First Uni, seeking help.

DevinTheArtist said:

Hey everyone! My name is Devin and I am 16 years old. I just bought my
first unicycle and am learning how to ride. I assembled my unicycle, a
Torker LX, yesterday. I had a carpenter friend of my moms cut my seat
post, and although we took many measures to make sure it wasn't too
short, I am afraid it is.

At it's highest level, its almost to the point where when my foot is
lowest it is almost straight, but not quite. BUT, I found it is easier
to learn and have been making better progress when I set it a little
low, but not too low. I am about 210 lbs, so I am not tiny, but I
usually pick up on stuff like this pretty quick.

So, I need everyones advice... Would it be better in the long run to
get a longer seat post, or leave it the way it is because I seem to be
making a bit of more progress if its lower.

Thank you everyone!

it realy depends on what kind of riding you want to do, long distance
riders
have there seat abit higher and its easyer to hop SIF (seat in front)
with your seat higher.
i would just have it on whichever hight feels most comfortable to you.

--
wheres_your_other_wheel

JerryAttrick said:

Don't worry about your jewels. Once they've been worn away by the
saddle, you won't have to worry about them any more!🙂

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Thank you... I'm finding it hard to find the right height.. It helps
when I just find somewhere and stick with it!

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DevinTheArtist
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If your knees start to hurt, it is probably because your seat is too
low. If riding like that is comfortable, why change?

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Carey
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My knees don't necessarily start to hurt... My legs get tired, but that
happens anyway I put it. I'm really starting to catch on, and am really
enjoying it!

I find if I put my seat up too high, I feel like I may have a bit more
control but don't exactly feel as secure and confident. I do better
when I feel more confident so I think thats the key!

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DevinTheArtist
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When I learned, I found it most comfortable to have my knee slightly
bent when at the lowest position of the pedals. Now, I have my legs
slightly even more bent than when I learned.

To each his own...

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SqueakyOnion

Ever been knocked off your unicycle by a 50mph gust of wind? I have. It
blew.

I am not a Texan. I'm a Pennsylvanian!
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Thanks for the advice everyone!

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DevinTheArtist
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At first I liked my seat so high my leg was almost straight. After a few
months of riding I got a 36, and put a lot of miles on it, with my leg
almost straight, like a bike.

Lately, I have been riding the 19 instead, learning to ride backwards.
I have lowered my seat a lot. Small wheels are geared so low that
having bent knees isn't more stressful. A low seat can have a lot of
advantages in handling, and just being closer to the ground.🙂 I don't
fall down often, and I fall down less with a lower seat. It's easier
to just put my foot down and catch my balance with a lower seat.

--
feel the light
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wheres_your_other_wheel said:

it realy depends on what kind of riding you want to do, long distance
riders
have there seat abit higher and its easyer to hop SIF (seat in front)
with your seat higher.

You're wrong.

Long distance riders have no need to do SIF hopping, and he's learning
so that's nothing to do with any particular styles.

When you're just learning, it's ideal to have your seat high enough
that when your foot is at the bottom of the revolution, it should
nearly be fully stretched.
If your seatpost is too short for you to do this, then it is not the
end of the world, as long as wit isn't too uncomfortable.

--
jamessd

Add me, but tel me who you are :p:
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Kieron said:

I tell u wat they would have to be a very commited pedo to learn to ride
a unicycle in order to mingle with us, steel one of us and rape us in a
bush.

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When I learned, my seat was just a bit lower than how I have it now.
The important thing to me was consistancy. If I raised or lowered the
seat by an inch, I felt like I had to re-learn from scratch again. But
as long as it stayed constant, I could make progress.

As long as your knees aren't too bent and they don't start to hurt, and
as long as your not stretching your leg to reach the bottom, then
you're in the right ball park.

Once you've clocked up a few miles and feel comfortable with riding,
then you might like to start playing about with the seat height as you
try out different types of riding.

