What do you get for the extra money? Well, it varies depending on how
much extra money, but let's work up from the ground:
Tyre. The fatter the tyre, the better, for most
applications. Good quality tyres will improve the steering
of the unicycle. Fat tyres will aid hopping, bouncing and
dropping. There are different qualities of inner tube, too.
Rim. A cheap rim will be heavy and not very strong. Or
it will be steel which will be pretty strong, but
usually badly made and prone to rust. An aluminium alloy
rim will be lighter by comparison. The strongest rims
have a box section. Rims can be pierced for different
numbers of spokes. 36 is standard, but some have fewer
and some have more.
Spokes. Yes, it does make a difference to the weight and
strength as well as the cosmetic appearance.
Hub. There are different qualities as well as weights. The
most obvious difference is that very good hubs are usually
splined, which means that the ends of the axle are shaped
like cogs, so that the cranks are held in line more
securely, and the hub is less likely to be damaged by sudden
applications of extreme force - maybe by a drop.
Wheel build. Most cheap wheels are factory built by
machine. better ones are hand finished. the really good
ones are hand built which is labour intensive. A well built
wheel will be stronger and more durable. It will stay
straight ('true'😉 for longer,and absorb greater forces
without breaking a spoke.
Cranks. At the very cheap end you get cottered cranks, which
have an unsightly and vulnerable soft steel cotter pin
holding them on. Most mid range cranks are fitted with a
cotterless system with a concealed nut or bolt. The best are
splined, but need to go with a splined hub.
And the cranks can be steel or aluminium alloy, solid or
hollow, heavy or light, nicely finished or crude. Some
designs are available in a range of lengths, whereas the
cheap ones only come in one or two lengths. The length of
the cranks is the single easiest thing to change if you
'tune' your unicycle to optimise it for a particular style
of riding.
Pedals. Good pedals give good grip for your feet and make a
huge diffeence to your power and control.
Bearing holders. These are at the very bottom of the forks.
The cheapest are so-called 'lollipop' holders with a short
stick which pokes up the hollow end of the fork. They are
held in place with two screws or bolts each. They can be
wobbly, and can damage the forks.
Pashley unicycles use something similar to a lollipop, but
better designed. They can be difficult to remove if you need
to change the tyre.
Most good quality unicycles have 'main cap' bearing holders.
these look like a C lying on its back and they are held in
place with two bolts. These holders or 'clamps' can be
pressed steel or (better) machined. Machined ones are
stronger. This style of bearing holder makes changing the
tyre easy, and the bolts are easy to adjust.
The bearings. Can be sealed, semi sealed, or not
sealed at all.
The frame. Different qualities and diameters of tube. Some
are nicely shaped. Others are just cut from cylindrical
tube. The fork can have a lugged crown or a lugless crown.
There are cosmetic and practical differences to the various
shapes of crown.
Seat clamp. The cheapest can be a hazard. They have sharp
bits that gash your leg. The best sort has 2 Allen bolts and
looks smart whilst being very secure. Some need an Allen key
to adjust. Others have a cam action lever for quick
adjustment.
Seat post. Different diameters (must be compatable with the
frame) give different weights and different strengths.
Different types have different tops allowing more or less
adjustment of the position and angle of the seat.
Seat. Lots of different qualities and styles. Comfort is the
biggest factor. Good seats have bumpers which can be
replaced when they get badly battered by repeated falls.
Some bumpers are held in place with screws; others use nuts
and bolts - much better. Some seats have carbon fibre bases
and are lighter and stronger. Some have removable covers,
allowing for customisation, such as putting an air pillow
underneath.
Handle. When you get good enough to hold a handle when
riding, a handle can give you greater torque, and greater
control on difficult terrain. Some handles are moulded into
the seat; some are plastic extensions to the seat; others
are metal items, strong but crude, which are great for MUni.
I don't suppose that's everything, and some people will
disagree with some of the details of what I've said.
However, a quick tour of the unicycle from the ground up
shows that there can be significant differences between
every component on two superficially similar unicycles.
But how does this affect you? Well, it really depends how
far you want to push your riding. For comparison, I ride on
and off road, sometimes 30 or 40 miles in a day (although
usually nearer to 10 - 15 miles), and I make sure that all
my unicycles have the right length of cranks, and good seats
and pedals. I have a good metal handle on my MUni, and a
Miyata plastic handle on my road machine. I've fitted a good
fattish tyre to my MUni. All my main machines have
speed/trip computers. I've never spent the extra for a
splined hub, but I don't do big jumps and drops and I've
never broken a crank or hub.
So don't automatically assume that you need the best of
everything. In fact, I think it's better to buy a reasonable
machine, upgrade and customise it, and find out what style
suits you best. Then you can design the perfect machine for
your preferred use.
Or buy several. ;0)
--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling
Sometimes I ride like a demon, sometimes like a lemon. It's an L of a
difference.
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