I just ordered a 24" Onza Mountain Unicycle from www.unicycle.com and
it didn’t come with a seat clamp with a quick release switch on it for
easily adjusting the seat height. I called them and told them that it
didn’t have one so they said they would send me one in the mail. I got
it today, but it just turned out to be the part I already had which
was just a little clamp that required an Allen Wrench to tighten or
loosen. Is this normal for MUni’s for the only Unicycle I have ever
had before was a freestyle Torker which did have a seat clamp with
quick release? The instructions included with the Onza showed it
having a seat clamp with quick release in addition to the part I
already mentioned but I wasn’t sure if these were just generic
instructions. Any further information or help would be very much
appreciated. Thank-you.
Hey josh,
Since i started Muni ing i have found that there is no need, once you have got it right, to change the seat height. With the tourque involved with hill climbing the quick release may not be strong enough and the last thing you want is your seat to be out of whack when you come over the crest of a hill into a gnarly downhill. Most high range unicycles dont use quick releases,
Mark
ps. as an added bonus there is now an excuse to tell people they cant “have a go” because the seat is not the right height, and being an allen key clamp you cant easily change it!
The pictures at both unicycle.com USA and unicycle.com UK both show a double bolt clamp with allen bolts. No quick release clamp.
Cheap quick release clamps don’t do well on a muni. The low quality and medium quality ones will allow the seatpost to twist. Only the high quality expensive ones will hold the seatpost tight.
The only quick release clamp that is any good is the Salsa. It’s expensive. $24 at unicycle.com and up to $30 at local bike shops. But it’s the best one there is. I use the Salsa Flip-Lock on my muni and trials uni. The seatpost never slips.
I think the Salsa clamp will fit the Onza frame. You’ll have to measure the frame to be sure. A bike shop will be able to measure the frame and make sure the clamp will fit. The Salsa clamps come in several different sizes to fit different frame diameters.
I’m going to have to agree with some of the previous posters in that, not only is a quick release clamp not necessary, it’s a liability. The problem with quick release is that once they got out you’re in trouble and if that happens to be far from home you’re just S.O.L.
I often adjust my seat height based on the riding I’m doing. If I’m going to be climbing a dirt road I may raise the seat a bit. If I’m going to be on buff XC trails I may put the seat at a medium height. If I’m going to be on technical stuff I’ll lower the seat. The quick release is handy.
The Salsa clamp is no liability. It’s not going to fail on you.
But even some of the allen bolt style clamps are a liability. Some clamps force the bolt to bend as the clamp is tightened. The bolt will be forced to bend into the shape of a banana. Eventually the bolt may break due to that bending. The better designed clamps allow the bolt to stay straight as the clamp is tightened.
The Salsa clamps allow the bolt to stay straight as the clamp is tightened. No chance of the bolt breaking due to bending. The Salsa Flip-Lock also has the perfect cam action on the quick release lever. Flipping the quick release lever squeezes the clamp tightly and locks the lever in place.
Poorly designed quick release clamps are a liability because they don’t clamp tightly and are incapable of clamping tightly. Poorly designed allen bolt clamps are a liability because they force the bolt to bend like a banana.
I’ve got a QR on all my unis, currently it’s just a cheapish one off unicycle.com. It’s held without any problems.
I use it to swap seats around unicycles and also to change height when I let people have a go on the unicycle.
It’s also handy for different types of riding, if I’m doing riding round town and jumping off things I’ll usually have the seat low, whereas if I’m doing a long muni ride, it’d be way too slow with a low seat.
I agree with JC. (I am told I must while we are building his self-esteem)
I really like the convenience of a QR post clamp, and the Salsa has worked well for me. Just be sure to keep a dab of grease or anti-size on the cam surface or it will wear away. I didn’t and it is worn crooked now but still works great.
I bought a cheap clamp from Nashbar but have not used it yet. It is made similar to the Salsa but not so pretty, in fact it is really big. It seems like it should have a lot of holding power.
The frame and seatpost material effect how hard it is to hold. A chrome seatpost in a steel frame is probably the hardest, unless it is knurled.