ISIS cranks + good seat vs Torker LX

[57UniRider]

Hello Everyone,

I want a new uni!
But I don't think I want anything bigger than a 24" just yet.

Can you tell me whether ISIS cranks would make a big difference in riding, controlling, turning, etc. on straight roads in a neighborhood with cement streets that have some camber?

Also, I was out for a fairly long ride a couple of days ago (longer than usual).
I could have gone longer, but my crotch was killing me.
Would a better saddle help, and which one would be best for an older gal that just wants some good exercise for longer... and longer?

I'm looking at this uni:
http://www.unicycle.com/hot-products...unicycle.html/
which might not be that different from the Torker LX 24" except for the ISIS cranks,
and the weight of the uni (a couple pounds lighter than the Torker).

I'm not crazy about the purple, but I can live with it if it would be a great fit for me.

Also, should I get a different saddle than the one it comes with?

I asked earlier about the racing model with the skinny tire. I'm talked out of that one.
(Thanks for all of your comments on that!)
HA! No I don't plan on doing any racing!

Thanks for your help!

[skilewis74]

No big benefit for riding around town except for the ability to upgrade to double hole KH cranks, and more comfortable saddle.

Adding to the value are the double wall rim, and stonger cranks (not that strong but a lot better than the LX's). It would be great for light Muni w/ some longer cranks.

[jbtilley]

Can you tell me whether ISIS cranks would make a big difference in riding, controlling, turning, etc. on straight roads in a neighborhood with cement streets that have some camber?

It's my understanding that the cranks won't make any difference as far as control/turning/camber is concerned. The appeal to the stronger ISIS cranks is that they take more abuse from drops and hops and the like. You probably won't need ISIS cranks for sidewalk rides, but more strength than you need never hurts... it just comes at a price.

One thing to consider as far as cranks are concerned is the "Q" factor. How far apart your legs are when you're on the unicycle. I use the KH Moments because they allow me to have my legs further apart. Since discovering the moments I don't really see myself using anything else. The moments are ISIS so if you prefer them you're locked into going the ISIS route. Whether a crank is ISIS or not does not influence the Q factor. It's all dependent on whether the cranks bend outward or whether they are straight.

Would a better saddle help, and which one would be best for an older gal that just wants some good exercise for longer... and longer?

Yes! The seat makes all the difference in the world. Again, before I knew any better I used a seat that caused a sharp pain for the first 1/4 mile, I'd eventually get used to it, but then the pain would come back in full force after an hour or so. I then discovered the KH Freeride. It absolutely felt like I wasn't even on a unicycle when I first got on. Now I only start to get sore after about 2 hours and even then the pain is nothing like before. More of a dull pain than a sharp one.

In some ways it's nice to get hurt on an inferior seat, that way you can truly appreciate just how nice the KH Freeride seat is. I imagine that there are some people that start off with the best seat possible and complain about how sore it makes them because they don't know any better.

[jbtilley]

I should also add that I don't have any experience with the Nimbus Gel (the seat on the uni you linked). Others would have to chime in to give you their experience with that particular seat.

[Alucard]

Hi 57Unirider

My first learner uni had a tough seat, It was sitting on a brick

Now I have kh freeride on all my unis' Very comfy

Are you not to keen on the colour, at least you'll be able to pick it out easily in a full cycle rack

[scott ttocs]

Another option is to buy a KH freerider seat and a new seat post and mount it on your Torker. You can then move it to your next unicycle if you upgrade.

Scott

[57UniRider]

Originally Posted by jbtilley

One thing to consider as far as cranks are concerned is the "Q" factor. How far apart your legs are when you're on the unicycle. I use the KH Moments because they allow me to have my legs further apart. Since discovering the moments I don't really see myself using anything else. The moments are ISIS so if you prefer them you're locked into going the ISIS route. Whether a crank is ISIS or not does not influence the Q factor. It's all dependent on whether the cranks bend outward or whether they are straight.

So, jbtilley...
are you saying you have better balance with your legs/feet further apart... or is it just more comfortable that way? I've never thought of the possible balance factor there. Since longer cranks help with balance, maybe pedals that are further apart would help as well. Just wondering.

Hey scott ttocs!
I might just do that.

Thanks jbtilly, skilewis, alucard, and scott ttocs!

[jbtilley]

It's hard for me to say how much of a factor having my feet farther apart affected balance. I already knew how to ride reasonably well before getting cranks that allowed for a wider stance. In the end it boiled down to personal preference.

I don't want to further complicate the matter but another thing to consider is rim width. Someone else will have to chime in with their experiences but I have heard that a wider rim contributes toward more stability. For the uni you linked it says the rim has a 32mm width. Note that there must be a misprint because the uni description says 24" but the rim description in the details portion says 20". Either way I bet the rim width is correct at 32mm.

I just bring this up because with other unicycles like the munis you'll often see a 42mm rim width. If wider rims contribute to more stability then it might make more sense for you to get the wider rim.

[skilewis74]

Originally Posted by jbtilley

It's hard for me to say how much of a factor having my feet farther apart affected balance. I already knew how to ride reasonably well before getting cranks that allowed for a wider stance. In the end it boiled down to personal preference.

While doing a partially supported still stand I've noticed it was nly oslightly easier. For me it the added control was more noticeable rolling. My old cranks (Torker DX, 150mm) were nearly streight and the new ones (Qu-Ax ten spline, 170mm) had a lot more Q-factor (even more than KH Moments).

Additional Q does give more control, but it does cause more high speed wobble at higher speeds (w/ effort I'm able to eliminate most of the wobble). Trying cranks w/ different Q, the ones I've liked the best are the ones w/ the most Q (my Qu-Ax's). The same cranks but longer technically gives more Q-factor (distance from center of wheel at axel) but they gave me only a very slight amount of increased control, but very effective at lowering the gearing.

Originally Posted by jbtilley

I don't want to further complicate the matter but another thing to consider is rim width. Someone else will have to chime in with their experiences but I have heard that a wider rim contributes toward more stability. For the uni you linked it says the rim has a 32mm width. Note that there must be a misprint because the uni description says 24" but the rim description in the details portion says 20". Either way I bet the rim width is correct at 32mm.

Yeah that has to be a typo, but how much of it
The Nimbus Muni rim is 42mm wide so if that's the rim it's also been miss-typed, if so, it's also off by one digit.

A wider rim crates a flatter profile of the tire making the uni not turn as easily (larger contact patch) in general and more difficult to lean into turns (or more stable depending on how you look at it). Also it absorbs the initial impact better than a narrower rim, more so than going to a fatter tire IMO, compared to the additional weight. Other points are, it reduces fold over in side hops and it slightly reduces the likelyhood of pinch flats.

[skilewis74]

Comfort of seats I've tried, from least to most, IMO.

Torker LX, old Schwinn, Torker CX, Generic (similar to a Cycle Pro), Torker DX, (big jump here) Nimbus Gel, KH street, KH Air (VERY difficult to get the shape right), KH Freeride.