I have always wondered this question of 'ruining' my balance on one
uni because I get used to another. When I started to learn a two-
wheeler (wheel on top of a wheel so you pedal backwards to go forward),
I thought that I would mess up my balance when I returned to a 'normal'
unicycle. Well I never mastered a two-wheeler but I did become very
procient at other tall unicycles. The more I ride the tall ones the
easier it is to switch between tall and short unicycles. In other
words, the wider range of unicycles that I ride the better my balance
is and the quicker I can adapt to differant size and kinds of unicycles.
My sister who is one the best at riding the two-wheeler finds that
she has no problem switching between unicycles. Since the two-wheeler
forces very good control for pedaling backwards she has the national
record (and maybe international record, I can't remember) for the
slow backward race.
* Anyway, to the point... my flat-mate, who thinks he knows everything
* about *bi*cycles rekons the chain is too tight. Well, I had a look
* at the thing, and yes it is very tight - too tight for a bike - but
* I got to wondering that maybe it needed that rigidity: surely if I
* loosened the chain, I'd introduce more slack, and this would add
* some sort of time-lag to my pedaling motion, right?
*
* Well the Q is: "how tight should the chain be?" - anyone have
* any suggestions?
I like my chain as tight I can get it without it making hard to turn.
The looser the chain the less responsive the unicycle. Also, the chain
will loosen with time as it wears in, this will warrent some
chain tightening. The chain will tighten and loosen depending on the
stresses put on the frame. When mounting the uni, the chain will
be tight on one side and loose on the other.
*
* BTW, for those who may be searching for a giraffe in the UK,
* Boggle in Bath is your best bet if you can't wait for DM. They
* seem to have a fairl;y wide range in stock.
*
* pab.
*
* --
* Paul Bennett _ onewhe
* pab@doc.ic.ac.uk | elgood
* Under disguise at BT's LEC until September /|\ twowhe
* pbennett.lssec.bt.co.uk \_/ elsbad
*
__________________________________________________________________________
Andy B. Cotter CAE UW - Madison
cotter@cae.wisc.edu Application Support