KcTheAcy said:*I rode a Giraffe in a parade for an hour and a half once.
It broke one of my nerves and I couldn’t lift my right
foot up (at the ankle) for 6 months.*
Ouch. Riding a giraffe in a parade is one of those
situations where you don't have a lot of options about
getting on and off. That's why I don't like to ride mine in
parades. I prefer my big wheel.
It's when you ride for a long time without dismounts and
with little or no shifting around in the seat that you risk
the pinching off of vital fluids or nerves. I wonder if
KcTheAcy really *broke* a nerve or just *killed* it by
leaving it pinched for too long. Same difference I guess.
I have experienced some severe numbness (and painful
urination) in my early days of riding, on a rock-hard
Schwinn seat. But I haven't experienced anything like
what happened to me during that first year in the many
years since.
So after you've got the best possible seat, the right
shorts, the right seat height, etc., I think it's still
important to not sit in the same position on the seat for
too long. I "adjust myself" around occasionally, shifting a
little forward, a little back, or otherwise moving the
pressure points around.
Good advice on the air seat. It wasn't clear from your post
if the numbness happened with the air seat or before. But
yes, air seats should have very low pressure in them. What
you want to avoid is having the high point in the center.
The ultimate seats have a high part on each side, and are
lower or softer in the center. Re-arrange your innertube if
necessary.
Seat height: yes, make sure the height doesn't have you
reaching too far. This is probably not your problem, because
if you're reaching too far it usually means you're bobbing
side to side as you pedal, so you likely won't pinch off
your fluids.
Make sure you're not sitting on your penis.
Okay, make sure you've got yourself "arranged" comfortably.
Wear cycling shorts. If you're wearing something else, you
are more than likely sitting on one or more seams, which
create nasty pressure points.
Get a handlebar. I have one on my Coker now and can't
imagine doing any long distance riding without one now. For
me it's 16 miles to work and back, so I love my handle. Mine
was made by Paul Wyganowski. I didn't find any of these
custom jobs listed on Unicycle.com, but you can use a
simpler handle from George Barnes
(unicycle.comshopexd.aspOpen ↗).
I'm attaching a picture of mine. I'm not using it as it was
originally intended. I've stuck some bar-ends onto what was
intended as a front bumper. I like getting into the slight
"tuck" I get down there. Someday I'll get a set designed for
me, which will offer a more aerodynamic position, and an
actual rack on the back.
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| Attachment filename: mycokerhandle.jpg |
|Download attachment:
unicyclist.com203939Open ↗| +-------------------------------------------------------
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--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com
"Hey, could I have some of that spinach? I need to get this pork rind
taste out of my mouth." -- Ryan Atkins to Kris Holm, on the way back
from Moab after sampling some of my pork rinds. They grossed out the
whole van!
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