Police searched the property March 24, after nearby residents told
police of suspicious activity at the house.

Officers also found methamphetamine, along with scales and syringes,
according to the search warrant return.

Detectives believe the people stole the bikes and sold them or took them
apart and sold the components for money to buy drugs, Valdez said.

Neighbors said the problem went on for a year as cars came and went and
people wearing backpacks rode in and out of the property day and
night.

Drugs are behind nearly all of Tucson's property crimes, from burglaries
to bike thefts, said Capt. Terry Rozema, who leads the Police
Department's new property crimes division.

About 8,700 property crimes were reported to police last year, he said,
and meth may be related to as many as half.

At first, neighbors who called police didn't think their complaints were
heard.

They planned to start a 911 phone tree to let police know when
suspicious activity was peaking.

But police were conducting undercover work. About 20 officers from the
bicycle unit and property-crimes division were involved in the
investigation.

If you go

What: Bicycle return event

When: Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon

Whe Tucson Police South Substation, 4410 S. Park Ave.

How it works: There's no guarantee your bike will be there, but to claim
your bicycle, you'll need a police report number or proof of ownership,
such as a photograph or a detailed description of your bike. Police
won't take calls for information about the bikes.

* Star reporter Alexis Huicochea contributed to this story.

* Contact reporter Becky Pallack at 629-9412 or at
.


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

¤-Kaycee
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On Sun, 1 May 2005 10:01:49 -0500, "KcTheAcy" wrote:

More than 350 stolen bicycles police found at a North Side home may be
returned to their owners Saturday.

The bicycles - road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes, kids' bikes,
antique bikes and even a tricycle and a unicycle - ...

So, whose unicycle was it. Someone we know?

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"When it comes to the family jewels, you won't be having fun until they're having fun. - Jake D"

I made the Puget Sound Business Journal. The links are active for at
least a week. 'THE FRONT PAGE'
(http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2005/05/02/) has the photo
which can be somewhat enlarged. 'THE STORY ' (http://tinyurl.com/96o72)
is about unusual commutes in the area. I ended up as the cover photo but
about third in the stories section entitled 'ROAD WARS.'
(http://tinyurl.com/96o72)


--
harper - TANKED at GASWORKS

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"My world view has come crashing down like a drunk clown on a giraffe,
riding through a cactus patch..." -evil-nick on "Entry of the
Gladiators"
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harper wrote:
*I made the Puget Sound Business Journal. The links are active for at
least a week. 'THE FRONT PAGE'
(http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2005/05/02/) has the
photo which can be somewhat enlarged. 'THE STORY '
(http://tinyurl.com/96o72) is about unusual commutes in the area. I
ended up as the cover photo but on page 2 as story number three in the
stories section entitled 'ROAD WARS.' (http://tinyurl.com/arsql)

Out of the 80 or so photos taken the publication picked the one with
me just falling off of a curb ride next to the bicycle lane on Ravenna
Avenue in Seattle. The interview was good and the story not too
screwed up. It was fun although I was not told that the topic was the
DANGERS of alternate commuting. *
Even though you were hijacked a little, Greg, which I think is wrong, I
think the article turned out well.

In 100% hindsight, it seems as though the skater's -policy- of hitting
"terminal velocity" and jumping railroad tracks was destined for
statistical failure. For commuting and general transportation in
traffic, one would not be wanting to hit top racing speeds, but instead
build a lot of conservatism in. In short, in competitive racing you go
all out, in commuting your primary goal is safety. In commuting, any
loss of control is a big no-no, whether it results in an accident or
not. For example, around here if I blast through an intersection
without stopping, I'm an idiot; if I blast through and take a dive in
the middle, I'm reckless and dangerous and incompetent and a menace. If
I stop, get off, and walk through, I'm courteous, respectful, and a
smart, friendly guy. Too politically correct? Not really, it's all
self-serving: there are lots of narrow, blind corners here with
potholes. I don't want anyone to have an excuse to take out a
unicyclist and get away with it.

It's so cool that you guys have so many alternate commuters. Even a
rowing commuter! Around here even a casual jogger or bicyclist is out
of place.

