Does anyone lock their unicycle? What type of lock would you recommend?
For my cheap “workhorse” unicycle, I use a joke of a lock by Abus.
It’s only a Bowden cable so anyone who has a Leverman or a Swiss Army knife in his pocket could open it. But it fits inside the small saddle bag.
Not recommended, of course.
It would be possible to fit a Klickfix clamp to your saddle tube and attach a compatible spiral lock.
The trouble with that is that the male counterpart on the lock tends to break -> not UPD-proof -> not recommended
I had the quiver of an Abus Bordo attached to my uni fork once, it fit well.
A good shopkeeper would probably let you try that on your own machine. The tube diameter is no issue, only the length (the saddle clamp can be obstructive).
The short version of the Bordo would be my choice if a high level of protection is needed. Con: The Bordo’s weight makes the uni a bit harder to manhandle.
[ Edit: I should mention that there are alternative models of this “folding rule”-type of lock. Only the Bordo is sort of iconic for it was the first. ]
If you neither mind wearing a belt nor wearing something that is associated with hipster culture, you could use a small U-lock and a holster.
I haven’t tried this.
I used a u-lock back in the day when I commuted to college and had to leave the unicycle outside during classes.
Yeah, bikers i’ve talked to have all recommended the “U-Lock”.
I used one for several years. The one thing about them is that they do add weight… at least mine did. I would just bolt it onto one of the arm loops of my book bag while commuting.
I suppose I should ask how to properly lock a unicycle?
I don’t know the proper way, but I just threaded the u-lock through the wheel and positioned it such that a part of the frame was also in the u-lock, that way the unicycle wouldn’t keel over. Hard to explain without a picture, but I’d just thread it all the way through near the “top” of the wheel right where the wheel intersects with the frame.
Of course people could always come in with tools and steal parts of your unicycle leaving you with only the rim and tire, but no one ever messed with mine. Besides, if people are that determined I don’t know that you could do anything to lock it up more securely.
And I guess my other post wasn’t clear. It would be bolted on my book bag while I was riding, just to have it somewhere out of the way during the commute. And in that context it adds a bit of bouncing weight while riding… though I got to the point where I no longer noticed it.
I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about locking and leaving mine out and about in this day and age. Good luck.
I use a U-lock, just bolted through the wheel and around a post. I carry it in the water bladder area of my hydration pack while I’m riding.
Hal Grades Your Bike Locking: http://vimeo.com/12061685
I haven’t needed to leave my uni anywhere that locking is required, but if I did, I would be concerned with people stealing the frame, seatpost and seat. Lots of people steal things just because they can. I had a (partly broken) mudguard stolen off of my bike a few months ago.
My KH seat has a tube thing under it that a cable lock could be threaded through. But how can one secure the frame and/or seatpost?
Maybe a lockable seatpost clamp? If it had a metal tab on the back that a cable could go through that would work really well and wouldn’t get in the way.
I find this to be highly locale-dependent. Everyone should use her best judgment.
If you go by the instructions in the video link above, it’s basically impossible to get a good grade when locking a unicycle. Only a few unicycle frame designs allow locking where they can’t be stolen. Putting a cable through the tubing on a seat with a loop on it will help, but that means you need a small enough cable to go through the gap.
Your best bet is to bring the uni with you. If this is not viable, such as on a campus, start by using a crappy unicycle, and a big lock. It’s easier to deter casual thieves than “real” thieves, though they probably wouldn’t be interested in a unicycle in the first place.
I recommend a cable or U-lock through the wheel, and through the frame if there’s a place to do it. If the seat is a quick-release, either take it with you, switch it to a non-quick-release, or say a prayer when walking away. 
V frames like the Nimbus Impulse or Oregon are certainly lockable, traditional style frames not so much.
The pitlock seatpost skewer looks like a reasonable start. http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/pitlock.asp I suspect an appropriate metal tab (little ring attached to a big ring, oO) could be held next to the seatpost clamp with negligible problems for UPD, leg rub, etc. during regular non-trick riding. Such a tab could easily be machined with a Dremel or similar. The weakest link would then become the cable lock.
John, I agree with you regarding having the uni with you instead of locking it. This is fine for my current riding, but may not always be the case.