Balancing Ladder for mounting a giraffe unicycle

[Ella]

Thanks for your stories and advice about potential dangers to volunteers when they are asked to hold the unicycle. I'm looking for a balancing ladder - any suggestions?
Thank you!
~ella

[le pire]

Semcycle makes a decent one that I use. The only problem is the rubber stoppers on the feet wear down REAL FAST when you use the ladder on surfaces that are not nice floors. It comes apart into three places, which can make it more portable.

Sem will put the top bar of the ladder to your required height. The top bar should come to just above your knee. I've heard debat on this so here are my explanations:

-The bar at shin level is painful. Sure, you can wear padding, but if
I'm given the option of padding or no padding I'll take no padding.
Especially during the summer when I want to wear as little as
possible. The balance is more difficult at this level, also.

-The bar at knee level is less painful but the knee is one of the
most fragile joints on the body. I'd rather not agravate this joint
and risk one of those "repetive motion" injuries.

Not to be a wimp, but we have to take care of ourselves. I know too many performers who push their bodies to the limit and get a stupid injury like pulled muscles or twisted ankles and are then out of commision for two weeks.

So Ella, I see you want to mount a giraffe from a ladder... if you pull this off let me know 'cause that's a trick I'd love to see. Although I think you would need to use at least two (if not more) audience volunteers to do it - one to hold the uni and one to catch the ladder - thus making it just as "dangerous."

Back to getting a ladder:

When I was learning the ladder a fellow performer suggested that I get one built by a machinist (after all a ladder is get two big aluminum poles and 6 little ones). I don't recommend this for the hassel and total waste of time dealing with welders you don't really save any money.


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[ 02-13-2002: Message edited by: le pire ]</p>

[David Claypatch]

ladder

[David Claypatch]

Now when I was considering doing the ladder there was two schools of philosophy as to which way you could place the last wrung. I do not know what "Pire" of "France" is advising you as to putting it on your "shin" or "knee". When I first started doing the ladder the two views were

Above knee cap
+'s
comfortable
better control
-'s
more difficult to escape when falling

Below knee cap
+'s
easier to escape from
-'s
more uncomfortable= more painful

I chose the latter of the two in that I believe in safety first. I bought a pair of Nike cross training shoes that have a little notch in the sole that fits nicely into that second to the last wrung. I then brought the last section of the ladder down to my local welder. Standing on the second to the last wrung we placed that last wrung on the "sweet spot" below the knee cap (patella) and above that large bone below the knee cap (fibula or tibula). When place right this spot combined with the shoes locked into the wrung provide a secure hold and probably as much control as you get when putting the wrung above the knee. But the escapability and vis. a vis safety is greatly improved.
As far as ladders I am selling one of mine. Originally made for David Aiken "Checkerboard Guy" these ladders are probably lighter, more portable, and stable than the Semcycle ladders although I have never seen his ladders. As far as those rubber end pieces that keep wearing out I got made from urethane that were turned on a lathe in Korea. Durable good on any surface and if you design the edge with a little bit of an upturn this helps prevent the edge from getting caught on cracks in bricks or sidewalks. Interested get back in touch with me soon as I will be able to bring it to America on my upcoming trip in March.
David Claypatch a.k.a "Zat Amazing Guy"

[jonnyflash]

I'm intrigued too! Did Ella manage to do this feat of fantabulist physics? I'll stay tuned!

[le pire]

oops...


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[ 04-01-2002: Message edited by: le pire ]</p>