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20" URC Unicycle Super Freestyle - Cotterless Hub *Required step



New shape, new family look, the Super Freestyle unicycles come with a new square frame that gives you the feeling of the Mad4One Trial Machine but made of CrMo. This unicycle is available in 5 new dazzling colors and mounts a 25.4 mm seatpost, cotterless hub and cranks (bearing spacing 100 mm) and a 20-inch wheel. The URC Super Freestyle 20” is a quality unicycle, with an excellent quality-price ratio. The frame made with a superior quality steel alloy (CrMo-4130), the wheel hand built  by us in Italy, the wide choice of tires, the Mad4One saddle available in two different shapes, Slim and Comfort, make this unicycle extremely interesting and one of the best unicycles in its class. Click the product to view the product technical details and useful information and tips.

 

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LEADTIME

THE URC UNICYCLES TO START TO GET PASSIONATE

Learning to ride a unicycle is one of the most beautiful moments in the unicycling career of all of us. Mad4One offers an interesting range of refined steel unicycles from the 20” wheel to be used in the gym or on the bike path, to the Iron-Mad with a 16" wheel, a true miniature Freestyle or the 19" Trial, used by adults and kids alike, without forgetting the 24" wheel, for young riders ready to build skills on singletrack. With Mad4One’s quality, these unicycles are a great start to a lifelong love of riding. But before deciding which unicycle to buy, let's try to unswer some key questions to make the right choice.

KEY PERFORMANCE FACTORS

WHY A STEEL UNICYCLE?

Because it's cheaper than a unicycle with an aluminum frame. Don't go out and buy a real expensive unicycle until you know that you enjoy this sport and know what you want to do. Another important aspect: the steel unicycle, if it’s of quality, is very robust and lasts over time. Yes, because on the internet it's easy to find extremely cheap basic unicycles, but warranty and robustness are often unknown and it can happen that it breaks before you have even learned. Going for a cheap machine could spell a very quick end to your love affair with unicycling, whilst a quality unicycle could be your companion for years to come and it can easily be resold or passed on to your brother or best friend, even if the experience tells us that a good basic unicycle has always a place in the garage of a unicyclist's house. It will be always useful for learning new tricks or playing hockey or just for training during the bad season.

THE RIGHT WHEEL SIZE FOR ME

The first thing to consider when choosing a unicycle is the unicyclist's physical structure. Let's put aside the concept of “small wheels for children, big wheels for adults”. If you are 10 years old, but tall and weigh almost as much as an adult, you should consider bigger wheels. On the contrary your peer, who is little and skinny and is still growing will focus on smaller wheels. Learning to ride a unicycle basically means understanding and knowing how to manage the dynamic balance (when the body is in movement) in the longitudinal direction (forwards and backwards), while the lateral balance has usually already been acquired when we learned to ride a bike. The feed speed and the reaction speed depend primarily on the speed of the wheel. A wheel that is too big or too small for your physical structure will be difficult to control. So let's go back to the concept expressed above: the wheel must fit your size.

THE LENGTH OF THE CRANKS

The second equally important aspect is the length of the cranks. If the wheel determines speed, the length of the cranks defines the responsiveness needed to control pedaling. A long crank requires a low level of reactivity, a short crank requires a high level of reactivity to control the wheel and maintain dynamic balance (balance in movement). A high level of responsiveness in pedaling is acquired over time. However, the crank shouldn't be too long either. The right length is usually between 22% and 25% of the wheel diameter. So on a 20 ”wheel (approx. 50 cm diameter) the right crank length for beginners will be 110-114 mm and 125 mm. On a 16” wheel it is between 80 and 100 mm and with a 24” wheel it is between 135 mm and 150 mm. And so on. All the unicycles we offer in this category have the right wheel size for learning.

One of the great advantages of the unicycle is that it can take you anywhere. From city streets to mountain trails and long-miles rides. But not all unicycles are the same. Each unicycle is designed to do a specific work - some are studied and equipped to absorb bumps and roughness on dirt and uneven trails, others are built for speed, and some are made for long distance. Are therefore the shape, the quality and features of components and size of the wheel that tell me if the unicycle I’m going to buy is suitable for "where I want to go” and for “what sort of riding I plan to do”. The unicycles you find in this category are the perfect line for novice riders. Here you find all the Mad4One’s knowledge and the attention to detail, but at a budget-friendly price point.

