Hi, Jennifer here! I'm John's daughter, and I ride the unicycle!
So, you may be wondering why I ride the unicycle? Well, in January 2000, my dad and I kept on going past this magic shop in Sheffield called Jesters. In the window was a unicycle - and I fell in love with the idea of riding around on it! Every time we went past the shop (and sometimes when we didn't), I asked my dad if he would buy me the unicycle, and he kept on refusing. I offered him a deal - if he bought me the unicycle, I would give him 2 of the ocarinas I was buying through school (ocarinas are small, shell-like instruments made by Langley in Kettering. They sound a bit like recorders but are easier to learn to play. I've been playing them since I was 8 years old). He said no to that as well, but the day I brought my ocarinas home, he took two of them off me and gave me a big box in return...and it was a unicycle!!!
Well, I thought I'd master it in a couple of minutes....but a month later I was still wobbling all over the place and clinging to the wall! After almost 3 months I finally plucked up the courage to go public, even though I could only ride about 5 metres without holding on to anything - and I wish I had done it straight away! With a couple of complete strangers to eg me on, I went for it. By the end of the day I could go round corners and over speed humps!
With this new confidence, it was only a couple of weeks before I started riding it all over the place. during my GCSE exams in the summer, I rode up to school. But I'd discovered a web site with other unicycles on it - and I had found a unicycle I wanted.
The new one was The Big One by Coker - with a 36" wheel, I wasn't certain I would be big enough. But, after many emails to the people selling it, I decided to go for it! I had 28.5" inside leg, and the minimum was 28" - I only hoped that I measured it the same way as they did!
I got my new unicycle in between my birthday and Christmas, and my parents put some money towards it. It means I didn't get a provisional liscence, so the reputation of reliant drivers is saved for another year or so (I've driven my dad's once on private property and almost rolled it down the hill after a 10mph kangeroo-juice journey). I can't ride it very well yet - I rode it up to school and fell off after losing concentration for a split second. Perhaps with loads of practise (which will begin when I've got some safety gear if I have any sense) I'll get there!!!
Jennifer.
So, you may be wondering why I ride the unicycle? Well, in January 2000, my dad and I kept on going past this magic shop in Sheffield called Jesters. In the window was a unicycle - and I fell in love with the idea of riding around on it! Every time we went past the shop (and sometimes when we didn't), I asked my dad if he would buy me the unicycle, and he kept on refusing. I offered him a deal - if he bought me the unicycle, I would give him 2 of the ocarinas I was buying through school (ocarinas are small, shell-like instruments made by Langley in Kettering. They sound a bit like recorders but are easier to learn to play. I've been playing them since I was 8 years old). He said no to that as well, but the day I brought my ocarinas home, he took two of them off me and gave me a big box in return...and it was a unicycle!!!
Well, I thought I'd master it in a couple of minutes....but a month later I was still wobbling all over the place and clinging to the wall! After almost 3 months I finally plucked up the courage to go public, even though I could only ride about 5 metres without holding on to anything - and I wish I had done it straight away! With a couple of complete strangers to eg me on, I went for it. By the end of the day I could go round corners and over speed humps!
With this new confidence, it was only a couple of weeks before I started riding it all over the place. during my GCSE exams in the summer, I rode up to school. But I'd discovered a web site with other unicycles on it - and I had found a unicycle I wanted.
The new one was The Big One by Coker - with a 36" wheel, I wasn't certain I would be big enough. But, after many emails to the people selling it, I decided to go for it! I had 28.5" inside leg, and the minimum was 28" - I only hoped that I measured it the same way as they did!
I got my new unicycle in between my birthday and Christmas, and my parents put some money towards it. It means I didn't get a provisional liscence, so the reputation of reliant drivers is saved for another year or so (I've driven my dad's once on private property and almost rolled it down the hill after a 10mph kangeroo-juice journey). I can't ride it very well yet - I rode it up to school and fell off after losing concentration for a split second. Perhaps with loads of practise (which will begin when I've got some safety gear if I have any sense) I'll get there!!!
Jennifer.
