Unicycle Anatomy

Saddle with Handlebars

Schlumpf Geared Unicycle Hub

Seat/Saddle

The seat is comprised of several individual parts, though it can be hard to buy some of these parts individually:

Handle

The handle is a plastic addition which is bolted onto the front of the seat base. Handles have several functions:

Act as a front bumper, to protect the seat cover and seat base from damage when the unicycle hits or drags across the ground
Allow the rider to pull up on it for stability when riding over uneven terrain
Allow the rider to pull up on it for hopping and doing tricks that require hopping

Some handles have holes, while others are solid all the way through. Solid handles are more sturdy and are generally preferred for all types of riding.

Older unicycles may not have a handle, having just a front bumper instead.

Handle with hole (less sturdy)

Solid handle (more sturdy)

Back Bumper

The back bumper is a plastic addition which is bolted onto the back of the seat base. Back bumpers primarily protect the seat cover and seat base from damage when the unicycle hits or drags across the ground, but are also typically designed to be easy to grab onto when doing seat out skills.

Back bumper

Seat Base

The seat base provides the structure for the whole seat. It is the innermost part of the seat on which the foam, bumpers, and seat cover are built around. Typical materials used for seat bases are plastic and carbon fiber.

Plastic seat bases are the most common, and are the cheapest. For most people, plastic seat bases work just fine.

Carbon fiber seat bases are less common, and more expensive. They offer a lighter, and much more rigid structure.

Foam

Seat Cover

Accessories

Handle Stiffener Plate - Even stiff, solid plastic handles will bend a little bit, so some riders prefer to add a stiffener plate to get the most sturdy feel they can.
Handlebar - Several different handlebar shapes and attachments exist for muni and distance. Handlebars help distribute some of the your weight so that you can avoid getting saddle sore when sitting on the saddle for long periods of time.
Saddle Reinforcement Plate - Stiffens the entire seat base. Performs a similar function to the handle stiffener plate if you don't want to buy a carbon fiber seat base.
Air Saddle Cover - This removable seat cover has a soft airy cushion that can provide extra comfort for firm saddles. It is not a replacement for seat covers, and goes over the entire seat and bumpers. It's not recommended to use this if you expect seat to hit or drag across the ground often.

Handle Stiffener Plate

Handlebar

Saddle Reinforcement Plate

Air Saddle Cover

Tips

Rigidity and sturdiness has been mentioned several times in this section, and for good reason. Having a rigid handle and seat base allow the rider to control the unicycle with much more precision. This is primarily useful in keeping the unicycle under you and in control while doing muni and urban.

For urban, having a rigid seat is particularly useful for crankflips, as they require you to pull up on the seat and keep it still in the air in order to get a good snap and maintain control during the trick. A seat that bends will absorb some of the snap required to execute the trick well.

Seatpost

Common sizes are 22.2, 25.4, 27.2, and recently 31.6mm. Older unicycles sometimes have non-standard seatpost sizes, specifically older torker models. The seat interface comes in 3 varieties: Standard, Miyata style, and pivotal.

Seatpost Clamp

Frame

Bearing Caps

Wheel

Hub
- Bearings
Spokes
Rim
Rim Tape
Inner Tube
- Valve
- Valve Cap
Tire

Crank

Pedal

Disc Brake

Brake Lever
Brake Line
Rotor
Calipers

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