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Schwinn Unicycle

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RM Special

Look Ma, No Hands!
Hello,
I am still new to the CABE so not quite sure where to post this at. However, while it is a nearly completed project it is quite a neat one. Not sure on the year as I could not find stampings anywhere but guessing the 70's?

Uni.jpg


I had to clean it and put a tube in it (hence the project piece..) but it still retains the original tire and had the original tube.

Uni tire 2.jpg


Uni tire.jpg


Uni tube.jpg


Overall it was quite easy to clean up and ended up being a pretty neat display piece as I am to old to ride unicycles anymore....

Uni Hub.jpg


Hope you all are doing well.
 
That looks like the old tornado tires that came on the 1955 Corvettes, or the superior tire which was the same basically but a smaller white wall. There should be a date code on the tire.
 
The original unicycle tire is important the value. It's the common S7 rim size BUT it was a higher air pressure tire. 60 psi if I remember correctly. They made three models. 20", 24", and a tall chain drive 20" called the Giraffe. Very cool wall hanger.

check the crank cotter pins. They need to be installed in opposing directions to make the cranks straight.

John
 
Nice!
I used to be able to ride my unicycle around the block, when I was a kid.
But, I left it on my patio, not thinking that anyone would steal a unicycle.
Well, I thought wrong!
I came out to ride over to the corner store, and it was gone!
And with it, went my unicycle riding days.
I did pick up a Giraffe a few years ago, more as a novelty, to hang on the wall.
It’s way too crazy for me at this stage of my life.
I don’t even see how you would ever learn to ride it without killing yourself.
As with all of the other cycles that Schwinn built.
Their unicycles, seemed to be the best you could get.
Nice job, rehabbing that one!
Now, I’ve got to keep an eye out for one of those tires and tubes, for my Giraffe.
 
Unicycles are a blast! Been looking for a Schwinn one for a while, but they seem to be pretty few and far between. I don’t care about the original tire being on it because I plan to ride it, and I’d hate to ruin a good original for someone to display.
I hear you but you really do want to use the original tire if possible. The normal 1 3/4 S7 tires are 45 psi, the unicycle tires are 60 psi. More air is a good thing on a unicycle. All of your body weight is on one small tire versus on a bicycle all of your weight is divided by two tires so the lower air pressure makes sense for a bicycle.

Unicycle tires last a very long time. The sun UV rays are the biggest problem dry rotting the tires. The other wear point is the front and back of the seat cover. This is caused because it's the first thing that hits when you fall off.

I view Unicycles, like Sport Bike Motorcycles, it's not IF, but WHEN do you fall off. If your on Medicare, let the young guys have all the fun.

John
 
I hear you but you really do want to use the original tire if possible. The normal 1 3/4 S7 tires are 45 psi, the unicycle tires are 60 psi. More air is a good thing on a unicycle. All of your body weight is on one small tire versus on a bicycle all of your weight is divided by two tires so the lower air pressure makes sense for a bicycle.

Unicycle tires last a very long time. The sun UV rays are the biggest problem dry rotting the tires. The other wear point is the front and back of the seat cover. This is caused because it's the first thing that hits when you fall off.

I view Unicycles, like Sport Bike Motorcycles, it's not IF, but WHEN do you fall off. If your on Medicare, let the young guys have all the fun.

John
I don’t have a good asphalt place to ride one, so I ride it on my gravel 1/4 mile driveway. Full air pressure is a bit too much for riding on gravel comfortably. Otherwise the rocks push you all over and make it hard to ride. That 45 psi is about right on gravel. I’ve fallen off many of times, but no worries for me and Medicare yet. At 18 I don’t think I’m eligible🤣
 
I don’t have a good asphalt place to ride one, so I ride it on my gravel 1/4 mile driveway. Full air pressure is a bit too much for riding on gravel comfortably. Otherwise the rocks push you all over and make it hard to ride. That 45 psi is about right on gravel. I’ve fallen off many of times, but no worries for me and Medicare yet. At 18 I don’t think I’m eligible🤣
I learned how to ride a unicycle by hanging on to the clothesline. I guess that tells my age. It was long before everyone had a clothes dryer in the house.

I do not remember the brand, it was purchased from a local bicycle wholesaler called John T. Bill. It was a "nice quality" unicycle kit (nicer than a Schwinn Unicycle), no wheel, no seat, no pedals, just the fork, a seat post, and hub and crank arms. The significance to my life, was that was the "first ever" wheel I laced and trued. I got help lacing that wheel from Tony Quijada our John T. Bill sales rep. Tony would later work for United Import (Peugeot), and finally Schwinn Sales West.

I would love to be 18 again, but know what to do with youth. Have fun with that unicycle.

John
 
Thanks for the replies and the information. When I bought the uni one of the crank pins were loose and missing the original nut. I appreciate the advice as I flipped one around today based on the suggestion that one had to be facing the opposite direction to keep the cranks tight

I think I found the date code, 3/77? Is this what a date code looks like? It was the only thing I could find on the tire that had numbers that might correspond to a date.

Uni tire 3.jpg


The tire inflation is rated for 60 pounds.

Uni tire 4.jpg


As others mentioned about inflating tires to different pressures for different reasons what allows this tire to be inflated to 60 pounds? Is it the thread count in the tire cords, thicker rubber, etc? I know different tires are constructed with different methods to allow higher air pressure but I am curious to how Schwinn was doing it back when this was built.

Also, I didn't take pics but the front and rear of the seat appear to be in good overall condition with minimal scuffs. Thanks for mentioning the Schwinn Giraffes in some of the posts, now I have another bike I am looking for!!😆
 
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