gotta scoop your children up and keep’em in front haha
Cycle shorts are a big help too. You can use them to help with padding and positioning.
They will learn to ‘auto retract’ to the proper position over time.
As for the bars you can get some relief if you push down on them whilst riding. This relieves some of the pressure fromt the saddle, but lots of riding is the only way to become accustomed.
made an addition, it’s important that you don’t repeatedly hurt your “special friends” or it might discourage you from riding.
depending on what pants I am wearing, I am either to the left side, or up in front. I am not using a good seat at the moment since I am still waiting for a seat post (LBS is pretty damned useless sometimes… still waiting for a clamp for a computer on a bike that was stolen LAST FALL!)
i have the kris holms gel… the basic one from udc. is that a good one? i am going to invent a saddle with a “nutsack” and hope they don’t ripped off in a wipeout!
Jaco’s handlebar must not be set for riding comfort. For me, the handlebar helps A LOT. But this is only true if some of your weight is on it, which is not possible with a too-neutral handlebar height (like the T-7). I like mine low.
Get a (at least one) pair of good bike shorts (not the cheapies). They’ll pay for themselves in happiness!
And most of all, give it some time for your body to adapt. It will all get easier.
my uni came with a kh street, and it feels pretty damned good, but I don’t have it mounted because I don’t have a seatpost yet. I am usign a seat from a crusty old norco. it is thick and very cusiony, so it squishes the boys like nobodies business. I’m used to small hard XC seats, so the KH seems like it will be a much better fit once I get my post. which KH seat do you have, the street or the paddier one?
as far as digging a spot for your package, that could be a bad idea. when I tuck to the side, a sudden jerk to the side gives a sudden compression that I don’t apreciate. if my boys were cradled in a groove, sliding left or right could have terrible results I would think!
they do have an air cushion for KH seats that fits under the cover that are about $20, you may want to give that a try.
honestly though, like getting used to a bike saddle, I think it just takes time. when I got my first bike as an adult, my seat bones were so sore after my first ride that I couldn’t sit down on the toilet. after a week of gritting my teeth and bearing it, my butt got used to it. I would only use a gel cover or an air cushion as a last resort
so which bar do you use?
I have the new Nimbus handle (Stealth?) on my new road uni. Like it. I use the curved piece, curved downward and all the way forward. I’ve recently been noticing you get a bit of suspension from long, flexy handles. It’s indirect, but if it takes some of the shock away from the crotch, it can’t be a bad thing.
My older Coker has a custom handle on it, also with a low position. I also used the Coker Pi Bar for a while on my V2, and I thought it was great due to the huge range of positions it can do. You just have to keep it where your knees don’t interfere with the front part.
I’ve also tried the KH T-bar, which is also very nice. It also has a nice range of adjustbility and built-in suspension.
I had a horrible time with the “boys” when I was first learning to ride. The first major help was buying my KH Freeride saddle, it helped tons! Seeing as how I’m a straight up distance rider, I needed all the help I could get here, so the next thing I purchased was a good set of bike shorts. Let me be very clear, this is one of the best things you can invest in, so make sure you don’t skimp here… Buy the absolute best you can, your junk WILL thank you!
I also bought a KH Touring bar thinking that would help as well… Sadly, it doesn’t help a great deal, but it does offer a minor relief at times. I upgraded (some may say downgraded) to a T7 touring bar and found that offered greater relief for me at times, it may just be how I ride.
I will say this though, a handlebar won’t be the major thing that fixes this problem for you, a new saddle and shorts, as well as just toughening up your taint will be your best bets. All that being said, I can’t imagine ever riding without a handlebar ever again! It really does make a big difference as far as stability (once you get used to it), control, hill climbing, and upper body fatigue. I can’t recommend one enough!
thanks for all the advice. i bought bike shorts today. they did help. . i also tried to tackle my first hill. i did not make it. i was hoping that bars might help with hills, and you confirmed it. i am definitely buying one. the question now is which.
johnfoss - is the handle you use the “shadow”?
http://www.unicycle.com/unicycle-hardware/nimbus-shadow-handle-set/
Well learning to ride flat ground is different than learning to ride up hills, and learning to ride down hills. It’s a whole different way of treating the pedals for both situations.
You’ll enjoy those bike shorts.
I just got my KH T-Bar handle and I love it. You have to fix it if you get it because of a known problem. But all you need is a drill to do that and once it’s fixed it’s awesome.
You shouldn’t have to if it’s a new one, they fixed the problem in the latest KH bar.
Handlebars make distance possible for me, especially when I’m carrying weight. I don’t particularly like the t-7, but I do think it gets an overly-bad chance. It was my first bar, and took me on a little 4700km jog with a 40-lb backpack. (I didn’t have bike shorts, but that’s another story). Would not have been remotely possible without some kind of handlebar. I added some mountain-bike bar-ends that faced down, which helped a ton.
I’m putting all my weight behind (or rather, on?) the handlebar as the best investment for this problem. I now do long rides with triathlon aero-bar mounted on my KH t-bar. It’s really amazing. I was able to consistently do 20-40km stretches without break on my last tour. I did snap the t-bar a couple days before the end. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I know of.
Yeah, proper shorts do help, significantly. Get those too. If I had to pick one though, handlebar, no question.
All I know is that I ordered my KH bar only two weeks ago from UDC and it still needed fixing. So maybe mine was just part of the old faulty batch. Who knows. I just meant to warn UNO that it might happen but that it’s completely fixable so no freaking out will occur. ;D
That’s the one. A bit pricey, but the various parts give you lots of flexibility. you can also set the seat/handle angle, though you have to take the seat off to do this.
I don’t recommend using a handle until your riding gets more solid and comfortable. Your initial handle should be the one built onto your seat. Those were once a luxury as well; before the 90s, no unicycle had one! Holding the seat handle will get you started in using it for extra leverage/power, and getting used to the idea of isolating your upper body from the pedaling.
At first, holding the handle may seem strange, or even impossible. Don’t worry. As you get more comfortable in your riding, you will need your upper body less and less. At the same time, you will be freed up to to add more power into the pedals. This is where a basic seat handle comes in; it lets you pedal hard without lifting yourself up off the seat.
A touring handle mostly does the opposite; providing a place to rest some of your body weight while cruising. If you tried one right now, you probably wouldn’t be able to do much with it other than slam it into the ground a lot (not recommended). In time you will also be able to pull up on it for greater stability and power in a more aerodynamic position.
johnfoss - i rode my uni about 3 miles today with only one break… and i have not fallen (yet). i have also stopped flapping my arms. so in your opinion the “shadow handle” IS a good one for touring and relieving pressure off the saddle? i saw a set that are long and slender with a gentle upcurve, where they meet(?). i think i saw them on a unigeezer vid. do you know which these are? if so, any experience with them? thank you for all you help and advice everyone… my boys thank you.