FAQ

FIRST TIME BUYING A UNICYCLE?

SELECTING A UNICYCLE

WHAT STYLE?

WHAT IS TRIALS, STREET AND FLATLAND?

MAINTENANCE. CRANKS SIZE

MAINTENANCE. UPGRADING PARTS

MAINTENANCE. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRANKS

UNICYCLE MAINTENANCE

GENERAL

First time buying a unicycle?

FIRST TIME BUYING A UNICYCLE?

SELECTING A UNICYCLE

WHAT STYLE?

WHAT IS TRIALS, STREET AND FLATLAND?

MAINTENANCE. CRANKS SIZE

MAINTENANCE. UPGRADING PARTS

MAINTENANCE. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRANKS

UNICYCLE MAINTENANCE

GENERAL

First time buying a unicycle?

WHAT SIZE UNICYCLE WOULD BE EASIEST TO LEARN ON?

It depends on both your leg length and what kind of riding you want to do.If the unicycle is for a child under 10 they are likely to be limited by the length of their legs, select the largest unicycle you can fit them on, up to 20" – you will find the leg length in the description of the unicycle. A 20" wheel will roll better than a 16" and hence will be easier to learn with.If the leg length is long enough to fit on a 24" then you need to assess what style of unicycling is preferred. A 20" is best for doing tricks on and riding on smooth ground – these are preferred by jugglers, skate boarders, bmxers, etc... basically people who like doing tricks. 24" is less good for tricks and is better for moving, especially over rougher ground, they are preferred by mountain bikers and road cyclists.

IS THERE A WEIGHT LIMIT ON UNICYCLES?

No. It is not actually possible to say that a unicycle will not break when used, what we can do is offer recommendations. Here are the basic rules if you are just learning and less than 75 kg then you would probably be ok with a Hoppley or Club unicycle. If you are over 75 kg we recommend the Trainer unicycle as it has a bigger saddle and a stronger hub. If you are wanting to jump or hop on the unicycle you should consider one of the ISIS unicycles (except for young children) as they are considerably more robust and designed for this kind of treatment.

IS A 5 YEAR OLD TOO YOUNG TO LEARN TO RIDE A UNICYCLE?

No. There are many instances of children younger than 5 who have learnt to ride. It often takes a little longer as younger children tend to have shorter attention spans.If you check your child’s leg length and find it is too small for our standard 12" talk to us and we can cut a frame down for you. The youngest unicycle rider in the world was only 18 months old.

I AM INTERESTED IN OFF-ROAD UNICYCLING BUT I HAVE NEVER RIDDEN A UNICYCLE BEFORE, WHAT SHOULD I BUY?

We would recommend that you at least start on a 24” learner unicycle although often it is best to go straight for a 24” or even a 26” Muni. They have a similar crank ratio to a learner unicycle and are ideal for learning on outside. They will also take the knocks and falls of someone learning to ride. We would recommend the Nimbus Muni.

WHY ARE 20 x 2.5 TYRES ALSO CALLED 19” TYRES?

When trials biking was first starting they stipulated that the rear tyre must be 20” in diameter. The bike riders wanted tyres with more cushioning for their rear wheel so Monty took a 1” smaller old scooter rim and tyre (which is nominally 20" in diameter) and used that instead of the standard 20" tyre. To help differentiate between the two tyre sizes the non standard small rim ones are called 19".

WHAT IS THE GUARANTEE ON UNICYCLE.COM UNICYCLES?

Yes, the unicycles have a one year guarantee against manufacturer’s defects. We also go beyond the legal requirements, we offer you a 28 day cooling off period on all purchases. Just return it us unused, in resellable condition and we will give you an unconditional refund.

WHAT MAKES UNICYCLE.COM UNICYCLES BETTER THAN OTHERS?

Unicycle.com not only designs and develops their own unicycles at component level but are often the technical experts that are consulted by other brands and manufacturers regarding unicycles. They are THE experts in this area and are famous for pushing the boundaries of what a unicycle can be and do. Unicycle.com strive to make unicycles perform better and be better value for money while making them appropriate for the riders ability. Remember… ALL the staff at unicycle.com ride unicycles.

WHY BUY FROM UNICYCLE.COM?