1 A basic Saddle or the Mad4One Slim or Comfort

When it comes to saddles it’s important to have more than one option available. Starting from the 20" wheel, we offer the Mad4One Comfort saddle, ideal for both beginners and experts. This saddle has a medium-high density padding, that reduces pressure in the front. The second option is the Mad4One Slim, a traditional saddle, well appreciated in various disciplines such as Trial, Flatland, but also Freestyle and Mountain unicycling.

3 Handbuilt wheel

The wheels mounted on our unicycles are all hand built by us in our laboratory and arranged in a 4X spoke pattern. The term “pattern” indicates the number of intersections that a spoke makes before reaching the rim. In a 4 cross-pattern wheel every spoke intersects four others between the hub and the rim. Crossing the spokes over helps them handle the pedaling braking torque being transmitted from the hub to the rim. The 4X lacing pattern requires an accurate and more expensive assembly process which, combined with the high quality components used, ensures a much better durability and resistance of the wheel.

2 The Frame, Stiff, Stable and Durable

Better material always means longer life, as well as more stiffness and better performance. A unicycle can be designed in many ways, but only a few of them are the right ones. All Mad4One’s square-shaped URC frames are made of CrMo-4130 chromium-molybdenum steel, an alloy of steel of superior quality that guarantees greater load resistance and better tensile strength compared to unalloyed steel.

4 Pedals and Tires of Quality

The wheel is a key element of the unicycle. It has to be built with skill and quality components, but the tire and pedals can also make the difference. The options we have selected for you in this category are all of quality and each of them is according to our experience the right choice for a specific style of riding and purpose.

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS AND DIMENSIONS

URC URBAN 19" and 20"

SEATPOST DIAMETER: 25.4 MM
BEARING SPACING: 100 MM
BEARING SIZE: 42 MM

URC FREESTYLE 16"
IRON-MAD BASIC 16"
URC FREESTYLE 20"
URC SUPER FREESTYLE 20"

SEATPOST DIAMETER: 25.4 MM
BEARING SPACING: 100 MM
BEARING SIZE: 42 MM

MAX. TIRE SIZE

URC URBAN 19" and 20": 20" x 2.40 and 19" x 2.60

URC FREESTYLE 16"
IRON-MAD BASIC 16"
URC FREESTYLE 20"
URC SUPER FREESTYLE 20"

SEATPOST DIAMETER: 25.4 MM
BEARING SPACING: 100 MM
BEARING SIZE: 42 MM

MAX. TIRE SIZE

URC FREESTYLE 16": 16" X 2.00
IRON-MAD BASIC 16": 16" X 2.00
URC FREESTYLE 20": 20" x 2.40 and 19" x 2.60
URC SUPER FREESTYLE 20" PRO: 20" x 2.40 and 19" x 2.60

THE MATERIALS

URC E IRON-MAD 16"
URC FREESTYLE 20"

FRAME

Welded - painted
Chromium molybdenum steel CrMo-4130

CRANKS

URC Cotterless
Forged - lacquered
Steel

HUB

URC Cotterless
Lacquered
Chromium molybdenum steel CrMo-4130

SEATPOST

URC 25.4 mm
Steel - lacquered

SEATPOST CLAMP

DOUBLE QUICK-RELEASE
Anodized
Aluminum AL-6061-T6

MAD4ONE 2-BOLTS
CNC machined - Anodized
Aluminum AL-6061-T6

URC URBAN 19" and 20"

FRAME

Welded - painted
Chromium molybdenum steel CrMo-4130

CRANKS

UNICYCLESTUFF ISIS
Forged and CNC machined – anodized
Aluminum AL-6061-T6

HUB

MAD4ONE MAD-TECNO ISIS 100mm
One piece hub - CNC machined
Chromium molybdenum steel CrMo-4130

SEATPOST

URC 25.4 mm
Steel - lacquered

SEATPOST CLAMP

DOUBLE QUICK-RELEASE
Anodized
Aluminum AL-6061-T6

MAD4ONE 2-BOLTS
CNC machined - Anodized
Aluminum AL-6061-T6

RIM

URC or MAD4ONE
Pinned - Anodized
Aluminum AL-6061-T6

SPOKES

SAPIM
14G – Black
Steel

NIPPLES

Brass Nickel Plated - Silver

I learn to ride a unicycle

by Marco Vitale

These are notes I wrote for a gym teacher who asked me for advice on how to teach riding a unicycle. I would split the teaching method in three or four phases. We should avoid moving on to the next phase if the previous one is not acquired. Balance on the unicycle is governed by your rising foot, which also manages your speed. If you fall backward, brake a little, if you fall forward, accelerate a bit. These are very fine actions, totally automatic, (if you try to do it thinking about how to do it, you will always be late). For common people these actions to keep balance are not instinctive because there are no similar experiences, maybe the clutch of a car .... but in that case the balance doesn't matter :). So only with a bit of patience and a lot of practice you can acquire this new way to balance on a wheel.

