I’m just moving up from a thrift store 20" to a new Nimbus 29". Everything’s going great except that when I really try and sprint, the side-to-side bouncing that comes with each pedal is no fun. What affects that wobble? Crank length? Q factor? Tire pressure? Tread? Technique? Do I just learn to live with it?
Thanks for your thoughts.
The first thing I would check is to make sure that your seat is at the right height. If it is a little low you may have a tendency to put more weight on the pedals, and that could cause more wobble. Along with that first suggestion I would add that you want to make sure that your weight is on the saddle.
You will learn over time to have a more fluid stroke that will minimize the wobble considerably.
Edit:
I forgot to welcome you to the forum. I noticed that you are in Colorado. Whereabout in CO?
All of the factors you mention make a difference. Probably the two biggest are technique and crank length. If you’re running cranks above 125mm, you will wobble on a 29er.
In terms of technique, concentrate on reducing your pedal force.
jtrops-thanks for the welcome-I’m out in Carbondale (near Glenwood Springs).
Thanks for the input. I was thinking my seat might be a bit low. Also, I forgot to mention that the cranks are 125s. I’ll keep working on technique, too.
imagine that there’s no pedals at all, and you’re just spinning your legs in circles. that’s what you should be doing…barely pressing on the pedal in front, and lifting up your rear foot(not literally lifting it off the pedal just not relying on the momentum of the wheel to bring your foot up.)
I’d recommended making sure you are as smooth as possible with your pedalling. I used to have terrible wheel wobble on 150, switched to 125s, did about 100-150 miles and got used it and am pretty smooth when going 11mph over 6-8 miles.
I would also look into getting some decent handle bars. Try and hold them when pedaling and root your bum to your saddle. That should help you keep steady.
There is a point at which I wobble around 13mph and if I don’t really concentrate I tend to end up coming off or having to slow dramatically, which is annoying!
Couple of thing: You may simply be riding above your skill level. Slow down to the speed just below where you go unstable. Ride at that speed for awhile. Work on the things people are telling you here until its 2nd nature. Then move your speed up just a notch. Repeat This is what cyclist do when they ‘spin out’ going down hill. As they ride more their legs can go faster and faster without going screwy.
Martial Arts teaches that it’s technique, relaxation, and repetition and that speed comes on its own.
Next thing:
I would bet that your seat is too low. If it was too high the backs of your knees would hurt after rides. For efficient pedaling look to cyclists and set your seat height by the same guidelines.
The other advantage of a higher seat is that the Vastus Medialis is engaged. That is the muscle marked VMO in this graphic
That muscle should be a little sore after riding. Look at any pro cyclist and their VM sticks out like a baseball.
A couple things that helped me smooth out my stroke
pedal on balls of feet
Point toes down a little bit
When I practice pedaling ‘light’ I focus on the top of the stroke and I try to slide the pedal forward. At the bottom I try to slide the foot back. While doing this I let the up and down take care of themselves.
You folks are a treasure trove of information! Thanks for it all! I’m raising my seat and working on the technique bits. Yesterday I had a few moments of feeling like my feet were just turning in a circle (not ‘working the cranks’). Much better.
Try pedalling as lightly as possible- you should have just enough pressure on the pedal to adjust your balance, nothing more. Think of it like you’re ‘floating’ on the pedals.
Keep your upper body as still as possible also.
My tire barely wobbles at all at high speeds (18-22 mph). For me, the key to not wobbling is to keep both hands on your handlebar. Having them on the handlebar stabilizes the unicycle and helps you go straighter with less effort. When I take one hand off, or both hands, I ride with significantly more wobble.
corbin
My tire barely wobbles at all at high speeds (18-22 mph). For me, the key to not wobbling is to keep both hands on your handlebar. Having them on the handlebar stabilizes the unicycle and helps you go straighter with less effort. When I take one hand off, or both hands, I ride with significantly more wobble.
corbin
technique has some to do with it and the unicycle has some to do with it.
For technique I do pretty much what others have said:
Both hand on the handlebar; I find longer handlebars make more difference.
Pedal lightly; I find if I focus on the top/bottom of the stroke as opposed to the
power part of the stroke it helps a lot.
For the unicycle itself there are a couple things that help reduce wobble
Use shorter cranks; your legs move less, you wobble less
Less Q factor; keeps the force closer to the center of the wheel
heavier wheel; more momentum - a heavier wheel/tire will be a more relaxing ride less prone to wobble but you loose some zippiness and flickability.