At Unicycle.com we are all unicyclists and have many years experience in unicycling - we know what is good and bad in a unicycle! We are a specialist unicyclist store with hundreds of unicycles and unicycle accessories.Whereas your local bike shop may have a unicycle or two in stock, if you are lucky, is it going to be the right one for you? We have a wide range so can supply the unicycle to suit your needs, whether you just want a basic unicycle to learn on, a unicycle to perform on or a specialist off-road or trials unicycle.We sell a complete range of spares for unicycles for upgrading or just maintenance and only sell spares that are appropriate for unicycles. From Pedals and Tyres to Tools and Safety equipment, we have used our years of experience to find the most suitable products at the best prices delivered to your door.

Selecting a unicycle

To check whether you are tall enough or need a longer seatpost. Here is a rough guide. You will find exact sizes in the item description, remember these sizes are from your crotch to the floor with your shoes on, not your trouser length. 

You also need to decide what you want to do with your unicycle. Here is a breakdown of the sizes:

12" UNICYCLE. This is a unicycle designed for a smaller child. It's good for children who are too small to ride a 16" unicycle, but it needs smooth ground and is not really good for outdoors. For children up to 5 year olds. 
Cut Down Seatpost: 47cm, Minimum Leg Length: 50cm, Maximum Leg Length: 61.5cm.

16" UNICYCLE. This is a children's unicycle, the small wheel makes it only suitable for very smooth areas. Best used indoors or on smooth ground; not so good outdoors especially if it is rough or uneven, good for learning for 5 to 8 year olds (always check your childs leg length to be sure) 
Cut Down Seatpost: 51cm, Minimum Leg Length: 60cm, Maximum Leg Length: 74cm.

20" UNICYCLE. Traditionally the most popular size of unicycle. These are great indoor, they turn quick and the best size for tricks. They are great for unicycle hockey or basketball. They are used for Trials with a big tyre. The down side is that they make poor distance machines. Good for learning. 
Cut Down Seatpost: 61cm, Minimum Leg Length: 71cm, Maximum Leg Length: 84cm.

24" UNICYCLE. This is a common size among adults. Good for outdoors on paths, off-road and open areas although it can be a little bit big for indoors unless you have access to large hall or gym. The bigger wheel can make some of the advanced freestyle tricks harder. Good learner machine. Good for Muni and Trials with a big tyre. 
Cut Down Seatpost: 69cm, Minimum Leg Length: 79cm, Maximum Leg Length: 93cm.

26" UNICYCLE. This is a machine for Muni. If you are interested in off-road then this is what you need if you are not a beginner. These are also great street unicycles. Not really suitable for indoors. 
Cut Down Seatpost: 74cm, Minimum Leg Length: 81cm, Maximum Leg Length: 92cm.

29" UNICYCLE. This is good for communting. The big wheel makes it fast and smooth. You can also use this for off-road but it's not so good for very rough terrain. Not as fast as a 36" but lighter and more nimble. For advanced riders. 
Cut Down Seatpost: 76cm, Minimum Leg Length: 86cm, Maximum Leg Length: 100cm.

36" UNICYCLE. The commuting unicycle. If you are a speed fiend then consider one of these, they are fast and smooth. Not a learners unicycle at all and not for indoors.
Cut Down Seatpost: 75cm, Minimum Leg Length: 75cm, Maximum Leg Length: 103cm.

These are approximate sizes only, check the catalogue for the model you want. The cut down seatpost measurement is there to show the leg length after you have cut the seatpost shorter. If your legs are longer than the maximum leg length for that size unicycle you can always purchase a longer seat post.

What style?

There are lots of different styles of unicycles because there are lots of different things that you can do on a unicycle. When deciding which unicycle is suitable for you it is worth deciding what sort of riding you are planning to use the the unicycle for. Here are some of the main styles.

Learner Unicycles

We use this term to describe those unicycles that we feel most suitable for someone who is learning. These are generally the same as the freestyle unicycles but of a less specialist nature. To help people when they are buying their first unicycle we have produced learner kits that contain the most commonly bought items when learning to unicycle. We have two types of learner unicycles; Dodger and Club unicycles, which are suitable for children and are not recommended for people over 11 stone (70kg) and not for jumping or rough use; the Trainer and Circus unicycles are more robust with CroMo hubs and stronger saddles so are suitable for adults as well as children. If you would like a stronger unicycle, have a look at our Freestyle Unicycles.