STM

--
semach.the.monkey
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I actually agree that if I readjust it, I feel like I am starting from
scratch. Last night I think I found the perfect height to where my legs
don't hurt as much and I can still put a little of my foot down to
catch myself quicker and easier. If I put it up too high, to where my
leg is almost straight, it seems to be less comfortable.

I decided to start unicycling because I am the school mascot, a gopher,
and we haven't had a mascot in probably 7 years. Our old mascot used to
ride a unicycle, and ever since I was young I wanted to be the mascot.
So, after a year of doing it, I decided I would try to learn the
unicycle as well for next year. 🙂

--
DevinTheArtist
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jamessd said:

You're wrong.

Long distance riders have no need to do SIF hopping, and he's learning
so that's nothing to do with any particular styles.
QUOTE]

You're wrong.

he was saying that long distance riders and people who ride SIF
typically have higher seats.

--
uni_jim

'evolve trials'
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Quoted message said:

he was saying that long distance riders and people who ride SIF
typically have higher seats.

Lol.

Why would a long distance rider want a high seat? The seat is high as
it is, let alone making it longer...

--
jamessd

Add me, but tel me who you are :p:
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Kieron said:

I tell u wat they would have to be a very commited pedo to learn to ride
a unicycle in order to mingle with us, steel one of us and rape us in a
bush.

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jamessd said:

Lol.

Why would a long distance rider want a high seat? The seat is high as
it is, let alone making it longer...

I have doctors orders to ride with a high seat. Riding with a seat not
as high as it could be lead to me over-developing some parts of my
quads which lead to a muscle imbalance causing my kneecap to track to
the side causing pain.

When you are going over 100km in a day you will understand that keeping
your seat high is better for your knees.

--
saskatchewanian
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I lowered my seat 1" yesterday and I could really feel it in my knees,
so I agree a little bit can make a big difference.

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Kevkahuna711
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Just make sure you still have at least 2" of the post still in the
frame.

Learning for me was horribly slow. Although I didn't really need the
rail anymore, the idea of riding away from it was terrifying. So I
found that by changing the set up it would be harder at first, then I'd
get used to it, and changed it again. (I changed the air pressure,
seat height, close one eye, and held onto the handle to make it harder.
Falling was a little more scarry, but a high saddle was generally
better while learning, as well as about 50 psi.) When I did end up
going away from the rail it was no longer terrifying.

DevinTheArtist said:

...although we took many measures to make sure it wasn't too short, I am
afraid it is.

Lesson being, only cut off an inch at a time (for future reference).

--
skilewis74

Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you
are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the
time do it along the way.
Bob Burnquist on how to improve significantly.
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skilewis74 said:

Lesson being, only cut off an inch at a time (for future reference).

Yeah, I tried to tell her that... It really does make me mad, when I
figured I had it all planned out and somebody tries to come in and take
over my plans just to save time and cost me 30 bucks in the long run.

Oh well. It's done and over with. I can put the seat up pretty high
anyways, although I seem to make better progress when it's just a tad
lower, so my leg is not -completely- straight, but enough to be more
comfortable for me, mentally and physically. My legs get tired, haven't
noticed about my knees, but thats pretty much the same anyway I have
it.

Plus, I am not going to be riding long distance, just for fun on
occasion once I learn.

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DevinTheArtist
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Like, experience actually makes unicycles more comfortable. I bet I
could ride a 13 inch wheel with 7 inch cranks and a stone seat for a
mile on a bet.

I still advise buying a good seat as anyone's first uni purchase. A
really [censored] uni is fun to ride and learn basic skills, if it has a
great seat. Sadly, there are no great seats on cheap uni's.

--
feel the light
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I don't mind the seat so far... takes awhile to get comforable once I
get on. And, yes, I am a girl, so need to worry about anything else in
that category...

I plan on taking it to work today, they have a nice long hallway that
would seem to be good for practicing, as my hallway is short but I have
been making good progress.

--
DevinTheArtist
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