By: Dana Crisson, Educator at McWane Science Center For those of you who have never experienced the fun of the High Cycle, it is quite a trip, giving riders a birds-eye perspective of the world for a few moments. The High Cycle a high-wire bicycle attached to a cable stretched across McWane’s grand atrium. After you are securely strapped on the bicycle, you pedal backward out of the loading platform until you are suspended 20 feet in mid-air across the lobby. A 210-lb counterweight underneath the bicycle allows you to experience the center of balance first-hand; if you want, you can stop in the middle of the cable and slowly shift your weight from side to side causing the bicycle to rock. The swaying is offset by the counterweight, which will straighten you up, bringing you right back to the center.
This ride brings a little bit of an adrenaline rush to everyone. After manning this ride for awhile, it is fun to try to predict who will enjoy the ride and who won’t. Every day I see surprises.
Riders must be at least 45” tall, and weigh less than 225 lbs. to ride the High Cycle. There is no age limit—all you need is a willingness to hop on and enjoy the adventure. Some of the smallest, youngest children are absolutely determined to ride; I have seen these kids stand on their toes and fluff up their hair in an effort to make themselves “big enough” to meet the height requirement. Once we know you meet all the requirements, we strap you in and the fun begins.
Children usually run up in big groups, many boasting to their friends about how fast they are going to pedal and how far they are going to sway on the cable. Some kids are completely confident, pedaling out and back with swift assurance. Other riders are a little timid at first, pedaling very slowly, but by the time they reach the middle of the wire they relax and enjoy it. Most really enjoy the sensation; as they pedal out, a big smile will creep across their faces; they relax, wave excitedly to their friends, look down at the lobby full of visitors below them, and pose for cell phone pictures.
Some kids have the opposite reaction; they think they will enjoy it but then they suddenly freeze mid-pedal. “Do I have to go any further?” a shy little girl asked me, adding in a very timid voice, “I’m kind of afraid of heights. “Of course not,” I assured her, telling her to pedal back in and bragging on her bravery. Another little boy pedaled out to the middle of the wire and listened dutifully to the instructions on how to make the bike sway; most kids move too jerkily, but he finally mastered the gentle rocking motion. Once he started rocking, he kept it up for several minutes, rocking back and forth as his friends cheered him on—then all of a sudden his face turned pale and he said, “I think I’m going to be sick.” As soon as he pedaled back in, however, his color returned and he boasted to his buddies, “I wasn’t really feeling sick--I was just teasing you.”
“How many people have fallen?” asked a swaggering 10-year-old boy as I strapped him in. “This ride is completely safe. There is no way you can fall,” I told him. “Oh yeah? If you can’t fall, why is there a big net under the ride?” he shot back. “To catch flip-flops, sunglasses, cell phones, and other items that might accidentally fall,” I replied. That is a story in itself. We have long hook to retrieve dropped items from the net. Shoes are pretty easy; cell phones require a wad of duct tape and a very steady hand.
Of course, this ride isn’t just for children and teens; adults love it too. Sometimes it takes a little coaxing, but many times after watching their children ride, the mother or father will ask to ride, too. One of my favorite moments happened when a charming gray-haired grandfather, looking dapper in a sport coat and navy-striped tie, walked up with his three grandchildren and asked if they could ride. The grandchildren peered down at the lobby below and decided they didn’t want to ride, but to their complete surprise he said, “I do!” I strapped him in and he pedaled out as his grandchildren watched, open-mouthed. He stopped in the middle of the wire and shifted his weight, swaying from side to side, with his navy tie swinging to and fro. “Be careful Granddaddy!” piped up his youngest granddaughter. He grinned broadly and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about--this is great!” When he got off the bicycle, I saw his grandchildren look at him in awe, seeing him in entirely new light.
The next time you visit the McWane Science Center, be sure to save time for a ride on the High Cycle. It is guaranteed to be an experience you will never forget.
This ride brings a little bit of an adrenaline rush to everyone. After manning this ride for awhile, it is fun to try to predict who will enjoy the ride and who won’t. Every day I see surprises.
Riders must be at least 45” tall, and weigh less than 225 lbs. to ride the High Cycle. There is no age limit—all you need is a willingness to hop on and enjoy the adventure. Some of the smallest, youngest children are absolutely determined to ride; I have seen these kids stand on their toes and fluff up their hair in an effort to make themselves “big enough” to meet the height requirement. Once we know you meet all the requirements, we strap you in and the fun begins.
Children usually run up in big groups, many boasting to their friends about how fast they are going to pedal and how far they are going to sway on the cable. Some kids are completely confident, pedaling out and back with swift assurance. Other riders are a little timid at first, pedaling very slowly, but by the time they reach the middle of the wire they relax and enjoy it. Most really enjoy the sensation; as they pedal out, a big smile will creep across their faces; they relax, wave excitedly to their friends, look down at the lobby full of visitors below them, and pose for cell phone pictures.
Some kids have the opposite reaction; they think they will enjoy it but then they suddenly freeze mid-pedal. “Do I have to go any further?” a shy little girl asked me, adding in a very timid voice, “I’m kind of afraid of heights. “Of course not,” I assured her, telling her to pedal back in and bragging on her bravery. Another little boy pedaled out to the middle of the wire and listened dutifully to the instructions on how to make the bike sway; most kids move too jerkily, but he finally mastered the gentle rocking motion. Once he started rocking, he kept it up for several minutes, rocking back and forth as his friends cheered him on—then all of a sudden his face turned pale and he said, “I think I’m going to be sick.” As soon as he pedaled back in, however, his color returned and he boasted to his buddies, “I wasn’t really feeling sick--I was just teasing you.”
“How many people have fallen?” asked a swaggering 10-year-old boy as I strapped him in. “This ride is completely safe. There is no way you can fall,” I told him. “Oh yeah? If you can’t fall, why is there a big net under the ride?” he shot back. “To catch flip-flops, sunglasses, cell phones, and other items that might accidentally fall,” I replied. That is a story in itself. We have long hook to retrieve dropped items from the net. Shoes are pretty easy; cell phones require a wad of duct tape and a very steady hand.Of course, this ride isn’t just for children and teens; adults love it too. Sometimes it takes a little coaxing, but many times after watching their children ride, the mother or father will ask to ride, too. One of my favorite moments happened when a charming gray-haired grandfather, looking dapper in a sport coat and navy-striped tie, walked up with his three grandchildren and asked if they could ride. The grandchildren peered down at the lobby below and decided they didn’t want to ride, but to their complete surprise he said, “I do!” I strapped him in and he pedaled out as his grandchildren watched, open-mouthed. He stopped in the middle of the wire and shifted his weight, swaying from side to side, with his navy tie swinging to and fro. “Be careful Granddaddy!” piped up his youngest granddaughter. He grinned broadly and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about--this is great!” When he got off the bicycle, I saw his grandchildren look at him in awe, seeing him in entirely new light.
The next time you visit the McWane Science Center, be sure to save time for a ride on the High Cycle. It is guaranteed to be an experience you will never forget.
Contributor Profile:
A Birmingham native, Dana Crisson remembers visiting the McWane building in its original incarnation as the former Loveman’s Department Store. She has a BA in English/Journalism from UAB and has worked as freelance writer for The Birmingham News & Over the Mountain Journal for over 15 years. She is also a former Discovery Guild member and has clocked many volunteer hours at the science center before joining the McWane staff in the Education Department. She is an avid reader, a cat lover, a concert junkie, and a part-time backup singer in a local cover band. She and her husband, Dwight, a CPA, have two daughters, Rachel, 20, and Christina, 17.
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