Building a freestyle uni



K

Ken Cline

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I'm planning to build a freestyle unicycle and I'm want to know if my
choices are good ones. The cost of the parts I'm looking at add up to
a lot less than a comparable assembled uni, plus this way I get to
choose the parts myself. I plan to us the unicycle for learning
skills outdoors (currently polishing level 3 and learning level 4). I
am 5'10", weigh 175, and have been riding for 6 months.

Here are the parts I have picked:

Suzue 48-hole hub
Sun BFR double-walled alloy rim
Maxxis Hookworm 20 x 1.95 freestyle tire
102-mm alloy cranks
United deluxe pedals
Semcycle XL longneck frame and seatpost
KH saddle

This all adds up to about $260 (US) from Unicycle.com.

In addition to general comments, I have a few specific questions:

Is building a 48 spoke wheel worthwhile? 36 spoke parts seem more
easy to locate and may be marginally less expensive.

Are wide rims like the BFR useful here? My guess is a narrower,
lighter rim might be better, but I don't know if they are available
drilled for 48 spokes.

Which cranks do you like? I think 102 should be a comfortable
length since I ride a 26" street uni with 125s.

If I go with the Semcycle longneck frame, is the 7" seatpost the
right size for me?

AtDhVaAnNkCsE,

Ken
 
Sounds like you have the right idea. I don't know how much you need the
48 spokes, it seems a bit overkill for freestyle. Also, the KH saddle
isn't the best for freestyle. It is very large and hard to do things
like unispins and other skills.

I'm just looking at unicycle.com and I see some advanced freestyle unis
that look decent and quite a bit cheaper.

Daniel


--
daino149 - How's it going, Texas?

there ain't enough body armor in the country for me to try that. -- Ken
on the mtbr forum in reference to MUni
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I've heard of a few freestyle unis with 48 spokes- doesn't it make a
stiffer wheel? Can't hurt can it! I wish they sold the long necked
frames here! But anyway, I'd go for a miyata saddle over the KH for
freestyle- not as deep, so easier to hold out front etc etc. Plus theKH
bumper rubsmy thigh when I have it out front for ages, bot so with the
Miyata.


--
one wheeled stallion - Guerilla Unicyclist

OWS
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Looks pretty good to me. That's almost my setup. It's nearly bombproof,
which is better for outdoor practice. I practice outdoors all the time.
I've only ridden in a gym once in 2 1/2 years.

The BFR is really good. If you are riding a lot outside, avoid the
chrome version because moisture will work under the chrome at the spoke
holes.

I'd replace generic "seatpost" with a GB4 seatpost. It won't crease
like the cheaper ones. You will have extra and can leave it on or cut
it off as you prefer.

I haven't tried the KH freestyle seat yet but I have one on the way to
try, to see if I should recommend them.

You may find 102s to be short. 110 would be a more middle-of-the-road
choice, unless of course you are already used to 102. Steel cranks are
also fine and may hold up longer. At that length they are not that
heavy, and besides, if you were concerned about weight you would
probably want 36 spokes. I have had good experience with the Miyata
cranks.

Pick anything but the United, Pyramid, or Schwinn pedals. They will be
slippery soon from dirt or moisture. I use the Miyata ones and they are
really good for good weather and cheap, but do not grip well in the rain
and abrade quickly on the outside where the pedal hits the ground. So I
have to replace them fairly often. But they are relatively
shin-friendly and give lots of ground clearance.


--
U-Turn - Member of Generation XO

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

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-- Dave Stockton
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I think the new unicycle.com hub is probably better. It is wider, flange
to flange than the suzue, which will make up for the fewer spokes, and
it is made from harder steel.


--
Borges

"However, I confess that the ultimate wheel lacks the day to day
practicality of the conventional unicycle" -Mikefule
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48 spokes is nice for hockey because the tennis ball won't get stuck in
your spokes. With 36 spokes the gaps in the spokes are just enough to
allow the tennis ball to possibly get stuck. When the ball gets stuck
in your spokes it is a penalty so you want to avoid that in
competitions. Get 48 spokes if you plan to play hockey seriously.
Otherwise, get 36 spokes.

Consider the new 'Unicycle.com Wide Chromoly Hub'
(http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=738) instead of the
Suzue. I'm pretty sure it will fit nicely in the Sem Long Neck frame,
but you'd have to confirm with Unicycle.com.


--
john_childs - Guinness Mojo

john_childs (at) hotmail (dot) com
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I'm using a 36 hole UDC hub with a Alex DX32 20 inch rim for freestyle.


I bought the rim from aebike.com.

I see they have a 48 spke DX32 rim pretty cheap.
http://aebike.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=30&SKU=RM7526

It dosen't look like they have the 36 hole in stock right now.

I'm using one of the UDC hubs in a Semcycle XLW frame an it only had to
spread a little bit wider to fit the hub.

Mojoe


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Here's an update on my new unicycle. I built the wheel with a
Unicycle.com hub and BFR rim. the frame hasn't arrived, so I've been
riding on my 26" frame.

The first problem is that my ankles hit the Bicycle Euro 110mm cranks.
I never hit the nubs on my KH24's cranks, so I was surprised to have
this problem. Which is better, dealing with the problem or getting new
cranks. I don't know if new cranks will help, and the only other 110s
Unicycle.com has are $65 Doteks. Of course I could go down to 102 (125
won't work since I'm scraping my shoes on the ground with the 110s as it
is).

The second problem is a real letdown. The 20x1.95 hookworm tire pales
in comparison to its 26x2.5 big brother. The small version is floppy
off the wheel and feels like it is folding under when I make sharp
turns. Am I just imagining this as I get used to riding a 20" wheel, or
should I look for a replacement.

Thanks for your advice.

Ken


--
cline
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I'd wait on the ankle thing until you've ridden it for a while. I think
the problem will just go away.

Your saddle choice also drastically affects your foot placement,
depending on your body geometry. If you are still having foot issues
after a while, then try a Miyata saddle, which is narrower and less
bulky, although probably a little harder.

Increase the pressure in your tire and the tire will stop folding. For
freestyle hopping is essentially a low-priority activity except for
unispins, and the higher pressure gains you smoother turns and the like.
However, a higher pressure may insist on a smoother practice area,
which is reasonable.

As far as the comparison with the larger tire, that too, will go away.
The 20" freestyle is for different things, and as your riding changes to
match the unicycle, so you will see that the tire is excellent for
freestyle.


--
U-Turn - Member of Generation XO

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)

-- Dave Stockton
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Thanks for the advice, U-Turn.

I thought the tire ought to be fine at 85 PSI, but pumping it up to
100+ did the trick! It is now solid, even when I'm leaned waaaay over
pedalling hard to recover from an attempt at one-footing it. In case
you're interested, I say "100+ PSI" because my tire gauge exploded on
the last attempted measure. Don't use cheap automotive gauges, even
if they have markings that go above 100.

As for the cranks. I've been careful and haven't hit my ankles again.
But I find it hard to get a good foot on the pedals (currently Shimano
MX30, I'm still conteemplating the best choice). I also find my foot
slips to the outside of the pedals while idling. Maybe I'll get used
to this too.

Anyway, I've discovered a huge advantage of the 20" unicycle over that
27" for learning skils: The extra 3" between me and the ground on the
bigger wheel makes UPDs much more stressful on my legs. I can fall
off the 20"er and practically be standing rather than droping down.

Oh yeah, the frame arrives Thursday. Whoo hoo! I'll have a place to
put my other foot when riding one footed.

Ken
 
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