How to shift gears on a unicycle! Kris Holm / Schlumpf geared unicycle hub - Unicycle Tutorial -Ep 1

Hey unicyclists! I frequently see new geared unicycle riders asking questions on how to learn to shift on their two speed KH - Schlumpf hub and I want to teach you how to learn to shift! I was an early adopter of this planetary transmission hub, purchasing my first one around 2007 or 2008 when they first came out with the strong "muni" (mountain unicycle) compatible hub. Back in 2010 I became a world champion unicyclist by winning the marathon race at UNICON -- an international unicycle event hat happens every few years somewhere in the world. I won the event with a Kris Holm (KH) 36 and the geared hub. It was the first international event where the hub use basically became required for people to be competitive in the distance unicycling events.
I ride my geared uni -- commonly called a guni -- with various wheel diameters. My first wheel was a geared 36er for fast road riding, but I later added a geared 24 that eventually got re-built into a geared 26. The geared 26" wheel is my preferred mountain uni, although I do ride my custom V-frame 36er offroad on mild terrain.
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More information on the Schlumpf geared uni hub:
* Schlumpf Innovations: www.schlumpf.ch/hp/schlumpf/sc...
* Kris Holm: krisholm.com/en/gear/componen...
* Five Ten shoes: www.adidas.com/us/five-ten-im...
Video chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:31 - Hub mechanism
1:36 - Basic way to shift
1:57 - Shoes
2:54 - Foot placement
3:31 - How to learn
4:35 - Shifting tips
5:12 - Hub position in frame
5:56 - When to shift
6:55 - Braking & shifting
8:04 - How to NOT shift
8:35 - Outro
thanks everyone!
Corbin Dunn
www.corbinstreehouse.com
Music: All Night, MGJ Beats
CFM Production
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provided by CFM: cfmfreemusic.com

[@CorbinDunn]

Another tip: frequently you will have to lift up your foot and place it into a better position for shifting. A way to get proficient at this skill is by learning to ride "one footed" -- ideally learning for each foot. This will give you the confidence to lift up your foot and reposition it. If you are having trouble shifting on one side, see if you can ride one footed with the opposite foot; for instance, if you can't downshift well (left foot), practice riding one-footed with your right foot. . PLACE TO BUY THE HUB: www.florianschlumpf.swiss/index.php/en/unicycle-hub

[@DefiantToe]

I find that when I am being trailed by a bicyclist or car on the road, I have a much lower success rate on shifting. Mentally I get worried about a UPD and then being ran over, which becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Great video!

[@CorbinDunn]

I do the same! I'm always paranoid of messing up when there is a lot of traffic.

[@wilsondesign]

glad I found this - I've always wanted a geared hub and now they're making them again... someday!

[@wilsondesign]

p.s. last month I asked you some questions through your treehouse email and it bounced back.

[@CorbinDunn]

Eek.. what email did you send it to? Mine is corbin@ corbinstreehouse.com. The s gets missed a lot.

[@joseluisdelacruz2183]

Wooooooooooooow that’s amazing I love it ♥️♥️♥️♥️👍💯👏🌟🥇🏆

[@ellerybice3787]

Thank you.

[@DavidsDreamFactory]

great stuff!!! keep it up!

[@CorbinDunn]

thanks man!

[@JimSowers]

Nice job Corbin! I had planned to do something like this and demo the shifting on the road, but I think your method of being able to make a clean video with the uni suspended was much better. You covered all the key points--this is a great intro for newbies. One thing to mention is that when you shift into high gear for the first time, it is strange and hard to keep your balance at first. That was 13 years ago for me, so it is so second nature now. But I do remember being on the side of the road struggling with high gear when I first start :-) Keep up the great work!

[@CorbinDunn]

Thanks Jim! Yeah, I've been wanting to make this video for many years...I'm glad I finally got around to it. That's a great tip about shifting: be prepared to push harder with your legs in high gear! I know some people manually shift with their hand and practice high gear before learning to shift.

[@porta_patrols]

super idea!

