proper seat height ...big wheel vs small... ??

Hi guys …I’m a newb , just learned how to ride on a 20" for a couple months now…I’m barely level 1ish …lol …on a torker LX 20

so i just got another uni…to broaden my skills …and take it outside and play in the grass, dirt and gravel… so I got a nimbus muni 26…

and WOW …I love it (I’ve only ridden it for 30 min. ) and It’s funny how little my 20 feels now…and like Im pedalling all fast …hehe

anyways …I got the 150mm cranks on it… and my 20 has 127mm cranks…and i can really feel the difference…

So my QUESTION is about Seat height … On my 20…I have the seat at a height where my stretched out leg is still a little bent… and I have to just tip up a little to freemount… But on this 26 …IDk what to do… I set the seat high first …where my leg was stretched out the same to the pedal…but was wayyy too far off the ground to freemount… So i lowered it a bit … and can barely freemount (with a lot of tip up ) …but my seat is still higher off the ground … is this Normal ???

for you guys who ride multi sizes…when you have your uni’s leaned up against a wall… are ALL the seat heights the same to the ground ??? or are they adjusted according to the cranks ?

thanks for any advice…

I’m gonna go search the subject a little too… but thought I’d throw the Q out there to get some opinions… thanks guys and gals…

I’ll let the experience riders answer the other questions, but as far as the uni’s side by side question. Seat heights will differ because the distance from the hub to the ground increases as wheel size increases, so the seat height will also increase. If they happen to all line up, then it’s just a coincidence dude to the riders personal preference for each size.

depends how you ride, who you are and what style you ride/ i dont think anyone can say there is a “proper” seat height. for freestyle i know its usually around your belly button or higher. but i know i personally right the seat as low as it can go on my 24" street andn ot because im short, but because thats how i like it

I have my seat really low on my 20" because I’m learning to do tricks and it helps me jump higher seat in. I can stand on my tippy toes with it between my legs, just barely.

My 24" muni has a quick release on it, so if it’s flat trail or street riding, I put the seat up high to reduce energy loss, and if I’m riding harder bumpy sections, I’ll lower it so I can cushion my falls more and have better control since I’m not smacking the seat and throwing off my balance.

Seat height is a measurement of the distance between seat and pedals. Wheel size isn’t part of the actual height equation. What is a part of the equation is what type of riding you’re doing.

I have a 45" wheel unicycle. I can’t lower the seat to where I can simply walk onto it. I have to learn to mount it into a “proper” riding position. Same thing with your new 26", only easier. There are plenty of threads here on freemounting.

Type of riding:
When learning to ride, it is usually assumed you are on a flat, smooth surface. A gym floor, parking lot, driveway, etc. For basic riding under those conditions you want plenty of leg extension, hence having the knee almost straight with your heel on the bottom pedal (then using the balls of your feet).

That height is fine for indoor riding, Freestyle, messing around, road riding, basketball, and several other unicycling activities. But you need a lower seat (more bend in the knee) for other types of riding. At the extreme end, Street, Trials and Flatland riding usually involve a lower seat to allow for leg compression on hops (and other reasons). You need a lower seat for MUni so you don’t get your feet bounced off the pedals. Same is true for road riding in bumpier situations.

So keep the seat high, and figure out the mount. And have fun at it!

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I always use this rule (for my 20") where I put my thumb in my belly button and point down with my index finger. Where the tip of your index finger is should be the height of the middle of the saddle.

When trying a giraffe today, the guy helping me matched up the pedals on my 20" with the giraffe and used that to match the saddle heights (so the distance between the pedals and the saddle).

I’m guessing that you could apply the same principal to other types but again you would need to fine tune it to whatever feels comfortable.

thanks alot guys… some really good suggestions there… and I found a little more in my searches… I just have to practice !

I’m just still a newb and on a major learning curve… i’ve got some freemounts now on the N26 …and i’m getting a little more used to it. Still dont have them “on lock” but with time , they will keep improving …

and I need to just keep moving my seat around…till i find my comfort zone… I like switching things around on my 20… so why not this one too…I also like going form the 26 to the 20 …and trying to quickly adjust to the differences in weight and pedal stroke etc. i feel like it’s helping me progress a little faster.

all i know is i’m having FUN learning how to uni ! :smiley:

thanks again ya’ll

and John …a 45" ? :astonished: I didnt even know they existed !.. I thought 36 was the biggest…and I just watched some 36 vids yesterday …and was impressed with those guys doing freemounts and dismounts… You have just blown me away even thinking about what a 45 must be like ( when my 26 showed up…it was bigger than expected…and when I watched those vids yest…they looked bigger than I expected a 36 to look like … So a 45 !..must look like a wagon wheel with a guy sittin on top ! …LOL )
thanks for sharing…