3.4 What makes a good unicycle?
Description
This article is from the Unicycling FAQ, by Beirne Konarski with numerous contributions by others.
3.4 What makes a good unicycle?
Each set of part types [a-d] are listed in increasing order of quality or
beauty [chrome types]. Anyone in a bike shop should be able to explain the
following terminology.
0) Type of tire - One can always buy a better tire, although quality
unicycle should come with a unicycle tire (round cross-section; relatively
flat or smooth tread for flat surfaces [mountain unicycles should come with
knobbies :^]
1.1 Type of rim
a) chromed steel
b) chromed tubular steel
c) alloy
d) chromed alloy
1.2 Type of spoke holes in rim
a) simple straight radial hole
b) simple straight radial hole with recess for spoke's nipple
c) angle of holes matches angle of spokes
d) angle of holes matches angle of spokes; recess for nipple
2.1 Number of spokes (more is better, if all spokes are kept tight)
a) 28
b) 36
c) 40
d) 48
2.2 Thickness of spokes (thicker is better, but weighs a little more)
a) .080 in. (14 gauge)
b) .092 in. (13 gauge)
c) .105 in. (12 gauge)
d) .125 in. (?? gauge)
2.3 Spoking pattern
a) 3 cross
b) 4 cross
c) 3 cross interleaved
d) 4 cross interleaved
2.4 Spoke material
a) normal (steel zinc plated)
b) stainless steel
c) steel chrome plated
3.1 Hub (Various types of heat treating add to the confusion here.)
a) cottered shaft, straight flanges
b) cottered shaft, dished flanges
c) cotterless shaft, straight flanges
d) cotterless shaft, dished flanges
4.1 Bearings (More info welcome here.)
a) unsealed roller bearings
b) unsealed ball bearings
c) sealed roller bearings (less prone to damage when jumping)
d) sealed ball bearings (jumping may cause flat spots on balls)
5.1 Bearing holders
a) bolted on C-bracket (may apply excessive vertical force)
b) snap ring (bearing may be minutely loose in all directions)
c) pressed in holder (bearing must be pressed in with equal force)
d) bolted on pressed in holder (same as c above, except the
pressed fit may be looser as bolts keep bearing from moving.)
5.2 Frame type (Which is better is quite controversial.)
a) flat pressed fork halves bolted together with seat post
b) same as a) with curved sections pressed in for greater rigidity
c) tubular one piece frame with rounded fork crown
d) tubular one piece frame with square fork crown (to put feet on)
5.3 Frame finish
a) baked-on enamel
b) powder coated
c) chrome plated
5.4 Seat post clamp
Z) A bolt for split forks
a) welded on clamp with single bolt
b) separate BMX type clamp with single allen wrench screw
c) separate BMX type clamp with two allen wrench screws
d) same as c), except one screw clamps top of head tube and the
other clamps around the seat post - two inside diameters
6.1 Seat post
a) has holes at 1 inch increments for height adjustment
b) same as a) with seat tilt adjustment
c) straight tube with no holes - very fine height adjustment
d) same as c) with seat tilt adjustment (not really needed)
7.1 Seat (style should fit the individual)
a) poorly designed - self destructs in 1 month of use
b) Schwinn / Semcycle design (does it have bumpers now?)
c) Wide Miyata type design without front handle
d) Narrow Miyata type design with front handle
8.1 Crank arms
a) steel cottered
b) steel cotterless
c) alloy cotterless
9.1 Pedals
a) rubber block, no spindle adjustment
b) plastic, no spindle adjustment
c) rattrap with spindle adjustment (eats shins 8^)
d) plastic with spindle adjustment
Ken Fuchs - kfuchs@winternet.com
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