No circus jokes please, we are Unicyclists

[Cassie]

Dudes...very awesome!!

 

Why don't you guys put some eggbeaters on & use clipons?

 

OK, I'm outta here...

 

[swoosh1973]

So how do you change gears? What about breaking and do you get unicycles whith free wheel hubs?

[swoosh1973]

Oh and another question about 6 foot drop offs........er how do i put this question.........er about the drop ofs em what do you do to protect the family jewels?

[WOFT]

Clips: It has been tried. unsurprisingly, it has failed. There are a few individuals who ride with clips for road riding. The problem is that when we bail at speeds faster than we can run, it does not matter whether or not we have time to unclip - we're buggered either way!

 

Gears: Nobody in SA that we know of owns a geared hub yet (nobody has 875 spare british pounds lying about). the hub has an internal gearing system. the shifter button is an extension of the hub/axle. to shift, this button is pushed with the side of the heel. A bit of practice, and this can be done whilst riding.

 

Brakes: the uni is a fixie - to brake, just pedal slower. that is also how we can ride backwards. brakes are becoming more common through. the main advantage is on long downhills. this is to conserve energy, and take the work off of the knees. other uses, such as short but STEEP sections, entering drops, and braking over very bumpy terrain requires a lot of skill.

 

Freewheel: there are a few freewheeling uni hubs. these are not that successful. unlike bicycles, we depend on direct feedback (fixie hub) through the cranks to control or front-to-back balance. if this is lost, such as through a freewheel mechanism, balacning becomes extremely difficult.

 

There is an option for offroad freewheeling called "gliding". the unicyclist puts one foot on the frame, and the other foot on the tire. the foot on the tire acts as a "brake". no feet on the pedals, so they can spin as fast as you want!

 

Drops: We protect our manhood (and ladybits, for some), in the same way bikers do - don't sit on them with force! we land all of the larer drops standing on the pedals. the transition from standing to sitting is fast, so we may appear to land seated if. We are also firm believers in cycle pants

[swoosh1973]

Very informative reply!

 

OK you guys have my respect...NO MORE CIRCUS JOKES

 

 

[PHIL BUYS SPORTS]

 

 

partied up a storm with those boys in pmb in may?got way' date=' way outta hand?

 

 

here they are?

 

[/quote']

 

I was promised this photo would never leave PMB, o well.....pity we don't have one of you with the full face helmet, By the looks of it that storm we partied up still hangs over the city

 

[Fork-it]

How much can one expect to pay for an entry level basic unicycle?

[HowellingWulf]

You guys are insane! Looks like a lot of fun. Ruan (?) also passed me at the Sabie. I was faster on the downhills though

[Tumbleweed]

 

?

 

partied up a storm with those boys in pmb in may?got way' date=' way outta hand?

?

 

?

 

here they are?

 

?

 

[/quote']I was promised this photo would never leave PMB, o well.....pity we don't have one of you with the full face helmet, By the looks of it that storm we partied up still hangs over the city

 

 

 

backflip!!!!!! there is apparently photographic evidence of that leap too! yet to see it though...

[JohnnyReggae]

 

How much can one expect to pay for an entry level basic unicycle?

Entry level Uni's are in the range of R600 - R1000

 

For an adult I would recommend a 24" Uni, however a 20" Uni may be more practical if you have some kids that would be keen to learn as well.

 

24" Entry Level Uni

 

20" Entry Level Uni

 

You may find a cheaper Chinese no-name at a LBS, which is what I did originaly. Paid R550 for my 24", that was a few years ago though.

 

24" Cross Mountain Uni

 

The 24" Qu-Ax Cross is the MUni that I currently use, and for the price is well worth the money. I have upgraded some of the parts, cranks, pedals, seatpost.

 

24" Qu-Ax Mountain Uni

 

This 24" MUni is bomb-proof. Some of the guys riding in Tokai use this MUni. Guys in the Uni Community have tried to kill this Uni without success. Some parts will fatigue as with any Unicycle, usually seatposts and pedals.

 

24" KH Mountain Uni

 

Top of the range 24" Mountain Uni. Kris Holm Unicycles are rated as the best Mountain Unicycles, designed by the legendary Kris Holm. If I had the cash available right now I would definitely get this MUni.

 

Chat to Alan at Oddwheel Unicycles in JHB. The guy is very helpful, and if he has stock you can have the Unicycle in a couple of days depending on where you are. I have received items in 2 days of ordering them, in Cape Town.

 

[Fork-it]

Thanks for the detailed answer Johnny, will definitely have a look!

[jogglingflurpy]

Just picked up on this thread.

 

I'm one of the guys featured in the article - the short dumpy guy riding in the back.

 

Physically anyone who can ride a bike, can learn how to ride a uni.  I tought myself with internet faq's and youtube within a couple of weeks. - about 15 hours practise which is about average. (During 2008)

 

If you are close to cape town or other unicylists, we are a very friendly bunch who will make time to help anyone interested in learning to uni or muni.

 

I yet have to meet someone who successfully learnt to ride, who did not become obsessed with it.

 

It is however not for everyone.  

I think you need a personality that is drawn to taking up a apparently silly  and pointless challenge and not being put off by the disappointment of having to fall and get up 500 times before "getting it".

 

At a recent MTB race (Burger 30km in Stellenbosch) one MTBer asked my why ride a uni if I can ride a MTB?  I told him his question was like asking a surfer "why not ride on a boat?". 

Then he got it.

 

 

 

 

jogglingflurpy