To POKALDE.
After a few pedal lacerations(4x claw rips). I experimented a bit by removing “most” of the studs, but leaving a few towards in cranks side. That might help you.
Also, you might just consider “changing back” to standard single hole cranks. I have a 3 hole cranks and guess what? I never ever change the pedal position. Why?
a.) I know the feel and control will change. Abslutely, and I won’t waste time/injury to experiment on this. Since, I also like to do SIF and backwards I won’t risk it.
b.) The extra “sticking out” of the crank end = a tripping hazard. Unless you place your feet on the pedal “wide” you cannot avoid a possible bumpiong. However, feet wide on pedal= slipping off. Thus, using the “inside hole” of a multi-hole crank = lose + lose situation. Unless you are just riding for distance on a flat.
I know I have a 3 hole crank but I don’t use the other holes, what a waste. I once had a dream that I could do both freestyle and long distance…but on a 24"? It looks cool, I guess?
Also, if you ditch those pedals and get a proper plastic pedal like Fyxation. There are raised plastic studs, which do a good job of gripping. Unless wet or muddy. Also, they will “tear your skin” if you touch them on a fall…however, not as deep as the surgical cuts from the aluminum studs. So, riders need to keep that in mind.
You could also try the slightly more aggressive version of the pedals linked by @Bug72
I used the Geo Trail for some time and they are nice in the dry but as soon as they get wet there is not much grip so they are now on the wife’s hybrid electric bike and I just accept the risk of riding metal pins. And if planning something risky I wear shin protection.
What apps do you recommend? Strava is pretty useless as it averages grades per segment as defined by strava.
It would be good to have an app with the function to select start and end points to measure grade.
On a couple of hills I am trying to ascend, the grade varies and there are some spots (say a 5 meter length) that is a challenge and I go back and measure manually using a 300mm long spirit level with tape measure for vertical
30mm vertical = 10% Grade.
45mm vertical=15% grade.
By the way, how could I have quoted JimT and replyed in a new thread?
You can define your own segments anytime, I’ve made many, they have to be a minimum distance now which is pain. It is more suited to longer distance segments (like Lycra warriors would use for TT) than measuring short sharp slopes, but we are talking GPS/phone not surveying equipment. Of course it is an average grade, the slope varies all the time. For segments were there is a steep section, followed by flat, then steep again (like in LCNP), try to create two segments of just the slopes.
I rode Muni with my Safety Shoes. Haix Black Eagle and there well for ride Muni and for Work. They have a good ankle support.
But my Pedals also scratching my waten . The Wellgo Metal Pinns are not so high but aggressive and I’ve some holes in my waten. Yeah not so nice but it’s goes.
Well not me, In Spring I face planted while riding my 36er at 20km/h+. Got some 20 stitches on my face and a nice scar. It made me hesitated to ride a 36er for months, and it was only until the autumn I pick up steam again.
What I’ve learnt from this incident is, be awe to your newly acquired power. I was really new to the 36er (well, new to unicycling in general) and discovered I can ride really fast on it. Without the skills to handle the unicycle and proper protection, I pushed myself too hard for pursuing speed, they all made a bad injury an inevitable thing.
While 2023 was accident free, In 2020 I broke several toes when my worn out vans shoe slipped off a pedal jamming my foot into the ground breaking several toes. The reason Im bringing back ancient history is now as 2024 is around the corner with the damp cold winter weather in the air that injury is causing me residual pain.
In the new year stay safe, keep your equipment in good condition, wear PPE and keep those shoe laces tucked away.
Happy riding in the new year.
Not actually an injury but a very close call earlier this year.
Whilst doing a brake assisted freemount on a freewheel I got my little finger caught in the gap between the brake mount and the saddle.
It was an awful feeling as I couldn’t get it out whilst trying to control the unicycle and working out what to do so I didn’t snap my finger. If I recall correctly I dismounted forwards in a controlled way as to keep hold of the unicycle.
Since then all my braked unicycles have foam wedged in that gap so it won’t happen again.
