MUni frame design, feedback request

looks good to me. I'm curious if you get any knee interference. Any
plans to paint it?

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The Yang - Unicyclist with Balls

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As far as the tendency to swing outwards what if you put a tounge and
groove on the bearing holders, it looks like they slide down to release
the wheel, if that is correct you should be able to machine out a groove
on removable part and do the oppisite on the frame. I'm not saying I
know how to actually do this to a boxed frame like that but its just an
idea.

Looks like alot of work to get it together, good job

Cheers
Mike

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Checkernuts - Breakdancer Extraordinar

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How heavy is it? I realize that it is aluminum, and that you've drilled
it out a lot. But it still has a very heavy look to it.

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One on one - Geezer Unicyclists Of America

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It looks like a good idea, but I don't know how it could be made to
work. It looks like it would put sheer stress on the bolt, rather than
tensional stress, which is much better for a bolt. It also looks kinda
bulky, and that you wouldn't be able to clamp the bearings tight
enough.

Good work though!

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loosejello - Say Hello to my Little Friend
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Hi,

How did you connect the seat post tube to the crown?

I didn't see a picture.

Lots of hard work!

Cheers!!

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teachndad - One for the...Off Road

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Thanks for the replies.

The yang:- The frame is quite narrow overall due to the aluminium sheet
legs, so knee interference should not be any more of a problem than on
any other square crowned frame. Certainly less than the Nimbus 2.

As for painting it, I personally quite like the plain machined finish.
What do you all think to painting it? Anodising?

Checkernuts:- Some sort of tongue and groove joint would probably be a
solution to the swinging problem, although it may be difficult to make
it strong enough. Can anyone who knows about this sort of thing comment?

One on One:- It is a bit on the heavy side, although I havn't actually
weighed it yet. I'll do that today. It is certainly a bit heavier than
the Nimbus.

Loosejello:- The bearings can be clamped tight enough if I use shims to
pack them in more. The stress on the bolt is potentially another
problem, although I think it would take some heavy abuse to actually
snap it.

Teachndad:- The seat tube arrangement is a result of not having the
equipment or know-how to make it the normal way. I've welded a solid
aluminium cylinder to the crown, that is the same thickness as a seat
post. Then cut a seat tube off an old frame and clamped it to the
cylinder with pinch bolts. This limits the amount the seat can be
adjusted and adds weight, but as I say, it's just because I was unable
to weld a tube straight onto the crown.

Thanks again for the response. Does anyone else have any suggestions?

--
rick_else
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Woops, reread thread and posts, great idea, bad reading

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Brian MacKenzie - LAN Solo

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Sorry, I just don't see any advantage.

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loosejello - Say Hello to my Little Friend
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loosejello said:

*Sorry, I just don't see any advantage. *

To being able to remove the wheel in seconds, like for flat fixing in a
race? that's an awesome advantage.

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Cool frame. Very burly looking! I'm sure it is much lighter than it
looks, like the early Scott Bridgeman frames.

rick_else said:

*If it was solved, do you think the casings are an improvement on
main-cap type casings, particularly for XC type MUni?*

That's a big if. If they stay where they're supposed to, and the bolts
don't break, it's a definite improvement (discarding cost-to-manufacture
and possible weight issues). If this can't be resolved, I can't say it
qualifies as an improvement.

Unfortunately I can't see the mechanism enough to offer any suggestions.
Yes, it looks like the bolt will be the weak point after the swing is
corrected.

For riders who are into Trials or pedal/crank grabs, you will want the
bottom of your bearing holders to be steel, or protected by steel.

I think the winning solution in that area will be to make something like
a sideways, hinged seat clamp. Make sure the quick-release lever closes
toward the rear, and perhaps even folds flush with the bearing holder,
requiring a tool to pry it open when needed. Nobody like catching a
stick or something in their quick release!

I have used a sloping crown similar to the one on the 04 KH frames, and
drilled-out sheet aluminium legs to reduce frame width to a minimum.
[/B] That's "sheet" aluminum? A pretty thick sheet. It looks like plenty of
material to be strong and relatively rigid, but in a brute-force kind of
way, not a structural one. The frame on my Wilder is an awful lot more
complicated, but it's probably much stiffer, at a lower weight. A hollow
box is generally stronger than a solid piece of stock. This is the lesson
of Schwinn frames. Heavy hunks of steel, but very twisty.

But it looks cool. I would be concerned with the corners though. Unlike a
wider frame made of tubing, yours has hard edges! If it were up to me, I'd
anodize it. I like the way that looks.

--
johnfoss - The wilder Wilder

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Brian MacKenzie said:

*To being able to remove the wheel in seconds, like for flat fixing in
a race? that's an awesome advantage. *

It's not that much quicker compared to four simple bolts. The only
advantage is you wouldn't have to get it properly torqued, but that's
not that much different.

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loosejello - Say Hello to my Little Friend
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Main cap bolts are extremely fiddly compared to quick releases. It's
not "that" hard to unscrew a bolt on a bicycle front wheel, but no bike
costing over $100 ships without a quick-release anymore.

However, Jim Roberts' design looks more solid than this one.

--
tholub - Kinetic Sculptor
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