Re: seat height

I always keep mine -a lot- lower than this but I've heard "belly button
height" is the way to go for learners.

cheers
Pete

--
pete66 - Level 4 Unicyclist
------------------------------------------------------------------------
pete66's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4812
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/34288

It's very important to get it right. You don't walk or run with your
knees bent, or up on tip toe. same with cycling.

Start as for a bicycle: wear flat soled shoes. Sit on the seat. Put
the pedals in the 12 and 6 position (i.e. cranks vertical) and put your
feet comfortably on the pedals.

Now, with the foot that is on the bottom pedal, which is in the bottom
dead centre psoition, move your foot so that the heel is on the pedal.
The seat is at the right height for a bicycle when your heel is on the
pedal, when the pedal is at bottom dead centre, when you are sitting
comfortably on the seat, and your leg is comfortably straight, without
stretching or locking the knee.

This is the ergonomically best position for pedalling a bicycle with
cranks of around 170 mm.

But you're on a uni. First, set the seat height as shown above. Now
lower it a tiny bit - maybe 10 mm. That gives your legs just a little
bit more bend which gives you more control at different points of the
pedal stroke (on a bicycle, you only pedal forwards; on a unicycle, you
apply pressure in both directions, depending on what you're trying to
achieve.)

This should have given you the best position for general riding.

For special skills or disciplines, such as freestyle, MUni, or trials,
you will probably lower the seat a little bit further - not to improve
pedalling efficiency, but to give you more freedom to stand up and get
out of the seat when you need to.

Then one day, you'll change the cranks for longer ones or shorter ones.
You will need to adjust the height accordingly.

It is possible to ride a unicycle with the seat far too low, or a little
bit too high. However, it makes an enormous difference to your comfort
and coiontrol, so get it right using the above formula, and don't change
it until you feel the need to change it.

--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling

Everyone should be fatuous for 15 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mikefule's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/879
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/34288