I learn to ride a unicycle

STEP 1

Goal: we sit on the unicycle while standing still leaning against the wall and we learn to overcome fear that makes us put our feet down (like on the bike, when we feel like falling). Use the wall as a back support, place the unicycle with the wheel leaning against the wall in an orthogonal position (90°) and the cranks parallel to the ground. If you move the unicycle away from the wall and return to the starting position without raising the wheel from the ground, the cranks return to the initial position. Move the unicycle away from the wall, just enough to get you between the wall and the unicycle. Take care to stay with your shoulders against the wall and get on the unicycle. If everything is done correctly in this position you should have one pedal up and one down. I recommend keeping the pedal of the dominant foot behind but it is not essential.

I learn to ride a unicycle

STEP 2

Goal: we teach our body to to rotate the pedals smoothly, controlling the rising foot. Once you’ve gained a bit of confidence with the unicycle in stand-still, and as soon as we have no problem in getting off the unicycle in front, we have to start pedaling. To do this, without burning the stages that would be counter-productive, it is necessary to have the possibility to lean with both hands. It's fine to have two balustrades placed along the length or in the gym two parallels side by side (in the middle of the parallels you can't pedal) or two helpers/friends or a balustrade and a helper. Remember that the goal is to be able to pedal trying to stay in balance. The supports must be used continuously, leaning on them with the least weight possible.

I learn to ride a unicycle

STEP 3

Goal: we pedal the first 10 meters by ourselves. If you have completed the second phase correctly, your body is now able to ride a unicycle. You just have to tell it to your brain and believe that you can. You go with your back to the wall as done in PHASE 1. With no helper you gently push yourself forward and instead of getting off you start pedaling. Of course, the tension is high and fear does not help, and you feel like you are back at the beginning of STEP 2, when the foot went down and got stuck down there blocking the wheel. Now is the time to start believing and trying to think again about the foot that goes down and that must go up ... in a short time the first pedaling should succeed.

Some important measures to avoid mistakes

What is the right saddle height? How do I measure my leg length? How do I calculate how long my seat tube should be? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves when we start configuring our new unicycle.

First I read the instructions to assemble my unicycle

I have just received my new unicycle and first I carefully read the assembly instructions I found in the box. This information is useful not only for the assembly phase, but also for the correct use and maintenance of my unicycle over time.

It’s the first time I inflate the tire of my freestyle. How should I do it?

While the majority of you will almost certainly know how to inflate the tire on your bicycle, it’s another of those simple tasks, like changing an inner tube that can seem pretty confusing to a beginner. The tire is shipped flat for safety reasons, especially if sent by plane. When you take the wheel out of the box it may look as shown in the attached photo. You must place the tire in the right position before you start inflating the wheel. Pay attention to the position of the valve, it must be perpendicular to the rim.

Which unicycle is best for learning? A Mountain unicycle 24” or a Trial 19”?

Which unicycle is best for learning? A Mountain unicycle 24” or a Trial 19”? The slightly larger wheel (the 24- and 26-inch) is certainly more difficult and faster than the 19" - 20", it’s also taller and might be a little scary, especially at the beginning. For beginners in adulthood the first question to ask is: what is my goal? what do I want to do with my unicycle? If you already have clear ideas about "where you want to go with your unicycle" we advice not to go for a "all purpose" unicycle, but to choose the best unicycle for the main purpose you have set for yourself. Then you will do everything else with it, it won't be 100% perfect, but you can do it. So if you love off road and rough terrains and your goal is the mountain unicycling, a 24 ” muni with an aluminum frame, light and easy to ride, could be the right choice. Are you fascinated by the urban world and everything that is done in this specialty? An excellent learning machine even for an adult is for sure the trial 19 "with 125 mm cranks. If, on the other hand, your goal is “to learn”, then we recommend a  unicycle with a 16" wheel and 90 mm cranks or a 20" wheel with 114 mm cranks.

Cotterless or ISIS cranks?

