Unplanned dismount (n): An unexpected exit from the saddle. This is a term with which you will want to become familiar if you decide to learn how to ride a unicycle. (Here’s a fun fact for you, though. The term is not exclusive to unicycle riding and is used in other sports.) Regardless, it means when you take a tumble from the saddle and it’s part and parcel of learning how to...

The Hoppley clown circus bike 20 inch tires is only one of the odd bikes sold online by Unicycle.com.They have quite a few models but it is one of their more unique offerings. It’s also very different from a conventional bicycle, and though any bike could in theory (and with the requisite skill) be used for trick riding) this one is uniquely situated to make trick riding more...

Fortunately, unicycles are simple machines with relatively few parts, as machines go. This makes them easy to maintain and makes it (relatively) easy to understand their operation. It also means that when it comes to upgrades, you’re somewhat limited in what you can do. The flipside of this is that effectively anyone with a working knowledge of bike mechanics and some basic tools can make...

So you’ve got a new unicycle, perhaps something new and exciting for Muni riding or for racing, such as a model with 36 or even 32 inch tires. There’s just one thing: you can’t get comfortable in the saddle because you can’t lower it enough. There’s a fix for that. Stick with this article. First: Lower the Saddle by Loosening the Seatpost Clamp and Readjusting The...

Have you ever seen one of those odd bikes with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel? There are a bunch of photos of these odd bikes next to gentlemen in dapper garb from the Victorian era, which fronts an even more whimsical picture. They’re called penny farthing bikes, by reason of the larger front wheel and smaller rear wheel which, next to each other resemble a penny and a...

The irony is that clown bikes are anything but a joke to the people that ride them. When it comes to quality in these odd bikes, it stands at the forefront of most important qualifiers. So, with that said, if you’re considering getting a real clown bike, not just a prop, here are a few things to look for, not just to ensure safety but to make sure the thing will justify the expense. Clown...

The seatpost clamp is one of those parts of your unicycle that’s forgotten till you need to do something with it, like adjust your unicycle’s saddle height. Much like the spokes (about which you won’t think much unless the wheel starts to run out of true) the seatpost clamp is a part non-gratis. Nonetheless, this short post will explore some of the information associated with...

Ever heard of a penny farthing? Those are the bikes with the larger front wheel and the smaller rear wheel. They were popular a hundred years ago, and some change. They also lack chain drives. The crank arms are connected directly to the hub axle. Lacking a chain drive, speed is determined primarily by the size of the wheel. This is also influenced by the length of the crank arms, but...

Square taper cranks, also known as cotterless cranks, are a type of crank arm configuration that are relatively common on beginner and other affordable unicycles. The square taper crank has a cross-sectionally square profile at the hub axle-interface. This streamlines manufacturing as well as installation. Here are a few things you need to know. Why Cotterless Cranks Are Common The main reason...

There are some right ways to fall off a unicycle (or a bike) and there are many, many wrong ways, some of which are downright dangerous. Now, when we fall, we in the riding community like to call this an unplanned dismount; it seems to give the whole experience a more positive feel. Anyway, there are a few basic things you definitely do not want to do when you experience one, whether or not you...