My worst issue this year but not physically limiting is a damaged or lost big toenail. I have not heard of it to be a problem with other unicyclist but it seems to be quite common with other repetitive activities. In the runners world it is called “runner’s toenail”. I have also read that it is common for long distance hikers.
A few times I have had some toenail damage or lost a toenail after a full day uni ride. The problem seems to be caused by repeated stress on your toenails as you ride. Rather than resulting from one acute problem while I ride, the toenail is damaged or toenails falling off after the activity typically because of the accumulated microtraumas your toe experiences during the ride. That is converted form What Causes Runner’s Toenail? Any other unicyclist have toenail issues from overuse?
In summer this year it had a bad injury. My sheolaces wrapped around the Pedal from the 36" wheel on 20km/h. I fall of and broke my left radius head from the elbow and my right collarbone again. The collarbone hurts a lot also with pain killers. Aweful. The plate came out in Dezember 2022 and half a year later it broke again. Than 4 months bo Unicycle for me. This year was so bad for me, i cound’t ride half a year. The Suggestionen from the last year took me also 2 months with out of riding the uni. The last month , November , it was really hard to find the way back on the uni again. Also the Bones are don’t get better and hurts. This makes me really frustrated on my own, i also lost all my goals in my life. Now, end of Dezember, it’s better and i can ride my uni again but this was more a mentaly question for me.
I was lucky to survive a shoe string accident with only brush burns and some strained joints. I was wearing a new pair of shoes with a grippy sole as I had recovered from an accident wearing shoes with a worn out tread and thought I was solving my tread issue. That year was bad for me and injuries but I learned some valuable lessons. One no shoe laces, I converted all of my athletic shoes to easily tuck able bungies and I still like riding in vans but I watch the condition of my tread carefully. I never ride ith out wrist guards and helmet at the very minimum.
Fell pretty hard on my left shoulder today with an awful crack. Fingers got all tingly and I could feel things shifting in there. I was worried I broke my clavicle, but ended up just being an AC joint separation.
Not the worst thing that can happen to a shoulder, and thankfully no head impact. But I’ll be off the trails for a couple weeks at least.
My last injury was a big one, the worst injury of my life. It’s a bit of a story, so indulge me. It happened September 14th 2023. Perhaps I should say from the outset that I’m 46, but don’t know how to act it. I had been riding muni for about 2 ½ years and would consider myself better-than-intermediate in skill, comfortable with drops up to 3’, pretty technical descents, and fair at hopping up and down obstacles. This particular day I just had an unfortunate little misstep. Side-hopping a gap between two big rocks in front of a drop of about a foot down to another large flat rock, my tire caught the edge of the far rock, I went over sideways falling directly onto my hip on the lower rock. I knew it was bad, I hoped it wasn’t broken (it was fractured). I was wearing knee and elbow pads, and a helmet. The rest of the story is a cautionary tale in personal safety preparedness. I was alone, half a mile up a fairly rugged trail, and I had left my phone in the car. (Also it was a trail that tends to be lightly used, so naturally no other hikers appeared at all). I realized quickly I was not going to be able to put any weight on the leg. With that realization I nearly panicked. I managed to calm myself with some deep breathing, and resolved to ditch my uni, find a stick and try to hobble back, which is what I did. It took a long time, over an hour. The pain was not crazy bad if I stayed off the leg, but it was grueling. Friends came and drove me to the clinic. I was in surgery the next day and they fit me out with a pretty intense piece of hardware called a gamma nail. Needless to say it caused no end of amusement among the hospital staff as to how I wound up there.
Recovery was tough, mostly just being patient, and I’m still not 100%. It was a long while before I could even look at my unicycle again, much less even think about riding it. I did resume riding after the new year (which felt amazing), but I’m not quite ready to tear off into the woods. I did, however, register for Unicon 21, which feels like an act of defiance or resilience or something. It’ll be my first one, and I am super excited. Sorry for the long story, but hopefully it gives some folks a little reminder to think safety, and know your limits. Then ride like crazy
