I am wondering how a geared unicycle works.
A little bit of searching gets you to this thread, and if you click the URL link right near the top of the very first post, you’ll learn everything you need to know and more (except how to ride one, of course).
haha
awesome post(assuming the link that i didnt’ click is what i think i is)
+6
I have never tried one
From what I read, there is a button sticking out of the crank, at the axle. If you kick the button in one way, it is locked like an ordinary hub. Then I assume you must kick the button with the other foot, to engage a planetary gear system, that gives a higher 1/1.5 up shift.
Planetary gear systems are a very old design. I had a 2:1 reduction planetary gearbox in a diesel boat 15 years ago, and it was a super old design then.
Shlumph gets the credit for making the first one for unicycles, or at least the first one in production.
Florian Schlumph’s geared hub was not the first geared hub for unicycles. It was, as you said, the, “first one in production.” As is inferred in the link above, Greg Harper of Seattle, Washington USA constructed a successful shifting hub prior to UNICON 11 (2002). His, “Blue Shift,” geared unicycle was used by unicyclists in demonstrations around the world over several years. Greg stated many times that he had no desire to place his geared hub design into commercial production. I believe Greg shared his design, expertise and experience with Florian as he was designing and building the Schlumph geared hub.
Read about Greg Harper’s, “Blue Shift,” project here.