125mm cranks really don't like my ankles

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I started learning on a 20" with 125mm cranks (because I wrecked the 144mm cranks that came standard by not tightening the pedals enough).

I would always, always hurt my ankles. Just keep hitting them on the unicycle so they were cut, bleeding, swollen and bruised.

Then when I got my 24" with 150mm cranks, I noticed that my ankles have healed and no more hitting them at all!

Turns out that the 125mm cranks reach exactly ankle bone height when I have my shoes on, so I always knock my ankles off them (usually when mounting). Think I’m going to strap some foam to them now, but was just wondering if anyone else had this problem and what their solutions were.

2

i have/had the same problem(s) on my quax hub/cranks. My solution if move your foot farther away from the crank. My cranks even have numbs on them. Its fine now, but i occasionally bash my ankles. If your hopping and stuff, you wanna make sure your legs are clear of the cranks, and are kept positioned right.

3

It’s not the cranks, it’s your technique. Think about foot placement on the pedals.

4

I think most people go through the hitting thier ankles thing as they learn. It’s just a phase. The cure is practice.

5

Ankles

You may also be a victim of insufficient “Q” factor. Some cranks are mounted at 90 degrees to the axle, others have a slight outboard offset. I found that on my first unicycle, the 90 degree angle of the cranks made me want to place my feet on the outside edge of the pedals to be most comfortable.

When I bought my KH29XC, it came with cranks that were angled out from the wheel a little bit and they fit my geometry much better. I bought a 24" with the same hub/crank setup for muni because I like the lateral offset. This is called “Q” factor. You might look for a set of cranks that has a little more than you have.