[@mindbalance_cc]

Excellent vid! 🙌🙏⚙️ I’ve just started learning to ride a G26er and I’ve started out just trying to ride in high and being helped on. Just to get a sense of the wheel’s rotation. Happily when I was just half testing a shift up when on a warm up ride in 1:1 and it happened! I was riding in high for a few seconds and then I realised and … wipeout. But I can see how the whole this feels now and I am willing to face the fear, take a few tumbles. It feels to me all about learning a new muscle memory lexicon on reaction and pressure calibrations for when in high and in a sense low (or more the adjustment from low-high, high-low). Once I have those reactions in my body I think the shifting will be more of a continuous flow from 1:1 to 1:1.5 and my muscles / road-read / unicycle link all be in the high gear mind set. Anyway. Great to see all the steps to be aware of in this video and nice to see videos on the Schlumpf. For such an amazing device, it’s amazing how few videos around there are.

[@CorbinDunn]

Thanks! You made another good point: it is good to just learn to ride in high gear (ie, shift by hand and hop on) and get a feel for it. I forgot to mention this in the video, and it is an essential part to the learning process.

[@AvianYuen]

Amazing video! I came for more info on the geared hub, but I'd love more detail on your custom frame for the 36" tire!

[@CorbinDunn]

Thanks! I'll try to do a video on the frame sometime, and include some details on how I made it.

[@bigbattenberg]

Cool. I have to search for a picture I saw long long time ago of a penny farthing with a fixed gear reduction by chains and sprockets actually placing the bracket hub(s) below the wheel axle, allowing a smaller wheel and overall lower height. This concept could be applied to the unicycle I suppose. Keeping the width of the overall construction as small as possible would be the greatest challenge. A bit of bracket axle length is gained because the spokes are at an angle, further away from the wheel hub means a bit more space. I have been looking at some unicycles used for higher speed, normally this means a larger wheel of course.

[@skg901]

Dunno how to ride one... Still watching this...😅

[@ellerybice3787]

Kick it! 🥾🥾🥾 🚴🏼🚴🏼🚴🏼🫡

[@emminist]

I am so happy I found you. Woodworking and unicycling ❤️ If I ever stumbled across a schlumpf hub Should I use it with kris Holm products only or could I also integrate it into a nimbus system? Also how does the spoke length change in comparison to a not geared uni?

[@CorbinDunn]

Awesome! The Schlump muni hub will work in any 42mm bearing holder at the right width -- I think the width is 100mm, but you should double check. KH products all fit this standard, although some of the older products required some shaving down on the bearing holder to avoid having a disc brake rub. The V-frame I use in the video is a custom one I hand made. Spoke length: You check the Schlumpf website to find out the hub's spoke diameter and look at the rim manufacturers reported rim diameter; you then plug these two numbers into a spoke calculator (along with the lacing pattern) and it can calculate the spoke length. So yes, the spoke length will change!

[@h2cycling585]

I have a bad habit, I think, of using the brakes when shifting (rim or hub mounted disc brake). I say bad because I don't use it only when slowing down and downshifting, but also when I want to upshift. The one footed advice is great, that is something I'd like to learn.

[@CorbinDunn]

Yeah! I think people brake before up-shifting just to slow down - maybe the trick would be to shift 1-2mph earlier than what you are doing now; that way you don’t have to slow down and speed back up.

[@h2cycling585]

@@CorbinDunn Great insight! I think that's true; the cadence I can comfortably spin in low gear seems higher than the cadence I can comfortably shift at. So shifting earlier is a great tip, and maybe I can just practice shifting more. Now I want to practice more to be able to shift proficiently😀

[@microduty6190]

Nicely done tutorial! I'm curious how you propped up the unicycle when you were demoing shifting while stationary.

[@CorbinDunn]

Thanks!! Yeah, I had to come up with a creative way to get those shots -- I'm impressed you noticed that and are curious how it is done. I just wrote up a blog post with a picture of that setup: www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2021/07/video-how-to-shift-gears-on-a-unicycle/

[@1speeder]

I was thinking the same thing 😁

[@bobhartwell3262]

Is it a free wheel? Do the handle bars make it easer to ride. I have a plane one and ride it just short distance.

[@CorbinDunn]

It is still fixed gear riding, but it does briefly freewheel a short distance when shifting. The handlebars make it harder to ride! A lot of people use their arms to help balance, and holding a handlebar makes it more difficult at first, but stabilizes your riding by forcing you to balance with your core. The handlebar is for comfort on long rides; it takes weight off your bottom.

[@binaykumar27]

Ye Saikil kaise banaye nge

[@Cyber_Cowboy]

3:20 my OCD would never allow the heal of my sock to ride up to my ankle 😠 #GoodSocksMatter

[@CorbinDunn]

LOL...yeah, my socks get stretched and worn out. I never got used to biking socks; I found most of them too slippery. I did use them on several long trips, like the Arizona Trail.

