New to unicycling

[madams]

I have a 20 inch unicycle that I got 2 weeks ago. I have just started getting the hang of not hanging on and going up to 40 yds. w/o falling or jumping off. My question is this... I am never able to rest on the seat. I put about half my weight on it. this tires out my legs because half my weight is always resting on them. Is that the norm? Or is my seat to high or to low? any opinions would be helpful.

[Dane M]

Your seat might be too low, but I don't ever put full weight on the seat, but you can. With time you will learn how to put more weight on the seat.

[timekeeper]

Your legs will get super buff. Give it more time and you'll automatically get more relaxed. But also, what Dane said.

[Dane M]

And learning to ride with full weight in your legs is also a good thing.

[tobbogonist]

sit fully on the sit, back straight, lead with your hips, hands out for balance, dont wear your favourite trousers.

Raise the seat so that your legs are almost at full stretch.

[madams]

thanks guys for the tips.
Dane, the video you posted... is that you? that is some crazy stuff. Nice job. You also are a very talented photographer. Could you give me your thoughts on a street tire vs mountain tire?

Mike a.

[Klaas Bil]

Originally Posted by madams

this tires out my legs because half my weight is always resting on them. Is that the norm? Or is my seat to high or to low? any opinions would be helpful.

Welcome to the forums. For learning to ride, your seat height should be such that with your heel (not normal riding position!) on the pedal in its lowest position, your leg is fully or almost fully stretched without overstretching.

However, regardless of seat height, almost every beginner puts a low of weight on the pedals. This is natural, because you are inexperienced in keeping your balance this way, and so your legs are (instinctively) pre-tensioned. You can try and fight this tendency, but I think it does serve a purpose for early beginners. Practice more and it should go away. Eventually you will have 80-90% of your weight on the seat, for just relaxed riding on the flat.

To confuse you, for certain styles of riding, you need at times to have a lot of weight on the pedals.

[madams]

Bil,
Thank you for your response. I am almost your age....56. Just starting out but am really enjoying it. any comments about a mountain tire vs a street tire? I will be riding on a rail trail which is pretty smooth and flat... small stones.
Also, any recommendations on a good 24 in unicycle. I now have the avenir 20 in and it is a beginner cheapie. Already stripped the arm crank.

[JohnC]

I start on unicycle a few months ago and not easy for me to able to ride over 400 feet until I learned from this forum! I found out that best for me is the same length I ride on bike. my legs straight down and feel confortable .... able to ride over 1000 feet! I plan to buy 26 inch mountain unicycle for forest path near my home this spring! I am 49 and good to see that anyone over 55 like you to have fun on unicycle!
I like unicycle website and I ordered some items from that website and will plan to order 26 inch unicycle from this website! www.unicycle.com
hope you find your answer about mountain tire vs a street tire! I think depends on where you ride most of the time ..... mountain tire for grass, dirt, etc while street for roads and sandwalk .... like bicycle! I am sure that someone in this forum have better answer than me!

[Dane M]

Originally Posted by madams

thanks guys for the tips.
Dane, the video you posted... is that you? that is some crazy stuff. Nice job. You also are a very talented photographer. Could you give me your thoughts on a street tire vs mountain tire?

Mike a.

I didn't post a video, unless you clicked on my youtube channel in my signature, in which case yes, those are me. And thank you for the compliment

If you're doing muni you'll want a mountain tire, the only disciplines that you would want a street tire for, are for flatland riding, or for commuting/touring. I learned on a street tire.

[Klaas Bil]

Originally Posted by madams

Bil,
Thank you for your response. I am almost your age....56. Just starting out but am really enjoying it. any comments about a mountain tire vs a street tire? I will be riding on a rail trail which is pretty smooth and flat... small stones.

I don't get it. Are you planning to ride only on a specific rail trail? Why restrict yourself that much? Tyre choice depends on preferred style of riding. Having said that, a fat knobby tyre fortunately will still ride on smooth surface, and conversely a slick'ish tyre will take you some length on more difficult terrain.

Originally Posted by madams

Also, any recommendations on a good 24 in unicycle. I now have the avenir 20 in and it is a beginner cheapie. Already stripped the arm crank.

I don't know the avenir. Nor do I know how you stripped your crank arm. Maybe you were riding while the pedal wasn't tight, or cross-threaded? No unicycle, no matter how good, would stand such abuse.
Anyway, a recommendation also depends on where you are. For Europe, you could go with e.g. a Nimbus or Qu-ax. Medium-priced and good quality. Which type within any brand, again, depends on what you want to do with it. MUni (Mountain Unicycling) implies a heavier demand on build quality than cruising on streets or smooth trails.

[OneWheelLess]

Originally Posted by madams

Bil,
Thank you for your response. I am almost your age....56. Just starting out but am really enjoying it. any comments about a mountain tire vs a street tire? I will be riding on a rail trail which is pretty smooth and flat... small stones.
Also, any recommendations on a good 24 in unicycle. I now have the avenir 20 in and it is a beginner cheapie. Already stripped the arm crank.

The avenir unicycles are about as cheap as they get, the crankarms are really cheap steel, much like the ones on other low-end unis. They break or strip quite easily.

As far as your tire question, get the widest tire that will fit in your frame without rubbing. This will give the smoothest ride and roll over bumps more easily. Unless you only plan on riding on pavement I would suggest something with tread. A smooth tire can slide on gravel and slick surfaces.

Right now there's a great deal on koxx unicyles at makais.com:http://makais.com/brands/Koxx%252dOne.html
the track monster is an amazing deal for a 24" and would require zero upgrades
if you are looking for something less expensive, id recommend checking out the club 24" from unicycle.com.

[madams]

I appreciate all who commented and helped out a rookie. My next problem is this: I have a mountain bike and a cyclocross and I already prefer my unicycle....

[Dane M]

Originally Posted by madams

My next problem is this: I have a mountain bike and a cyclocross and I already prefer my unicycle....

It only gets worse, I think my bikes might be permanently retired here soon.

[Tirving]

Originally Posted by madams

I appreciate all who commented and helped out a rookie. My next problem is this: I have a mountain bike and a cyclocross and I already prefer my unicycle....

I'm getting ready to sell-off my last two-wheeled machine...... no need for them anymore; they're Sooooo boring