Big muni upgrade - some questions...

I'm chuckling to myself seeing no responses! I think you know as much
if not more than anybody here......

Save up even more money (better yet show some potential sponsor your
video footage, it's spectacular), and get all the variations you
mentioned and do an open study for the unicycling world to
see.........we'd all benefit, and you'd have one heck of a fun time.

Sincerely,

Bob

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Here is one white Uni. It´s from SWAT (i found it on their website):

[image:
http://singlewheeledattackteam.1hwy.com/images/nick_ds_kh_resized.jpg]

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Quoted message said:

* If I want to change the colour of my frame at some stage is it easy
and cheap to remove the existing coat of paint?

Removing paint from metal is quite easy, especially with a sand blaster.
For a blasting medium, stay away from the aluminum oxide, go for either
sand, walnut shell, or glass bead. Glass bead is the best if you can
get it. If you don't have access to one, try an electric or pnumatic
orbital sander. The sand paper should be a medium grit. You could even
try a chemical stripper, but I don't like those.

Removing powdercoat is quite a bit harder, as it adheres better to metal
and is tougher. I've never tried removing it with anything but a sand
blaster. It is really tough even with a sand blaster. For example, I
once sandblasted an onza frame, which came powdercoated matte black, to
be powdercoated again. It took a good hour or so to sandblast the
entire frame to bare metal. This was surprising, as when I sand blasted
a chromed frame to bare metal (it was a Yuni frame), it only took a
little more than 15 or 20 minutes. The finished products can be seen
'here (onza)' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/album346/DSCF0002) and
'here (yuni)' (http://tinyurl.com/42aje)

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digitalattrition - Single Wheeled Attack Team

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nothing but targets, nine are real fighters...We are lucky to have
them...They make the battle. Ah, but the one, one of them is a
warrior...and He will bring the others back.
-Hericletus (circa 500 B.C.)

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Ive tried duros several times on varying terrain. I still like my gazz a
whole lot more. The gazz feelings springier on hops, more cushioning on
drops, and -you guessed it- better grip on off camber surfaces.

I would prefer to skimp in the paint department and put that money
towards a gazz if need be.

Maybe someone has ridden alot on both and could give us a more
experienced opinion.

That looks like a killer muni you're cooking up. Good luck and enjoy the
process. 😄

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Also, if you do end up powdercoating it, I wouldn't go for white. The
reason is that it looks nice for a few weeks, but then it gets very
dirty and scratches are very noticeable in it. Plus you'll get black
rubber marks in it from your shoes during UPDs. At least that is what
has happened to the ghost.

Then again, it is a muni, so it would look good dirty. :p

--
digitalattrition - Single Wheeled Attack Team

Of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are
nothing but targets, nine are real fighters...We are lucky to have
them...They make the battle. Ah, but the one, one of them is a
warrior...and He will bring the others back.
-Hericletus (circa 500 B.C.)

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andrew_carter said:

** Anyone have any pics of white muni frames? I'd like to see roughly
how it will turn out. Otherwise, I may go for a nice orange.*

Yes, but I dug around and nothing's scanned. In 1985 you could order
your first-year Semcycle in either chrome or white baked enamel. The
white ones were sweet, because it was such an unusual color.

As somebody else mentioned, white will look really cool for starters,
but it will show all the dirt, scratches, scuffs, rust very vividly.
While the dirt and scuffs can be washed off, you're stuck with the
scratches, chips, dings until you refinish it.

But that's okay. The thing is made to be used, right?

Back to the Semcycles. I think the white option was only around for the
first year. Same problem, once they got scratched up, which is
inevitable for any frame, they looked worse than the equivalent amount
of wear & tear on a chrome frame. I don't know how durable baked enamel
is compared to powdercoat, but in terms of being scratched it probably
doesn't matter much. The problem is contrast of colors.

So though it hasn't worked for a production unicycle, no reason you
can't do it and stand out with your custom one.