Freestyle Unicycles

This is a term used to describe the unicycle competition where music, movement and high skill level are mixed. This is an up and coming style in the UK with more people learning freestyle tricks. You will find a good selection of these tricks in our One Wheel No Limit DVD or UNICON dvd. The most common size for freestlye is a 20" wheel. Freestyle unicycles have slick tyres to help with tricks. At Unicycle.com we also use the term 'freestyle' to describe the basic ranges of unicycles that are suitable for majority of tricks and games, like unicycle hockey or basketball.

Trials Unicycles

Trilas riding is a style which involves jumping over obsticals such as picnic benches, up stairs or along railings. Trials Unicycles have special 19" rims and massive 2.5" wide tyres to help absorb the impact from landing and for greater stability. Trials Unicycles are available with ISIS hub/cranks or cotterless hub/cranks. ISIS hubs being much stronger.

Road Unicycles

It would not be sensible to use a 20"unicycle to commute to work or school, but there are unicycles suitable for this, these we refer to as road unicycles. They generally have larger wheels and proportionally shorter cranks. The UDC 36" and the Coker have a 36"tyre are capable of speeds in excess of 20 mph with an experienced rider, while the 29"Nimbus is quite capable of exceeding 15 mph. These large wheeled unicycles can also be used for cross-country unicycling when fitted with an off-road tyre. With the Schlumpf geared hub you can now also use a smaller wheel but gear it up for commuting or long distance riding. These are not really learner machines and are for experienced riders. 

Muni Unicycles

This is the commonly known abbreviation among unicyclists for Mountain Unicycling. Muni was originally used by Pashley for their range of off-road unicycles, but is now used to mean any off-road unicycle. Off-road unicycles have to be very strong and generally have bigger wheels and longer cranks. The wheel size can vary with 24" for technical Muni and jumping, and 26" and 29" for covering greater distances. Unicycles with splined hub and cranks are much stronger than cotter-less but can be more expensive and heavier.

Giraffe Unicycles

A giraffe is a tall unicycle or to be exact a unicycle which is driven with a chain, this needs to be said because there is no way you could call the fleet mini giraffe a tall unicycle at only 18"above the ground! Giraffes are generally easier to ride than a standard unicycle after you have over come the fear of being so high and the problem of getting up there. This being said, they are not for the beginner because falls can cause injuries.

Ultimate Wheels

These are like a unicycle with the saddle and frame missing, just a wheel with pedals attached. Quite challenging to ride, though the bigger the wheel the easier they are to ride as you can pedal more slowly.

What is Trials, Street and Flatland?

Trials Unicycling

Trails Unicycling takes it roots from bike trials and involves traversing over/between either natural or urban obstacles. In the urban environment obstacles often include, walls, ledges, railings and other street furniture are often used; in the rural environment rocks and boulders are used. Unicycle trials competitions take place on specially constructed courses. Riders are given sections to clear and a penalised for not following the correct route or for touching the ground with any part of their body. The obstacles are often constructed from a mixture of natural and manmade materials. These are set in to distinct section often separated by several meters. The most common construction material is wooden pallets. Trials unicycles are the toughest of all unicycles. They have 19” mod tyres, ISIS hubs, wide box section rims and strong frames. The unicycles often have longer cranks than are seen in flatland or street. The Impact Gravity is a good example of a trials unicycle with its pressure formed frame.

Street Unicycling

The aim of Street Unicycling is to use natural/urban structures or specially made obstacles to perform tricks on. When these are conducted as part of a competition it is restricted to set area and the scores are issued for technical proficiency, style and creativity. Skate parks are often used as the basis for competition spaces. Street unicycling draws inspiration from skateboarding and flatland bmx. Although the most common unicycle used for Street Unicycling is the 19” trials unicycle you will see riders using 20” freestyle unicycles with light weight large tyres such as the Nimbus Equinox or 24/26” lightweight Muni unicycles.

Flatland Unicycling

Flatland Unicycling can be seen as a crossover between freestyle Unicycling and Street Unicycling. Tricks are always performed on a flat surface. The riders are encouraged to perform combinations of tricks on the unicycle without touching the ground. These do not always include the cranks or pedals but include the wheel. Flatland has developed from a predominately static display of tricks in to a more flowing array of complex moves that flow in to each other smoothly. Tricks often include jumps and flips of the wheel. Flatland Unicycling is performed on a unicycle that is similar to those used in Trials and Street Unicycling but with shorter cranks and made as light as possible. When competitions take place they are often set up as battles with each rider being given 15 seconds to perform each trick.

maintenance. Cranks size

This is not an easy question, it depends what you want to do with your unicycle. All the unicycles are sold with standard length cranks but you can upgrade your unicycle with different size cranks. As a general rule, the shorter the crank the faster you can ride, the longer the crank the more control and power your can have. Cranks are measured from the centre of the wheel to where the pedals are threaded in.

