ban unicycles from charity rides.

  • Thread starter Callistus Valerius
  • Start date



....Now you've got me wondering if unicyclists discuss whether steel,
aluminum, titanium, or carbon-fiber frames give a stiffer, yet more
compliant ride.


Are there unicycles with suspension?

Do they use clip-in pedals?

Had a friend years ago who rode unis off road, he thought that was a nice challenge after having mastered the knack of jumping an uni like a pogo stick up and down a (narrow) spiral staircase. His off road uni did have have a suspension seatpost, which he considered to be more show than actual performance - like the switch from chrome to some sort of low-gloss paint job. But he did say it made things a bit less uncomfortable when he misjudged a landing.

I can't remember him ever talking about materials, but for really abusive riding he did favor a high spoke count wheel.

He experimented briefly with spd's as a result of a bet regarding his time on a 100 m sprint, (something about a small wheel giving good acceleration while a big wheel giving better top speed, ands spd's on a big wheel having the potential to offer the best of both...) but after having gained first-hand experience of the consequences of an UPD (Un-Planned Dismount) in combination with spd's he decided that the potential for pain outweighed the potential for performance increase....

But apparently some diehards do use rigid strapless toeclips and similar more easily disengaging devices.
 
ddog wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
> > ddog wrote:
> > > Well here's a guy one riding district chose to represent unicyclists as
> > > an average or the only one in the race (note his muddy feet/legs):
> > >
> > > http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/dec04/UScrossnats04/day2/04CXnatUni_16.jpg

> >
> > Whoah, a rider in a cyclocross race with muddy feet. That
> > proves a lot.
> >
> > Ben

>
> Ok smart lips, pick a booger and make it the main point. The point is
> these guys are unstable arm flailing vehicles that endanger bicycle
> riders Safety and can cost them thousands of dollars from wrecked
> bicycles and dental damage from hummingbird arm balancing swings and
> flailing.
>
> NOT ONE person who has been justifying Unicycling riding with Bicycles
> said they can do it hardly at all. These are not kids so the comparison
> of kids learning to ride bikes is idiotic: they are adults who will
> never likey achieve skill levels well enough to ride with bicycles.
> Likewise, a kid learning to ride bikes would not be in a race or large
> ride. Except for one freak of nature on film, no evidence has been
> presented anyone can do it safely, much less in a group of higher speed
> bicycles. That film in no way justifies anything.
>
> Look at the link above to see Cycling News only shot of a Unicycle
> racer. Someone posted there were 7 racers in one race, but no
> pictures: I wonder why. It may be 7 of them were never up on one wheel
> at a time to snap one picture. And maybe 6 of 7 gave up after a few
> feet and 30 mounts/dismounts. The guy above has fortitude I'll admit
> and he is alone, which he should be. It may have been Cycling News
> first opportunity to snap one person up long enough away from the
> starting line. If someone has a unicycle race PICTURE with more than
> one rider up, I'd like to see it. But as an expert with physical
> anotomical limits in manufacturing engineering, it requires skill level
> well above that of a thousandth percentile of the population. This
> justifies the ditch over the intermingling with bicycle racers for the
> good of the bicyclists as well as the unicyclists.


I rode the 2005 Hidden Vale MTB Epic (106 km) and there was a guy on a
unicycle:

http://tinyurl.com/y7f2al

I came across him several times and on narrow tracks with lots of
riders, he certainly did not bother other riders. In fact he was
inspirational and brought extra character to the ride.

OK, this is one good example - I don't doubt there are other
unicyclists who need to be given a wide berth - like plenty of
two-wheeled riders.

Donga
 

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