Top Unicycle Mods

Are you a dedicated unicycling fanatic, but looking for creative ways that you can make your one-wheeler truly yours? Here are some of the top mods we’ve heard of from our customers. While some are purely aesthetic, others can influence handling and performance as well. Check some of these out for inspiration and if you have any questions at the end of it get in touch with us. 

Color-Themed Parts 

One of the most straightforward ways to personalize your unicycle is by swapping out some of the parts that are easy to replace with color-themed parts. 

Whatever your favorite color is, you can more than likely find that in pedals, seatpost clamps, handlebars (if you want them) and accessories, like water bottle clamps or holders. 

Swap out a few of these components to make your unicycle more noticeable or just to color-customize it according to your preferences. 

Another unique mod you can make to your unicycle is to add a head badge to the frame, which will personalize the unicycle and which is not only affordable but relatively easy to apply. 

Mask the Frame 

Some unicycle riders also mask the frame, which means that they will apply a sort of pattern to the frame with spray paint. There are many ways to go about it; some spray paints produce a pattern with little effort on your part, but you can also use stencils to help with the design, which is another really unique way to personalize your unicycle. 

Lights on the Wheels

Adding lights to the wheels or rim of your unicycle is another really great way to make your unicycle pop. 

One of the more popular ways to do this is to add Monkeylectric lights to the wheels, commonly referred to as “Monkey Lights”.

They’re relatively easy to install, and when the wheel spins, Monkey Lights produce a visible pattern out of the light, which looks really cool and is eye-catching as well. In low light conditions, they produce quite an appealing display. 

Even cooler is that, in addition to lit colors and patterns, some Monkey Lights even make animations when the wheel spins. 

Spoke Beads (or Straws)

Some unicyclists also add spoke beads to their wheels, which are really unique, affordable customizations that are easy to install.

Not only do spoke beads add color to your wheel, but they produce an auditory effect as well. While at higher speeds the centrifugal forces push the beads outward against the rim where they will remain quiet, at lower speeds, the spoke beads ride up and down the spoke and into the rim as the wheel rotates, resulting in a signature clicking and clacking sound. 

Best of all, you can install spoke beads without tools, and there are not just a variety of colors and patterns, but even some glow-in-the-dark options as well. 

While spoke beads are a popular mod for some unicyclists, others prefer spoke straws, which are also relatively easy to install and which also can be used to introduce some color to the unicycle. 

Rimstrips and Valve Caps 

Looking for a low-cost way to personalize your ride and add color in one fell swoop? Consider adding rimstrips to the rim of your unicycle’s wheel. Rim tape is another option that gives you a low-cost, low-effort way to add some color to your unicycle. 

You can also swap out your unicycle’s valve caps in a matter of seconds, making it one of the most effortless (and low-cost) mods you can make to your favorite cycle. Pick something that reflects your interests or personality; we carry a lot of different designs and colors on our website. 

Some riders are even getting into 3D printing their own valve caps. As long as you get the threads right, you can basically make anything you want with some basic programs and a 3D print, in whatever color you want, too. 

Upgrade Your Unicycle Tire 

Upgrading your unicycle’s tire is another great way to add some character to the ride, and this is one of the few unicycle mods that can actually boost performance as well. 

Narrower tires tend to perform better on streets and other paved or finished surfaces because they are smoother, resulting in less friction. With the right tire pressure, they will also offer less rolling resistance as well, resulting in a more enjoyable, less taxing ride.

On the flipside, all else being equal, a wider tire will handle better on loose surfaces like sand, snow and mud. That is of course if the tire pressure is set properly. Too high and it will knife into the substrate, too low and it will be very tiring to ride. 

All in all, though, upgrading your unicycle’s tire can be a great way to customize your unicycle to your most frequent discipline, whether it’s commuting, racing, or mountain riding. 

Bonus: Stud Your Tires

One last mod you may be able to make, depending on what type of tire your unicycle has, is to add tire studs to it. 

If the tire has stud pockets, you basically just insert the studs and you’re good to go. Even if it doesn’t have stud pockets, you can add grip studs. 

Alternatively, you can make tire chains and add these to your unicycle’s tires. In any event, doing so won’t just add visual appeal to your unicycle, it will give it an advanced ability to handle on icy surfaces as well as on packed snow. 

(Side note: we carry bike tires in our collection as well, so if you landed here looking for that, shop our collection and make the repair or replacement you came here for today.)

Shop Unicycle Parts and Accessories Here 

Hopefully you found this guide to unicycle mods practical and helpful, and we carry many of the unicycle parts and accessories needed to make the mods and upgrades mentioned in this article. 

Check out our collection of spokes, beads, rim strips, valve caps, pedals, unicycle and bike tires and more here and if you have any questions, get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to help.