16" UNICYCLES. Can only be fitted with 100mm cranks or smaller otherwise the pedals touch the ground when riding.

20" UNICYCLES. 75mm are for advanced freestyle, 89mm are still too short for beginners but are good for advanced skills such as pirouettes. 100mm cranks give a smooth fast ride but make idling harder, 114mm cranks are a good length for freestyle tricks and hockey. 125mm cranks give a lot of torque and are good for learners. 140mm are for Trials, 150 mm are a bit long.

24" UNICYCLES. 114 mm cranks are very smooth and should only be considered if you are a speed fiend, 125mm cranks are smooth and still quite fast, although are ok for idling, 140 and 150mm cranks are great for off road and learners. 165mm are sometimes used for very steep Muni but tend to hinder most riding.

26" (& 29") UNICYCLES. 114mm cranks make a great long distance machine on flat surface but very hard to idle, although some riders do go as short as 75mm. 125mm cranks are smooth and make a good street machine. 150mm cranks are great for standard Muni riding and tricks work. 165mm are for heavy mountain climbers, these give you the ability to go up almost anything!

36" UNICYCLES. 89mm cranks, yes; you can put them on a 36" unicycle and they make an incredibly fast unicycle - experts only! Sensibly you should consider 114mm the shortest for general riding and make nice smooth action although 125mm cranks create an extremely fast machine for most use. 150mm cranks are standard for beginning with and should be considered the starting point for all but experienced riders.

MAINTENANCE. upgrading parts

SADDLES

When you are learning, you can destroy your saddle with the constant dropping. We sell a wide range of saddles from the cheap plastic seats such as Dodger and Qu-ax to Nimbus Gel and Kris Holm. You can also change your saddle to have one with a Handle which is useful to make jumps and to have a more comfortable position to ride. Make sure to take a look at our range of Saddles.

SEATPOSTS

Have you outgrown your existing unicycle? We can sell you an extra long seat posts to revitalise it or a seatpost rail or angle adaptor? Even if your unicycle has a non-standard size we can supply shims to fit most sizes. Be sure to take a look at our range of Seatposts.

SEATPOST CLAMPS

It can be very annoying to be constantly straightening your seat so one of the most common upgrade is to fit a double bolt seat clamp. These clamp the frame and the seatpost keeping them in position even under the worst conditions. Learners though are the other way round they need to be able to move their seat position regularly until they find the optimum height for their riding style, for them we sell replacement quick-release clamps.

FRAMES

If you have a Dodger and you are getting into bouncing then it is worth considering upgrading to a Nimbus frame or if you are looking to do more advanced stand-up tricks then the Nimbus II frame. If you are a good off-road rider and you want a high performance Unicycle, you should buy a Kris Holm or Nimbus Oracle Frame. Frames come with either 40mm or 42mm bearings. If you are wanting to upgrade your frame you need to check it will fit on your bearings.

BRAKES

Yes, it is possible! For Muni downhill. Once you are used to them they can give you more control for technical downhill riding, or you can use them as a drag-brake to save your legs on long downhills.

RIMS

One of the most common upgrades for Muni riders is changing the rim to the almost indestructible Halo Combat rims or the Kris Holm rims but we do stock other strong rims too.

TYRE

One of the biggest, easiest and cheapest upgrades you can do to your unicycle is replace the standard tyre. On a unicycle all your weight is on one tyre unlike a bike so you need a larger volume than standard, high-pressure tyre with strong sidewalls. For Freestyle we sell Primo Wall which is one of the best tyres of its type in the world. For Trials we sell the 19" Creepy Crawler & the NImbus Cyko lite, and for muni the Duro Wildlife Leapard and the Halo tyres in 24" and 26", both of which offer massive improvements over standard tyres.

MAINTENANCE. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRANKS

Cotterless Cranks

This is the standard crank that comes on most modern unicycles.
The hub axle has tapered ends with a square cross-section and a
bolt or nut to hold the cranks on. The cranks are forced onto the
axle to create a friction fit and locked in place with the bolt or nut.
You should never ride with loose cotterless cranks as this will round
the corners off the axle and distort the square hole in the crank,
preventing them from fitting tightly ever again.

