rusty> When I was in my early teens I could pick up a tennis ball;
rusty> however, now it seems nearly impossible. Maybe if I take off
rusty> my seat post extension I will be successful. Any thoughts.
I can pick up a club fairly easily, though it took me a little while
to learn how. Here are some things I do (assume you are picking up
with your right hand)... these are just things that come to mind, in
no particular order:
* make sure the right pedal is at the bottom just before (3 or 4 inches)
you get to the object. this takes a bit of practice and you may have
to ride around the object ten or twenty times before you get in
position for a single attempt. it can be easily accomplished by a bit
of bunny-hopping or by riding backwards away from the object and then
forwards up to it - make either the backwards or the forward ride look
like a sine wave and the other one a straight line. this will change
the pedal position for when you arrive. as you get better you'll be
able to arrive at the right moment more frequently by choosing the
path of approach on the way.
* lower your seat. you can put it way way down and this will make it
easier. as you get better you can begin to raise it until you are
doing the trick at normal height.
* have the balls of your feet on the pedals. this will allow you to
stand up on the pedals a bit higher. you need to stand up, at least if
you're male, though it seems counter-productive, or else you'll hurt
yourself.
* you can start by sticking sticks into the ground and gradually making
the sticks shorter. eventually you'll be able to touch the floor. i
tend to lunge downwards, which would probably be frowned upon by
calisthenics meisters - i can't just ride with my hands dragging along
on the floor.
* stick your bum out as much as you can when you bend. you'll be able
to do this more if you're standing in the pedals a bit.
Mark Sands, who is on this list (but currently in Antarctica) tells me
he can ride along and put both hands on the ground and then go up into
a handstand with the uni above him. then he brings his legs back down
and goes back into riding!
does anyone else ride down stairs? Derek Smith (also on this list) and
I learnt from some guys here in Albuquerque who do it all the time.
it's pretty wild. what about jumping off things? these guys have
jumped off picnic tables - one of them must be 200lbs at least. when
he lands it's not uncommon to hear the wheel's rims hit the ground
through the tire... another one rode down 6 stairs on a giraffe the
other night!
terry.