Seatpost (chech for cracks, also that all the bolts are tight)
My guess is cranks (that is what it sounds like to me). Try putting your weight on the unicycle without using the cranks (wheelwalk maybe, or just generally pushing onto the unicycle.) If it still makes the noise, it’s not crank/pedal related.
Try pushing/pulling on just the crank hard with your hands, if you can get it to make noise, it’s probably the cranks.
Good ideas that I need to try. I just tried to push and pull the cranks with my hand and couldn’t reproduce it, but it takes more force I believe.
I guess I just would like to hear more about how it might be cranks. Like, loose cranks? Doesn’t the sound in the video sound spindly and high pitched? To me it screams spokes, but again, I’m new to this.
Unless I’m crazy and missing something, I don’t understand how the cranks could be loose. I think that would be an obvious thing to tell.
As far as seat post, I feel this noise through the pedals. Again, maybe I’m crazy but I just don’t feel like its the seat post.
This is the conversation I need though, so don’t be offended. I am welcoming any ideas or suggestions.
I had a clicking noise on my 36 that only went away after I switched to a socket wrench with hex key to tighten it. I could not get it tight enough with the hex key alone.
Dang it. I think @finnspin is correct. I think it is the cranks. Took me a while to wrap my head around the cranks, thought I had it figured, and now I have more questions.
So, I went and gorilla tightened them again, and while there is less creaks, there is still some in the left.
This must mean that there is space (i.e. not a great fit) between the crank and the hub.
I should probably re-install and likely after measuring the gap will use less spacer, right?
With this logic, is the inevitable fate on a long enough timeline that the crank and/or hub will wear out? I don’t mean like geologic time lol, but you get the idea.
Ok thank you. I bought long handled hex wrenches which I thought would fix the problem (the stock wrench was too short for me too). I might grab a set like this. Not sure I understand the benefit beyond the long handle, but thats okay.
FWIW I just diagnosed my 29er with the exact same spoke sounding noise to be loose seat bolts. I only heard the sound under heavy acceleration, and my spokes were slightly loose so I tightened them up nicely and the sound was unchanged. So I went around checking stuff and the uni was upside down at one point and I twisted it and saw the seat move and snap back. Well I had been riding a handle extension I made that’s very similar to a Ursli extension and it puts a good deal of twisting force into the seat. Apparently enough to break free of the bolts in a few weeks. So that sound really could be anything, but it seems like you have it narrowed down to cranks, and a thinner spacer should do the trick.
I don’t know if you can see any damage. However if you remove the crank bolt and the crank can be removed easily without a puller, you will know the the joint is too loose.
Every mystery sound I’ve ever had has ended up being pedals, as in pedal bearings. I’ve changed spokes, re built wheels, swapped disks… and it was the pedal !
Just to follow up for anyone reading this 10 years from now. It was the cranks. I was wrong BUT I am grateful for everyone chiming in. Among others, @finnspin was right. Also, there was no damage as far as I can tell. I’ve ridden a few hours. No noises or anything. Took the spacers down to 4.5 mm after measuring the gap.
I typically increase my level of riding when I start to get strange sounds out of my unicycles and replacing the first part that breaks has always gotten rid of the noise.