swimming on a 41" wheel.

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I just going a new unicycle with a 41" wheel from semcycle. It’s beautiful and
remarkably light by the way.

The problem is when I ride at speed in a straight line it pulls hard to the
right. I have to swing my arms to keep the thing straight. The wheel looks
pretty true and is aligned properly. I don’t have this problem on my 28".

Ideas? I’d really like to be able to do some distance on this cycle.

thanks in advance, lloyd

2

Re: swimming on a 41" wheel.

Text item:

I’m not sure about the design of Semcycle’s big wheel, but if it has a frame
similar to a Schwinn, your frame might be out of alignment. This can happen with
a perfectly true wheel, and is the result of holding the whole thing together
with a single bolt.

Look at your wheel and see if it’s centered between the forks, and directly
aligned with the seat post above it. If not, loosen the seat post bolt, line
everything up, and then tighten it like hell.

Another possible source of your trouble is your riding surface. Becuase you
are using a different tire on this unicycle, you may be more affected by the
crown in the road. Riding on the right side may give you more tendency to pull
to the right.

Also it might be “Cosmic Rays”, or the Santa Cruz “Mystery Spot Effect”. Or else
maybe it’s all in your mind.

If none of the above is effective, give Semcycle an email: < semcycle@aol.com >.
Al or Sem or Teresa should be able to help you.

Enjoy,

John Foss reply to: unifoss@calweb.com

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: swimming on a 41" wheel. Author: unicycling-owner@icicle.winternet.com
at SMTPGATE Date: 1/3/98 10:03 PM

I just going a new unicycle with a 41" wheel from semcycle. It’s beautiful and
remarkably light by the way.

The problem is when I ride at speed in a straight line it pulls hard to the
right. I have to swing my arms to keep the thing straight. The wheel looks
pretty true and is aligned properly. I don’t have this problem on my 28".

Ideas? I’d really like to be able to do some distance on this cycle.

thanks in advance, lloyd

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3

RE: swimming on a 41" wheel.

I just got my 40" Semcycle big wheel 2 weeks ago. It’s great! The design is
unlike any I have seen before. It is modeled after the Semcycle XL using the
same bearing and holder system. The frame is one piece (made of chromemoly
tubing, I think) and is very stiff, much more so than the soft steel bar style
Tom Miller builds. This makes it light and responsive. The method of holding the
seat post is unique and very effective. The top of the frame is a square tube.
The seat post is also a square tube which fits just inside the frame tube. The
seat post is a fixed length based on the riders inseam and held in the frame
with what looks like a plastic shim. It is a great lightweight design. I got the
cotterless hub, which I strongly recommend for an extra $50. The whole thing is
a work of art.

My guess on Lloyd’s swimming problem is that he pedals harder with one leg than
the other. With such a big wheel, the axle is very wide and the uni will tend to
wobble back and forth with each down stroke. At speed, the wobble lessens, but
if you pump harder with one leg than the other, the uni will turn in that
direction. Also as always make sure you are sitting up straight.

Does anyone have any great skill ideas for performing on a big wheel? So far I
have spin, backspin, front spin, seat out, idle, backwards, running mount, side
mount, pirouette.

John, I have seen you get into fast spins and pirouettes almost without effort.
I have a lot of trouble on our slippery gym floors as my tire slides sideways.
Any ideas?
> ----------
> From: JohnX Foss[SMTP:JohnX_Foss@ccm.fm.intel.com] Reply To: JohnX Foss Sent:
> Monday, January 05, 1998 10:53 AM To: UNICYCLING@winternet.com Subject: Re:
> swimming on a 41" wheel.
>
>
> Text item:
>
> I’m not sure about the design of Semcycle’s big wheel, but if it has a
>
> frame similar to a Schwinn, your frame might be out of alignment. This
>
> can happen with a perfectly true wheel, and is the result of holding the whole
> thing together with a single bolt.
>
> Look at your wheel and see if it’s centered between the forks, and directly
> aligned with the seat post above it. If not, loosen the seat post bolt, line
> everything up, and then tighten it like hell.
>
> Another possible source of your trouble is your riding surface. Becuase you
> are using a different tire on this unicycle, you may be more affected by the
> crown in the road. Riding on the right side may give you more tendency to pull
> to the right.
>
> Also it might be “Cosmic Rays”, or the Santa Cruz “Mystery Spot Effect”. Or
> else maybe it’s all in your mind.
>
> If none of the above is effective, give Semcycle an email: < semcycle@aol.com
> >. Al or Sem or Teresa should be able to help you.
>
> Enjoy,
>
> John Foss reply to: unifoss@calweb.com
>
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator
> _________________________________
> Subject: swimming on a 41" wheel. Author:
> unicycling-owner@icicle.winternet.com at SMTPGATE Date: 1/3/98 10:03 PM
>
>
> I just going a new unicycle with a 41" wheel from semcycle. It’s beautiful and
> remarkably light by the way.
>
> The problem is when I ride at speed in a straight line it pulls hard to the
> right. I have to swing my arms to keep the thing straight. The wheel looks
> pretty true and is aligned properly. I don’t have this problem on my 28".
>
> Ideas? I’d really like to be able to do some distance on this cycle.
>
> thanks in advance, lloyd
>

4

RE: swimming on a 41" wheel.

Semcycle has been making these in Europe and just recently is making them
available in the states. The big problem was shipping as there was no economical
way to get them here from Europe.

The frame and axle are chrome plated. Beautiful!!

The wheel appears to be made from 2 alloy bike rims. The spokes appear to be
stainless. I think the cranks are about 6.5" (I asked for a long as they had.)

The solid rubber tire is similar to wheel chair rubber. It is shaped like
half an egg.

My 40" cost $650 plus $50 shipping. These are all custom made, so your
price may vary.

Freemounting is not difficult for an experienced rider. It is easier than a
giraffe. A slow rolling mount is easiest. You have to be able to launch yourself
vertically without stepping hard on the rear pedal.

And yes, I could ride faster than I dare. I plan on staying in one piece, so I
limit my speed.

Call Teresa or Sem at 734-421-2505 if you want one. I wouldn’t assume they have
a long term supply. I waited 1.5 years until they found a way to get them to the
states. Once they had them in stock, it only took 2-3 weeks for them to assemble
and ship it.

> ----------
> From: Unidiver@webtv.net[SMTP:Unidiver@webtv.net] Sent: Wednesday, February
> 11, 1998 8:11 PM To: William.Gilbertson@unisys.com Subject: RE: swimming on a
> 41" wheel.
>
> Bill, I read with much interest your letter about the Sem 40" uni. It sounds
> really neat, and I would like to get one. I don’t see any reference to it in
> the brochure. Is this something new they are manufacturing? Is the chrome
> molly frame painted or chrome finish? How is the wheel made? Is it a hard
> rubber tire [wheel chair rubber]? Are the spokes stainless steel? How long
> are the cranks? And very importantly, how much is it? The biggest one I have
> is a 28" made by Tom Miller at the Uni Factory. It seems to me that a 40"
> would be really hard to freemount, or is there a secret to it? It would seem
> that you could kick that 40" up very fasst, maybe a little scary. Thanks for
> your time, Mike