ISIS cranks

These are a type of splined crank but have tapered axles so their
removal is similar to cotterless cranks BUT you must use a crank
extractor with an ISIS head otherwise it will damage the threads
in the axle. Some extractors have a removable ISIS head so you
can use them on cotterless and ISIS cranks.

Splined Cranks

Splined cranks are stronger than cotterless cranks and therefore
are more suitable for muni or trials unicycling, but require slightly
more maintenance. With the exception of the Onza with the Kris
Holm/Onza cranks and all the ISIS cranks with each other (not Koxx),
these cranks are not cross-compatible as they fit different spline
formations. The bolts will probably need to be tightened after a week
of riding and checked regularly after that. For more information read
our section on maintenance of splined cranks. Never ride with the
cranks on the wrong side or you will destroy them.

unicycle MAINTENANCE

Unicycles are not complicated but they do take a little bit of maintaining. Here are some of the key points:

CREAKING CRANKS: Stop riding immediately and tighten! If these are left they will destroy the cranks and hub. The creak comes with downward pressure of the pedal and is often confused with loose spokes. Cotterless cranks: remove the caps from the end of the cranks and tighten with a 14mm socket spanner (or 8mm allen key). ISIS Cranks: tighten bolt with 8mm Allen Key

CREAKING SPOKES: After some time spokes stretch and slacken, this is not normally terminal for the wheel but does weaken it. Tightening a wheel is a job that is normally considered to be a job for an expert, but if approached carefully, it is not difficult for the lay-person. If the wheel is just loose, but central, tighten each spoke using a spoke key by a quarter turn, being careful not to miss any, repeat until spokes are tight.

LOOSE PEDALS: Stop! Check that you have the seat facing forward and you have the right pedal on the right-hand side. If your pedals come loose it is almost certain that you have the right-hand pedal on the left side and vice-versa. If this is left for any length of time then the crank and pedal will be destroyed. Tighten with a 15mm spanner. If you have damaged your pedals and cranks we do sell replacements. To remove the cranks you need to use a crank extractor.

LOOSE SEAT BOLTS: When learning, the constant dropping of the unicycle can cause the bolts that hold the seat to its post to come loose. Check and tighten these regularly. Use an 11mm or 10mm socket spanner to tighten.

LOOSE FRAME BOLTS: If you feel the frame clicking or moving then stop and check the bolts, if left loose the frame cracks and will be destroyed. Use a 10mm spanner or socket to tighten.

FRAME BOLTS: It not very common to find these bolts coming loose. If they do then they should be tightened immediately. It is considerably more common to find them over-tightened! If the wheel does not rotate freely then the bolts should be slackened by about a quarter or half turn. If the bearings are left over-tightened for too long they will wear and require replacing.

UNDER INFLATED TYRE: It is bad practice to ride a unicycle with a flat or an under-inflated tyre, because all your weight is on a single tyre, so you need to have the pressure higher than you would on a bike. An under-inflated tyre can also cause the wheel to buckle under rapid turning or bouncing.

WORN TYRES: When a unicycle has been ridden for a bit you will notice that there is one or possibly two areas of the tyre that are getting considerably more wear than any other. This is due to idling and turning. This can be remedied by letting the air out of the tyre and then rotating the tyre through 90 degrees.

general

UNICYCLE HISTORY

The most accepted theory for the appearance of unicycling is that it was found "by accident" while riding a "penny farthing". This kind of bike had a disadvantage: when you applied the brakes it was very easy to be thrown over the front of your bike. Get rid of the useless bits and you're left with a much safer vehicle. And so, unicycling was discovered... There is also the theory that they were brought by the pixies.

UNICYCLE BENEFITS

Recent scientific research demonstrated that unicyclists improve their concentration ability, balance and motor coordination. This activity plays an important role on the physical and mental development.

After this research, the Japanese Educational Department officially recognized this discipline: they integrate it in their school program. Today, there is over a milion unicyclists in Japan.

Also, an International Unicycling Federation was founded in Japan, June 1st 1982 and further to the elaboration of a structure and a regulation for this sport, the Federation sanctioned the first World Unicycling Championship which took place in Syracuse, New York, in 1984.