Okay, I just got my first uni about 4 days ago, and the wheel was put on backwards. So I turned the wheel around and blah blah. Ok, now I noticed that the errr… hmmm… the little black thing on the pedals that you scrw into the crank arms, I guess, are different… problem. Now the threading inside my right crank arm is stripped… damn. The bastards at the bike shp screwed me over and they won’t do anything about it. So, the questions I want to ask are how do you take the crank arm off and is it possible to buy just one crank arm offline anywhere and where? >,< this really pisses me off… ARGH!! But oh well, LABTYD. Well, I’ll check up later on posts, thanks for any help you can offer.
Why not try another bike shop and have them tap out the crank arm and try to save it. If that fails, measure their length and give Uni.com a call, you can get both for $25. Next time you may want to post what brand and size uni.
That reminds me of the first uicycle I bought over ten years ago.
I was a bit upset when the crank fell off and then realised they’d put the wheel on backwards- this was from a juggling shop as well.
I guess it’s an easy mistake to make, nevertheless your bike shop has messed up and you should go back and demand some compensation. If you swot up on the consumer rights of your area and sound as though you know what you’re talking about you should be able to get it sorted.
At the end of the day they’ve sold you something which is defective, and there are clear laws about that kind of stuff.
Normally to take the crank arm off you need a crank remover tool, in the case of stripped threads I’m not sure what you should do. spare cranks can be got online from www.unicycle.com and www.unicycle.uk.com
To experienced unicyclists- I also think that another useful bit of advice to add to the usual tips for new uni purchasers is to check their wheel is on the right way, check the seat is pointing the right way, check the left crank is actually on the left etc. etc.
You can look at the pedals to see if it’s assembled right. If everything is on right (and the pedals aren’t cross-threaded), the Right pedal should be on the right side. Pedals are usually marked Right and Left.
The Left pedal should be on the right side too, but that’s the Left.
>If the pedals are on the correct cranks, how can you tell if the wheel
>is on backwards as opposed to the seat being on backwards?
Some things are directional on a uni, some are not. The wheel, that is
to say the rim, has no directional preference as far as I am aware.
The tyre may have; if it has an arrow-shaped profile then usually the
arrows (V-shapes) point in the direction of travel at the top of the
wheel. I don’t know if there is a technical reason for that - maybe it
transports water to the side? The hub technically has no preference,
but some purists mount it such that any lettering on it is readable
through the valve hole, when the left crank is on the left-hand side.
The seat, pedals and cranks are obvious. The frame may have a sloping
crown in which case the low side is the front. Also, the seat post
clamp should be on the rear.
I hope that helps.
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
“No two crotches are alike. If they are, I don’t want to know about it. - John Foss, on seat comfort.”
Frames usually have a slot in the back where the seatpost clamp goes in. I find this the easiest way of telling back from front if I’ve taken the seat off.
Hold the unicycle upright, pedals level (at 90 and 270 degrees to the front of the frame).
Let go, jump up onto the pedals, both feet should come into contact with the pedals at the same time, then sit down onto the seat (should be a smooth movement).
Should be tilted backwards slightly, so that it falls predictably, but I spent ages balancing it perfectly upright at first
Helps to practise the jump mount first, where you don’t release the seat before jumping onto the pedals.
I’ll let you off the hook. You balance the uni before you, so you
stand behind it. Then you let go the unicycle (the idea is that it
should stay motionless). You jump up and land with both feet
simultanously on the pedals, and after that with your butt on the
seat. Then off course ride away.
It takes BALLS to commit a suicide mount.
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
“No two crotches are alike. If they are, I don’t want to know about it. - John Foss, on seat comfort.”