When we talk about "Beginners" we are not only talking about people who are young people who are usually small in size. The Beginner can be also the man or the woman who wants to learn to ride a unicycle. They can be adults with a slight build, but also strong and well-developed sportsmen and women. This is the first aspect to consider when choosing some components, including the cranks. The cotterless cranks are a valid choice for the purpose for which they were designed, they are cheap, but usually have limits of stiffness/durability and use. The robustness: if you are a beginner, tall, robust and strong, the cotterless cranks are not for you, better to choose quality ISIS cranks such as the MAD-Tecnos. The use: The cotterless hub-crank system inevitably has limitations in use that you don't perceive today as a beginner, but that will be progressively evident as you improve. The shape of the cotterless cranks is not suitable for the execution of some tricks that require you to have your feet on the cranks. In addition, the choice of square cranks is quite limited (few variants in length).

Why can't I find the Road 24 ” unicycle with square hub in this category?

Here too the concept is the same as that expressed in the previous paragraphs: if you are of big and strong build you should look for not only for a stable and robust frame, but also of the reliable and quality wheel. In fact, in this category you will also find wheels with a larger diameter than 16" or the classic 20", but with ISIS hub and cranks, because if you are tall, strong and well-built, the low level cotterless hub doesn't fit. Robustness means also safety, an issue that should never be underestimated.

Why do all our frames mount 42mm bearings?

Because your frame must also be compatible with an ISIS hub wheel that you might want to mount in the future. Unicycles with square hubs have 40mm bearings. For a perfect adhesion of the bearing to the bearing holder we apply a rubber shim to the bearings, which also acts as a protection. So when you receive your unicycle and see the bearings with this protection, do not remove it. It has a purpose!

Cranks and Pedals, what to do to make them last over time

Once you have assembled all the parts of your unicycle correctly, the one thing you should not forget is to regularly check the tightness of all the components. In particular pedals that have a steel spindle and are mounted on aluminum cranks must be lubricated and tightened very well. If you have aluminum cranks and your pedals are slightly unscrewed, you run the risk to damage your cranks seriously. If the pedals are not tightened enough, the risk of tearing the threads of the cranks at the first stress is very high. Did you know that the greatest stresses occur at the moment of take-off? The pre-hop technique is the one that gives the best results in height, but also the greatest stresses to the wheel. Check also that cranks and hub are properly tightened. If you hear strange movements of the cranks or pedals please stop immediately and tighten all the parts that are shaking or rattling. If you go on riding the screws will surely deform and become slack. In short time you will be forced to replace these parts.

The frame made from chromium-molybdenum steel Cr-Mo 4130

Our unicycle steel frames, we are talking about the URC frames, are made from Cr-Mo 4130 chromium-molybdenum steel, an alloy of steel that guarantees greater load resistance, lower specific weight and better tensile strength compared to unalloyed steel. The simplest steels are iron alloyed with carbon. However, the term "alloy steel" is the standard term referring to steels with other alloying elements added deliberately in addition to the carbon such as e.g.: silicon, manganese or chrome. Therefore it is not sufficient to speak only of aluminum or steel, because there are innumerable aluminum and steel alloys with very different characteristics. The choice of the "right" material is a very important element of the entire frame design, together with the shape and the thickness of the tubes.

Even in your first unicycle, the details can make the difference

Not only the frame has to be stable, reliable and of the right size for you, but also other parts such as saddle, tire, pedals and rim, if of quality, can make the difference. Beginners do not know how to use their strength to ride a unicycle and usually they use much more strength than necessary, especially at the beginning putting the unicycle under high stress. The unicycles you find in this category have been designed with great attention to all the components with the aim of offering more options each of quality and designed for a specific use. If you have doubts about which model of tire or pedal or which is the most suitable saddle for your purpose, do not hesitate to contact us. This is the right time to gather advice and information.

From 16" to 36", all our wheels are handmade by us in Italy

Since 2007 we have acquired a high level of technical know-how in the design and manufacture of unicycles and unicycle parts, including wheel building. All our wheels, from 16-inch to 29-inch, that we mount on our unicycles or supply separately as parts, are made by us by hand in our warehouse in Italy. We use high quality components and each wheel is carefully checked before delivery. We build our wheels using 4 cross pattern.

Quick release or screwed seat post clamp?

If you have just started unicycling the quick release is the most easy seat post clamp for the fast changing of the seat height. We have decided to offer a double quick release clamp, because the saddle often twists and it needs to be tightened properly. However, if you already ride a unicycle and have, more or less, defined your seat height, the 2-bolts clamp is the right choice. In some disciplines, such as basket or hockey, the quick release is considered dangerous because the lever that sticks out can hurt you in case of falls. When you are performing advanced tricks the quick release can be uncomfortable and even annoying. The 2-bolts clamp should ensure the best hold, but sometimes it’s not sufficient, For this reason, we have developed a 3-bolts clamp, called the Mad4One 3B Double Clamp, which is the best solution both in tightness and robustness.