thehammerdog

trailangel

How does a unicycle have big tires?

wheelsmcgee

I’d love to see a geometry chart for this unicycle so we can engage in an academic discussion of whether it’s more suited for gravel racing or bikepacking/touring. 😂

TimothyH

Or brakes?

CliffordK

Dually?

ksryder

MTB unicycling is a thing, there's some pretty crazy videos on youtube. I jokingly kicked around the idea of riding Dirty Kanza on a unicycle because that's the only way I'll get on a podium, but a) I don't know how to ride a unicycle, b) I talked to a guy who did a road century on a unicycle and it took him 10 hours, and c) I'm pretty sure it's against the rules to have more or less than two wheels.

Zaskar

I can't imagine riding a unicycle off-road and trying to balance with the typewriter, kazoo and beard wax shifting around in the courier bag.

grubetown

TimothyH

I guess it is really a thing.

Does it freewheel or is it fixed?

aggiegrads

A mountain unicycle is fixed like any other unicycle. "Munis" usually have 26" or 29" wheels and tires 2.4 to 3.0 inches.

Gravel riding would not be be that difficult if you have a fair bit of practice. I have raced cyclocross on one (this is Portland, after all) and although there is a lot of running when things get really sloppy, the vast majority of any course is rideable. Until a couple of years ago (until Brad Ross left), the Crusade series had a unicross category, and many independents still have a unicross category.

ksryder

Yeah I think the difficulty in gravel riding would be time -- you'd need a penny farthing-sized wheel in order to complete a 100+ mile course in any reasonable amount of time.

aggiegrads

I've seen a guy that rides STP on a Uni, but it has a 36" wheel. You have to be reasonably tall to ride one. There is a company called Schlumpf that makes a geared unicycle hub. It has two speeds: 1:1 (Direct drive) or 1.5:1. The 1.5 to 1 would make a 29er larger than a 40" wheel without the danger of falling off of a 40" wheel. Think about riding a bike with no BB drop. That is how high you are riding a unicycle.

RideMyLeMond

Here's an adventure on a true 1x.

Divide By 1 - Bikepacker

Ronsonic 

I see unicycles out on the single-track every once in awhile. Usually a lone rider, but once saw a whole pack of them.

lightbulbjim

Here's my adventure bike. I regularly ride it on dirt roads and farm tracks but rarely any proper singletrack. The tyre is 36x2.25.


Plenty of other pictures here if you're interested: Post Your 36er Here - Unicyclist Community

autonomy

Seen father & son duo tackle the dirt roads of D2R2 (the 40mi ride) on similar creations. A whole different level of involvement.

StephenH

Several years ago (when I turned 50), I learned to ride a unicycle. It took me several weeks to get where I could ride down the road. Once I got that down, I discovered that everything different involved a learning curve. Level ground, okay. Up a little hill? Lots more practice. Down a little hill? More practice. Free-starting? More practice. Riding on grass? More practice. I think riding one off-road, jumping around on it, etc., is kind of on a par with trials riding or trick riding a bicycle, where it can be learned, but isn't necessarily something the average rider picks up, either.
There used to be, maybe still is, a unicyclist on this site called Unigeezer. He's a lot better at it than I ever was. I'm thinking he had a bunch of YouTube videos, too. He's around my age.
My son learned at the same time I did, and it was a lot easier and came more naturally for him- so if you're younger and/or lighter, expect it to work better. He could always turn easier and sharper than I could.
I remember reading of one long-distance race (with the 36" unicycles and Schlumpf hubs)- and the major challenge those guys have is saddle comfort. A unicycle saddle just doesn't work as well for prolonged use, and there's not a real good way to fix it.
When I first started learning, it took a lot of muscular effort to maintain control, so it was a pretty good workout. When I got better at it, I could ride while pretty relaxed, and didn't get much of a workout- just like walking around slowly- and that's kind of why I quit and went back to just bicycling.
I started in the hall, with a hand on both walls, graduated to riding beside a baseball backstop with one hand, then free riding. Even when I got pretty good at free-starting, it was still always easier to start beside a car or similar object for stability.
Most of the time, when you "fall", the unicycle just shoots out from underneath you and you land on your feet. So obviously, there's the potential to harm oneself, but learning wasn't as hazardous as you might imagine.
I never tried a 36" unicycle, but had 20" (standard "learning" size) and a 26". The 20" is noticeably easier to get started, you have better control. The 26" is a little faster.

autonomy

Stumbled upon this, thought it was even edgier/cooler:

https://www.pennyfarthingworldtour.com/

By my count, 4 broken elbows, 1 knee

fietsbob

Kris Holm/Florian Schlumpf unicycle hub has a 1:1 & a 1.5X overdrive
so you can have both a 24 and a 36" wheel .

Magura's Hydraulic rim brakes are another popular uni option , to lock the wheel

and bounce climb stairs , rocks and such.. Trials Style.