--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

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andrew_carter said:

** Anyone have any pics of white muni frames? I'd like to see roughly
how it will turn out. Otherwise, I may go for a nice orange.*

Yes, but I dug around and nothing's scanned. In 1985 you could order
your first-year Semcycle in either chrome or white baked enamel. The
white ones were sweet, because it was such an unusual color.

As somebody else mentioned, white will look really cool for starters,
but it will show all the dirt, scratches, scuffs, rust very vividly.
While the dirt and scuffs can be washed off, you're stuck with the
scratches, chips, dings until you refinish it.

But that's okay. The thing is made to be used, right?

Back to the Semcycles. I think the white option was only around for the
first year. Same problem, once they got scratched up, which is
inevitable for any frame, they looked worse than the equivalent amount
of wear & tear on a chrome frame. I don't know how durable baked enamel
is compared to powdercoat, but in terms of being scratched it probably
doesn't matter much. The problem is contrast of colors.

So though it hasn't worked for a production unicycle, no reason you
can't do it and stand out with your custom one.

--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!" -- 'IUF Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/) -- 'USA Rulebook'
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* Custom frame - Very similar to my fisrt custom frame (now owned by a
friend) but with minimum of 10mm (probably more) clearance either side
of a 3" Gazz

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The Nimbus frame has that type of clearance. I rode through a mile

of mud yesterday with an untrue Gazz. The Nimbus also has easy access
for threading a cyclometer.

* Really strong pedals - I'm thinking Odyssey Jim Cielencki's because
they sound strong and reliable and that beautiful blue colour would go
great with either a white or nice orange (second preferance) frame. Any
thoughts?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cheap Snafu`s ($30) are lighter than JC pedals and plenty durable.

They also have more grip. The down side is that the pins can come lose
(but you can check the pins and tighten them with a screwdriver).

* KH Freeride rim - I love the sound of that lateral bracing of a
muni-specific rim! Slightly heavier than a DX-32 but well worth it I'm
hoping and I'm possibly running a lighter tyre.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The alex rim is very common, easy to aquire and is somewhat cheap to

replace.

* 24x3" Duro - This is what I'm considering anyway. I love my Gazz, but
I also love a light wheel, and this is apparently noticably lighter.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I agree. I have ridden the Gazz and the Duro quite a bit. When my

current Gazz wears out, I will go to the Duro. It is a subjective thing:
I like how the duro responds better and the Gazz seems to have some
unique problem in wet terrain. Moreover, I feel comfortable riding a $20
tire over pavement (I like mixed riding) rather than a $60-$70 one. I
can wear out a tire every month (or more).

* KH seat - It hasn't broken yet, and it's very comfortable...although I
was considering getting the GB4 stiffened Miyata.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am in love with my GB4 stiffened Torker frame (I do not think the

Miyata is available - at least it wasn`t when I was buying). It`s cheap,
modular and has flawless performance. I currently run it as a airseat,
but it can work with KH foam as well.

* How does the 24x3" Duro perform in terms of folding on drops and also
hopping on off-camber surfaces?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think the Duro feels better laterally (even though the Gazz has

the sidewall thing goin` on). It also feels better with higher pressure.
At very low pressure the Gazz works out better. I`d rather have a Gazz
for serious drops and extremely rough (dry) terrain. I would rather have
a Duro for everything else. The Duro also seems to benefit more from
changing air pressure. (Simply lower the pressure for rough terrain and
drops to get a more Gazz-like feel). The Gazz is clearly more cushy, but
the Duro responds more quickly (which is what I like - dealing with an
obsticle at the time I reach it rather than a 1/2 second later).

--
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Wishing you Happiness, Joy and Laughter,
Drew Brown
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Bob,
Wouldn't it be fun to be rich!