[@ramonhamm3885]

Can the 1.5x gear be swapped out for a 1.75x or 2.0x for really cruising?

[@CorbinDunn]

No, it is fixed. For going faster, people usually use a bigger wheel, such as the 36'er in the photo. I could cruise at 18mph, hold 25 mph downhill, and peaked around 28 mph. It was still decent at climbing hills with 150mm cranks and 1st gear,

[@benbrown8258]

Corbin... maybe this should be addressed to the human powered unicycling community at large but... I've seen a number of videos helping bicyclists prepare for bike commuting with tips/equipments/strategy and only a couple for unicyclists. You've been riding for some time. What advice for safe unicycling commuting would you give someone who has a 2-5 mile commute? Would you advise certain skill levels, certain routes, tire size, etc? How cheaply could they do it? What might the best outfitted commuter look like? What do other unicyclists in your category suggest for beginning commuters vs seasoned riders... Riding in 107 degree F vs riding in 15 degree F weather and snow? Commuting in a cycling friendly community vs cycling antagonistic community...

[@CorbinDunn]

Hey Ben, these are some great ideas, thanks! I've been wanting to do more uni instructional videos; this video has gotten more views than a lot of my other videos, so it seems like there is a bit of interest.

[@user-hy9vz8ls3i]

Where can you get a unicycle like that? I’ve never seen one with handle bars like that

[@CorbinDunn]

That's the only one in the world, because I made it from scratch ;). I can make more frames, but it'd probably be pricey from me. Contact Flansberrium (google him) and he can make you whatever you'd like.

[@samuelp1777]

What is that bonkers 36 frame?

[@CorbinDunn]

That’s the Corbin V-36! www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2016/05/the-corbin-v36-unicycle/

[@maciejtwardowski]

Hey. This works for Freewheel unicycle?

[@CorbinDunn]

Hi! I think you are asking if this hub works as a freewheel, right? My Schlumpf hub does not, but the 2023 versions can be ordered with a freewheel option.

[@rfg-nr1tw]

Can you ride these backwards like normal? And is the brake required?

[@CorbinDunn]

Hi! Yes, you can ride it backwards; it is still a fixed gear. Riding backwards on a 36 is tricky to begin with though. A brake is not required..but at high speeds you will want one to control your speed - especially down hills. Even on an ungeared unicycle: your legs won't be strong enough if you are going down a steep hill and exceed ~12-15 MPH (I've seen it happen, and it wasn't fun, so a brake is recommended.

[@CarlosGonzalez-yl5ri]

where can i get one?

[@CorbinDunn]

I heard Schlumpf is selling a new batch soon, and you can order from his website. www.florianschlumpf.swiss/index.php/en/unicycle-hub

[@buck2992]

Do you know of any hubs for sale?

[@CorbinDunn]

I wish i did! I hope Florian makes another batch soon. I don’t think he makes a lot on them.

[@zekethecircusfreak]

How would you go about buying one of these hubs? I’ve looked on kris hills website but it didn’t really seem to have any way to purchase the hub.

[@CorbinDunn]

They haven’t been made in a while, but are going back into production this year. I hear you can preorder them. Go to the Schlumpf Innovations website and email or call them (Florian Schlumpf makes them, in Switzerland.)

[@zekethecircusfreak]

@@CorbinDunn Awesome thank you very much! How much did yours cost when you got it?

[@CorbinDunn]

@@zekethecircusfreak I bought my last one a long long time ago...probably 10+ years. I think it was somewhere from $1200-$1500, but I don't quite recall. It is well worth it. I own three; 36, 26 and a spare that needs new bearings installed.

[@ellerybice3787]

Where can such a unicycle be considered and purchased?

[@CorbinDunn]

The v-frame style? I made it from scratch...I've got info on my website about it.

[@shriramlaxmannevhal2826]

How many price

[@CorbinDunn]

Hmm..for a geared hub? Contact schlumpf innovations!

[@PRH123]

Does “36” refer to the diameter of the wheel…?

[@CorbinDunn]

Yup, it does! We used to call them Coker's due to the Coker brand making the first 36" unicycles. "36er" is now the more common term.

[@binaykumar27]

Jo banaye hai wo sahi video dikhakar samjhaiye ok