Obscure academic 36”er question of the day:
At what height or inseam measurement do people have trouble making a stock 36” unicycle frame and saddle low enough to ride? I’m also interested in what folks may have done to accommodate shorter 36er riders like cutting frame necks down or other alternatives. I know that UDC UK has had a short person’s Coker frame out there for a while (and for some reason it reminds me of a trombone).
So what other strategies have folks used to make 36ering possible for the little folks?
there have been some past threads on this topic that go into some detail - so a search may get you more info than my reply. I have modified my Nimbus 36 so my 11 and 13 year old kids can ride it.
Cutting the neck: I have done this successfully. You have to put a new slot in the neck.
Building up the pedals: I tried a plastic block set from the LBS to build up the pedals. The blocks are held on by something similar to extra wide rubber bands. It worked very poorly and we removed them because the shorter neck did the trick. However, better secured build-up blocks would have done the trick.
Shorter cranks: We did not do this because I like the control I get using longer cranks and I live on a very big hill. But, if you don’t have a lot of hills to contend with, the shorter cranks can do the trick.
Thinner saddle: This will help a little, but only a little.
The UDC short frame is great - my 10-y-o daughter has no chance of riding a stock 36" but rode a short frame easily; it was her favourite wheel until it was returned to the owner!
I am 5ft 2".
With 150mm cranks I needed the short person’s coker frame.
With 125mm however I can ride the stock Nimbus 36er with the neck cut as short as is adviseable. Actually I think that if you don’t use the T7 handle you don’t need to cut the fame quite as much.
Look at Ken Looi, I don’t know his measurements but he’s not exactly the tallest dude I know, but he rides a coker no problem.
I’m 5’6" and my inseam is 30". I ride a stock Nimbus 36" with 150mm cranks (I love the mixing of units, why are they not 6" cranks) and have about 1" of knurling still showing on my seat post.
So only mod’ needed is to cut down the seat post, but then I always need to do that.
I’m 5’6". I cut about 3/4" off my KH 36 seat tube for me to ride it with 150s. I cut about 1/2" off my Nimbus 36 frame – but the newer Nimbus frames have a much shorter tube. Louise is 5’2" and can ride the Numbus 36 with about 1" (maybe a bit more) cut off the original frame, with 125mm cranks.
Note that I just recently learned that the original Numbus frames had about 1" longer tubes than the newer ones.
Neither Louise nor I could use a T7 – it simply would be too high for 150mm cranks. That was one of the main reasons I made my own handlebars.
corbin