Smilymarco,
Thanks, exactly what I was looking for.

digitalattrition,
Thanks, I was actually thinking that dirt, mud, and scratches on white
would look great. I'm not one of those people who like to keep a muni
spotless...I like it spotful. 🙂

mango,
I will keep everyone informed about the progress. You know me...I post
about everything that goes on in my unicycling life here! 😉

John,
Thanks for the interesting info, and see above about the scratches,
etc.

Drew,
I'm going for a custom frame not to save money or anything but because I
like having a frame the nobody else has. I'll look into those Snafu's a
little more now, thanks. I believe Tony Melton runs Snafus on his
trials uni which I have ridden and they felt great and looked solid and
reliable. I currently have an Alex rim, but I'd like something stronger
and I'm also just really excited about this KH Freeride rim. I meant to
say I was considering getting the old GB4 stiffened Miyata seat out,
meaning I have one sitting here at home with the dreaded spinning bolt
problem and don't have the tools to fix it so I'll have to take it to a
friend's house and get it running again. That's interesting about the
Duro's responsiveness. Here in Brisbane, Australia the trails are very
dry with heaps of ruts, rocks, and roots. I think the responsiveness
you mention would come in very handy down some of the steep rocky
decsents I've come across. I'm also doing all of my bigger drops (above
5'😉 on the trials uni, so I think the Duro might be the go. As you
said, it's only a cheap tyre so it's not a huge drama if it doesn't
suit. The little bit of money wasted (if it is wasted) would just blend
into all the money I'm spending on this fancy new setup. 🙂

Thanks for your help guys.

Andrew

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Ask Joey Cohn for a pic of his uni after cmw 04 to get an idea of what
you will have. He had a yuni frame with bosses powdercoated white before
the weekend. It was beautiful, but the powdercoating on the outside tops
of the legs had disappeared in the 3 days of riding.

If you'd like to know, I have cracked the back half of my left snafu
pedal. I think it was on the flight to NYC, since I read that it was -71
F outside, and if the luggage bay wasn't heated the thermal contraction
of the metal may have caused it to crack. I would go with the jim c's
myself, or the azonic a-frames. Not wellgos.

--
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i wonder about this "lateral Bracing" thing about KH rims...every
possible rim has been done already in the bikeing world..is there
somthing really differant about the kh's? is there a rim section pic out
there?

the KH rim doesnt appear to have a machiened side wall either.

--
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Tim's main man.
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jagur said:

*i wonder about this "lateral Bracing" thing about KH rims...every
possible rim has been done already in the bikeing world..is there
somthing really differant about the kh's? is there a rim section pic
out there?

the KH rim doesnt appear to have a machiened side wall either. *

Check out www.krisholm.com for a cross-section.

Andrew

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For months now I've been hearing people talk about the KH Fusion saddle
and never looked into it, assuming it wouldn't be all that different to
my existing KH saddle. I just had a browse through www.krisholm.com and
I now want one! I love the removable cover and more durable baseplate
and cover material. Are they heavier than the 2003 KH saddles?

Which leads to my next thought...the Fusion saddle is completely black.
I am also now considering a few more colour combinations including
completely black.

...this is going to be soo expensive!

Andrew

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powder coating is almost impossible to strip off and change color, not
to mention expensive, white shows, blah blah its been covered.

I really like the snafu pedals. I also love my gazz. i only have the 2.6
and for everything but the biggest drops/bumps and the muddiest
conditions if works well. Might be something to look into. for a saddle
i really like my air seat with a GB4 seatpost and reeder handle. Haven't
even see (in person) the new KH saddles, so i can't comment. all i can
say is you'd better have tons of pics when you get with this.

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Just out of curiosity, what's a custom frame run you?

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digitalattrition said:

For a blasting medium, stay away from the aluminum oxide, go for either
sand, walnut shell, or glass bead.

