}]mCl#Please Confirm[{ Semcycle makes two kinds of seats: one for the Semcycle
and one for the XL. Can anyone describe their shape, construction, comfort? Are
they symmetrical or narrower in front? Which one is preferable for long rides?
Other bits of info?
Thanks, Michel Roy
Re: Seats
> Semcycle makes two kinds of seats: one for the Semcycle and one for the XL.
> Can anyone describe their shape, construction, comfort? Are they
> symmetrical or narrower in front? Which one is preferable for long rides?
> Other bits of info?
XL - Plastic base Plastic leatherish cover
Semcycle - Metal base Rubber one-piece ‘boot’ cover
Both have foam padding which wears down with time, but you can add foam sheet to
make it more comfortable. Both can get very uncomfortable if you let the foam
get too thin [especially the XL].
I have twice seen the metal of Semcycle saddles break completely [under fairly
extreme conditions] and the metal can wear its way through the boot if you don’t
file it smooth. The XL saddles have bumpers front and back, attached by bolts
and these can damage your hands if you catch them, once the dustcovers come off,
unless you put on extra nuts…
I could go on for hours [frightening isn’t it] but on balance both of these
saddles are better than average. Possibly the Semcycle is better, but it is more
expensive. Put in more padding if you find it uncomfortable.
> Thanks, Michel Roy
Peter
Peter Philip peterp@foe.co.uk of the LUNIs - London's Unicycle Hockey Team +44
181 341 7587 Coordinator of UNICON VIII - The World Unicycling Convention 1996
Re: seats
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Ah, uni seats - now that’s a “sore” subject! Having tried all of them, and then
some other combo’s, I feel that the Miyata seat is about the best thing going
(except for that damn green coler). I think that the Semcycle (an excellent
choice) can be ordered with one, but if not, can be easily modified to accept
one. The Semcycle comes standard with a Mesenger/Schwinn seat which is also very
good in my opinion, and that seat can be easily modified into a “air saddle”
which is a very good mod. I also like the Viscount seat and ride one about 70%
of the time. I don’t know of any other decent seats out there. Alot of this
depends on what type of riding that you will be doing as to what brand seat
feels right. Remember to adjust the seat properly to keep the weight off the
tender stuff and on the butt. This seems to done best by kicking the front up as
far as it will go. Good Luck. Mike
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<35C865FE.8388DE23@niia.net> Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998
09:02:38 -0500 From: Eric & Bobbie <ewright@niia.net>
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Eric & Bobbie <ewright@niia.net>
What model uni, in anyone’s opinion, has the most comfortable seat. This is so
important to me. I’ll be getting a new Sem, is the seat comfortable? Thanx!
-Midnight
–WebTV-Mail-1975200426-1288–
RE: Seats
> >I have a Savage unicycle (ha-ha.) and the seats metal guards
> dig into my legs making it impossible to ride for more than an hour. Is there
> a better seat?
I like the (ha-ha)! The Savage, along with many other inexpensive Taiwan
unicycles, has one of the worst seats you can currently find on a unicycle.
Unfortunately these seats never seem to go away, even though better ones exist!
They must be very cheap to make. In the 70’s it was a cool design because there
were hardly any unicycle seats anywhere. But they would always smash when
dropped, and the metal would cut right through the thin covers and start cutting
through you.
Then when Miyata came out with a unicycle with metal bumpers on its seats
(1978?), the cheap Taiwan manufacturers slowly followed by putting similar
bumpers on their bendy seats. Unfortunately the bumpers have a tendency to come
loose, and you lose the attachment nuts before you realize there’s a problem.
Then the bumpers get pounded into the seat so they cease to be of any use.
The main problem with these seats is not the bumpers, but the fact that they’re
too wide in the front. All the “good” unicycle seats I’ve ever seen are wider in
the rear than in the front. Your butt is in the rear, and your thighs are moving
up and down in the front. Aren’t people in Taiwan shaped the same way?
Anyway, these junky seats persist, even though several different better seats
have also emerged from Taiwan. My favorite is the seats commonly found on Zephyr
or Cycle Design unicycles (both from Taiwan), depending on year. See this seat
at the Unicycle Models page:
http://www.unicycling.org/unicycling/Unidb/qdesc/cd.html
This seat takes thousands of drops with little sign of wear. The one in the
pictures is not brand new! The only problem I’ve heard about these seats is
that they can tear when pulled up on too much. But this leaves a seat that
starts with an intelligent shape, no damage from drops, and long lasting unless
you’re learning lots of tricks. This is an awesome seat for any beginner.
Unfortunately I’m not sure if you can buy them anywhere. Try Tommy at the
Unicycle Factory, (765) 452-2692.
By the way, there is one seat out there with metal bumpers that shouldn’t be
confused with the junky Taiwan ones. These are the Ringmaster seats from DM of
England. This is a heavy duty, highest-quality seat with very large chrome
bumpers that stay in place. It’s only drawback is that it’s pretty heavy, which
is not a consideration for professional performers or for people who want stuff
that will last.
Anyway, back to Greg’s problem. The answer to your question is yes, almost all
other unicycle seats are better. I recommend a Miyata seat. The post will fit,
it’s the most engineered seat out there, can take thousands of drops, and has a
color you might like. We are hoping for blue ones in the next shipment. The nice
thing about the Miyata seat is that you can convert it to an air seat (replace
foam with 12" or 16" innertube), for very long term riding. Only drawback with
the Miyata seat is that they can break under heavy use. I have custom posts
built, so the seat is supported and won’t break, nor will the post. But for
normal riding, you should never have a problem. You can order Miyata seats from
UnicycleSource, http://www.unicycle.com, or by calling 1-800-UNICYCLE. They have
other seats too.
Good luck, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone (reply to jfoss@unicycling.com)
http://www.unicycling.com
“Every once in a while, you just have to be an airplane.”