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<[email hidden]>, paco
<[email hidden]> wrote: )
)I've been looking into this for a while, and I think that I
might just )go join the Peace Corps. Now, while I welcome
any comments about that, )my question is actually unicycle
related (hence the RSU posting instead )of Just
Conversation). )I went to a meeting about the Peace Corps
tonight and they said that )each person is allowed about 80
lbs of luggage. It's a two-year )committment, so I wouldn't
want to go without riding for that long, and )the recruiter
said that it would be a good thing to have the uni. )So my
question is this. What would be the ideal uni for taking
into the )middle of who-knows-where and being gone for two
years? This is what )I've come up with so far. )--I'd want a
20 inch wheel. If I go any larger, it would be very bulky.
)But a 20 inch wheel should be manageable. )--A collapsible
frame would be very nice. Steve Howard has made some )nice
frames which break down into 3 (or 4?) parts. This makes it
much )more compact. )--I'd also want splined cranks. They
would be easier to take on and off )for transportation, and
I think they would be lower maintenance when the )closest
bike shop is a couple countries away. )--I'd have to bring
along a tire repair kit and a couple extra tubes )(once
again, lack of places to buy stuff), and I think I'd want a
fatter )tire, so I could do some MUni. )What other things
should I consider?
My girlfriend, Nancy, was in the Peace Corps, and we just
got back from visiting the family she stayed with in
Honduras. I brought my MUni, and had a great time with it.
The kids in town loved it; they kept shouting "brinco,
brinco!" once they saw that I could hop. Don Paz, the head
of the household, asked me to give a demonstration to pretty
much any guest who stopped by.
In Honduras, 80% of the land is on a 20% grade or greater,
and like most countries a with Peace Corps presence, most of
the streets are unpaved. There was plenty of technical
downhill just on the roads in town.
You won't have a choice in your assignment, but when you
find out where you'll be stationed, do some research and see
what kind of distances you'll be expected to cover. You
likely won't have access to a car, so if your territory is
large enough to be worth unicycling, and also small enough
to be reasonably ridable, you might want to bring a larger
wheel so it's easier to get around. It definitely should be
something with a fat tire.
The town where I was, Guaimaca, is sizable by Peace Corps
standards--about 10,000 people. (In Honduras, they call it a
city). There are bicycles all over the place, and a bike
repair shop with some access to parts. Most of the bikes
there are cheap BMX or 26" mountain bikes; you should be
able to get rims, tires and tubes if you have a 20" or 26".
(This is probably true for most of Central America--I don't
know much about Asian or African assignments).
I'd definitely want something with a splined hub, just
because it needs to last. A solid seat is also a good
idea, since you won't be able to replace that--get one
with a bike rail adapter, so you can use a bike seatpost
if yours breaks.
A good tool set is a good idea; there won't be a lot of
specialized tools available. At least bring a full
Allen wrench set, a vise grips, maybe a spoke wrench,
and tire irons.
Nancy will be at Moab if you want to talk about the Peace
Corps. She'd strongly encourage you to go. -Tom