WARNING! When blasting with sand yourself, don't inhale the dust. In
the Netherlands, professional sandblasting has to be done in a fully
closed cabinet (with "inverted gloves" to handle stuff) with air
suction. Sand dust in your lungs is known to cause silicose, which is
a serious and potentially fatal condition.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
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Pedals:

Consider the '2005 Specialized Lo Pro Magnesium pedals'
(http://tinyurl.com/5wquk) if you can get them in Australia for a
reasonable price. They are a bit spendy at around $83 here in the USA.
They're supposed to be really good pedals with a strong spindle. I
haven't tried them yet.

Or if you want something cheaper go with the Jim Cielencki's with long
pins. You don't want pedals that you can't afford to abuse.

Seatpost:

If you use a 22.2 mm seatpost you will need to custom make one that is
stronger than the standard seatposts. Otherwise it will end up looking
like daino149's avatar. The weld area is vulnerable on that style of
seatpost and will need to be beefed up.

22.2 mm seatposts are also harder to keep from slipping in the frame.
The smaller diameter means there is less surface area to clamp. A
larger diameter seatpost will have more surface area and can clamp
tighter as long as you use a good seatpost clamp and the seatpost fits
properly in the frame.

A standard bicycle seatpost size like 25.4 mm or 27.2 mm will allow you
to use a high quality alloy bike seatpost (Thomson) along with a rail
adapter to set the seat angle. It works well as long as the rail
adapter is built strong enough to take the abuse. Weak welds on the
rail adapter can crack.

Brake lever mount:

Consider using the style of brake lever mount that municycle.com has:
'Brake lever mount for KH saddles' (http://tinyurl.com/4xhqt). No need
to attach a bar end to the seatpost. Scott Wallis also uses a similar
brake lever mount for his ultra-custom seats: 'Scott Wallis handle and
brake lever mount' (http://www.wallisdesign.com/HANDLEpics.html). I can
see a lot of advantages for that style of brake lever mount compared to
the other options.

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Pedals:

Consider the '2005 Specialized Lo Pro Magnesium pedals'
(http://tinyurl.com/5wquk) if you can get them in Australia for a
reasonable price. They are a bit spendy at around $83 here in the USA.
They're supposed to be really good pedals with a strong spindle. I
haven't tried them yet.

Or if you want something cheaper go with the Jim Cielencki's with long
pins. You don't want pedals that you can't afford to abuse.

Seatpost:

If you use a 22.2 mm seatpost you will need to custom make one that is
stronger than the standard seatposts. Otherwise it will end up looking
like daino149's avatar. The weld area is vulnerable on that style of
seatpost and will need to be beefed up.

22.2 mm seatposts are also harder to keep from slipping in the frame.
The smaller diameter means there is less surface area to clamp. A
larger diameter seatpost will have more surface area and can clamp
tighter as long as you use a good seatpost clamp and the seatpost fits
properly in the frame.

A standard bicycle seatpost size like 25.4 mm or 27.2 mm will allow you
to use a high quality alloy bike seatpost (Thomson) along with a rail
adapter to set the seat angle. It works well as long as the rail
adapter is built strong enough to take the abuse. Weak welds on the
rail adapter can crack.

Brake lever mount:

Consider using the style of brake lever mount that municycle.com has:
'Brake lever mount for KH saddles' (http://tinyurl.com/4xhqt). No need
to attach a bar end to the seatpost. Scott Wallis also uses a similar
brake lever mount for his ultra-custom seats: 'Scott Wallis handle and
brake lever mount' (http://www.wallisdesign.com/HANDLEpics.html). I can
see a lot of advantages for that style of brake lever mount compared to
the other options.

--
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Mark,
Don't worry, I'll take heaps of photos! It's going to be absolutely
beautiful.

PopeSamXVI,
Well I just picked up some free machined bearing holders, so the rest of
the frame will cost about $230. Last frame I designed and had made cost
$232 without the bearing holders. Quite reasonable really. I just
tallied up how much this baby is going to cost me and I'm looking at
about $800 with discounts and mate's rates...WOW!

Andrew

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