I've used both the Cielencki sealed and Azonic A-frame pedals in rain
with huge success. There's essentially no difference from dry
conditions, at least in conjunction with the 661 Duallys. My biggest
problem in rain is that my glasses fog up. However, my eyesight is such
that I can remove them and still get by. Since I have astigmatism too,
the ground bumps look a little weird for a while until my eyes adjust.
In traffic though, I'd have to have contacts.

Nice going, Greg!


--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)
'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)
'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)
-- Dave Stockton
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This is the text section that contains my story from the May 2, 2005
edition of the Puget Sound Business Journal:

Some athletic commuters gear up for their falls. Greg Harper, for
instance, falls frequently. And no wonder: The research engineer at the
University of Washington Nuclear Physics Laboratory rides a modified
unicycle to work. It's an 11-mile round trip from Seattle's Crown Hill
neighborhood to the UW, and Harper said he prepares for it by wearing
knee and elbow pads every day.

Now 52, Harper has been unicycling since he was 11, but he only started
riding to work four years ago. At that time, he purchased a Coker, a
unicycle with a 36-inch in diameter tire that he calls a "gigantic speed
machine." When he sits on top of the Coker, Harper's head is a full 7
feet off the ground. Harper likes the height because he can see more
when navigating traffic.

When Harper decided he wanted to go even faster than the 9 to 12 miles
per hour possible on the Coker, he designed his own unicycle with gears.
A standard unicycle has just one gear because the rider needs to be able
to outrun the cycle when falling forward. The geared unicycle, which
goes as fast as a regular bicycle, is impossible for its rider to
outrun.

"You're in for quite a tumble if you can't outrun it," Harper said. "If
you learn how to ride a unicycle, you learn how to fall."

Even Harper has his safety limits. He won't ride when it's raining,
because his feet can slip off the pedals too easily. In the dark winter,
Harper trades in his unicycle for a bicycle because he can't avoid bumps
in the road that merely jostle a biker but throw off a unicyclist.
Though Harper knows how to stop and stand still on a unicycle without
losing his balance, he often finds crosswalk signs he can hold until a
light changes.


My comments:

Knee and elbow pads every day? Only with BlueShift, not the Coker. On
the trail, I don't even wear a helmet on the Coker.

Falls frequently? On BlueShift at high speeds, too often. On the Coker I
rarely miss a mount or have a UPD. Certainly not when commuting.


--
harper - TANKED at GASWORKS

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"My world view has come crashing down like a drunk clown on a giraffe,
riding through a cactus patch..." -evil-nick on "Entry of the
Gladiators"
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harper wrote:
*I was not told that the topic was the DANGERS of alternate commuting.
*
they obviously realised that u don't understand the 'D' word


--
GILD - Waffle-Tosser and Time-bider

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
'alice' (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/custom.html?) 'roosevelt'
(http://tinyurl.com/963jr) longworth
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.-- William H.
Mauldin
...using nietzsche's metaphysics to escape from
christianity...-'metro_tramp on the value of metaphysics'
(http://tinyurl.com/4sjw6)-
it's hard to be sure, and good to be paranoid...john childs on life on
the internet
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
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Nice Picture! The article annoyed me however because it is easy to see
how they overstate the dangers of commuting by bike or uni.

While I'm sure that 40-60% of traffic accidents do go unreported, I
doubt that pedestrian deaths go unreported. That reporter suggests that
bikers are dropping dead like squirrels in traffic without being
counted.


--
onewheeljoe - house of one-five

****************************
Rumors, like young chickens, come home to roost.
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Spanish newspaper article:

( Click on the images to enlarge )

'[image:
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums/galerialibre/TentacionesPortada.thumb.jpg]'
(http://tinyurl.com/8hs4n) Here you can see the front page with a litle
unicyclist at the top of the page

'[image:
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums/galerialibre/TentacionesPg18_001.thumb.jpg]'
(http://tinyurl.com/c2zlr) First page
'[image:
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums/galerialibre/TentacionesPg19.thumb.jpg]'
(http://tinyurl.com/aa6tp) Second page

'[image:
http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums/galerialibre/TentacionesPg20.thumb.jpg]'
(http://tinyurl.com/drudt) And third page of the article!!!

To see a slide show of those pages 'Click here'
(http://tinyurl.com/aw32y)



Cheers!

Pepe, Monociclos.Com


--
monociclos - Doin` trials

www.monociclos.com Unicycle related stuff in Spanish
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