Hi–I just started “riding” my new Semcycle this week. I’ve never been
on a uni before. What I’m wondering is er, ah, if anyone else has found
the saddle rather rough on the male anatomy. I find that just sitting
on the seat just squashes my nuts to the point that I ache after about 5
minutes or so and feel like stopping. Anyone else experienced this and
if so, is it a matter of getting used to it or is there something I’m
missing or is there a solution.
Dave
Wear something tight like bicycling shorts or at least briefs to hold your genitals in place and out of the way. This is a common problem that is addressed in several past threads. You also may be getting on in some awkward manner as a beginner. With some experience you should be able to make some adjustments after mounting.
It is so common it’s not even funny. First try what Harper suggested, and if the pain never goes away for all of your unicycling days, BUY A NEW SEAT. But that’s only the last option. My friend got a Torker for Christmas and learned to ride with the seat backwards, which ended up giving him major rashes/burns. My advice is just find a way to ride that is the most comfy for you.
Johny,
It is like Harper said. this is really quite common. There was a thread that touched(no pun intended) on this with in the last month. Go to the forumus home page and then just scroll down through the titles of the threads til you find it. Also do searches on key words. The biggest thread on this was, I think, somewhere back in August to October or so, not sure.
It gets better with time. Eventually after hours and hours, it’s usually after you are able to do a free mount that you can ride a few feet off the saddle and adjust the pack up with one of your hands. If your desperate, buy a suspensory. If you can find that most recent thread, it explains it. Many riders use the bike shorts.
I don’t wear bike shorts, I just adjust especially when the temps warm up. Practice adjusting in a stationary position. Squeeze the saddle a little between your legs while holding onto a post or wall, then adjust the pack up and then sit. Instinct will tell you how to move.
You will get the hang of it, (oops I just made a funny!!)
Work the maze.
Check out these past threads:
http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=13825
http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=12636
And there are lots of other past discussions about this too. You can search for them at: http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/search.php
I started out with the standard Semcycle saddle on my Semcycle Deluxe 24" and hated it. Bought a Miyata saddle, tore out and upgraded the padding, and am very comfortable now. There is a new Semcycle XL saddle that is also comfortable but does not have the nice handle up front.
Enjoy
Moe,
How did you upgrade the padding in the Miyata seat?
Thanks
Miyata saddle padding upgrade.
The Miyata unicycle saddle is taken apart with a socket wrench and pliers easily. My padding upgrade was a layer of dense open cell foam 3/4" covered by a layer of dense closed cell foam 1/2". The original padding is used as a template for cutting the replacement foam. Hope this helps. Moe.
Moe, yes that helps. 
One last question. Where or what kind of store sold you the open and closed cell foam?
Thanks,
Work the maze.
check the yellow pages, or an online phone book, for a foam store. If you live in a metro area, then there should be a store that just sells foam. I use neoprene in my seat as the replacement foam. In some of my unis I use an airseat (http://www.unicycling.org/airseat).
Comparing open+closed dense foam with neoprene, is there a better one of the two ? What are the benefits and setbacks of each option ?
The better one is the one that is more comfortable for you. One thing with the neoprene is that after a year or two of riding on it, it gets squished and gets compressed and worthless. So, if you’re slow like on getting new foam to replace it, then you’ll have an uncomfortable seat for a while. I’m not sure how comfortable or durable the other foam is.