Red Menace 36 update

[tomblackwood]

Originally Posted by nathan

I would love to visit sometime and try it out.

I think Seattle could get behind that concept. Ideally we could pick a time of year where we could get a good turnout, and coordinate a few different types of rides, uni touristing, etc.

[Cliffacer Le Fall]

Great solution: pedestrian technology, applied cleverly. Tell me, will you post detailed drawings? Also, I'd like to see step photos of the wheel being freed from the bearings and chain drive. As pictured, how much does it weigh?

Now go chase down some impala- there really should be a spear-rack.

[unisk8r]

Total weight with disc brake setup is 19.8lbs (9.0kg). Cranks are FSA carbon pro. Saddle is custom Wallis Design.

Sorry but I build by sight only, and have no plans to disassemble it anytime soon for pics or drawings. However, here's a repeat post of the business end:

[unisk8r]

Nathan, do try to visit up here sometime, you're just the kinda guy to take The Red Menace to a new envelope. I'd be happy to set it up with the 1.96 for ya!

[nathan]

Actually you know what the coolest would be? Bring it to Ride the Lobster and/or UniCon next year! 1.96...wow sounds almost scary. Over 70" effective!

---Nathan

[tomblackwood]

Originally Posted by nathan

Actually you know what the coolest would be? Bring it to Ride the Lobster and/or UniCon next year! 1.96...wow sounds almost scary.

Yeah...it has been whispered about here in Seattle...that there is an obligation, perhaps even an exectation, that the Seattle Area Riders will field at least one team. I've been hesitant due to devoting 2 weeks of vacation already to Uninam. But RTL is unique...it's like the gumball ralley for unis...if you get the call, you need to go.

Current whisperers...TB, Bruce, Steve...we'd need an alternate and a support person at least. The geared uni would need to come along. That would allow Pete to take my breakfast shift, so I could have time for extra hash browns to fuel up for the long afternoon.

[Cliffacer Le Fall]

Are the disc brake and sprocket at hub cold connected? It almost looks like screw heads or rivets protruding from the break side. Is the hub stock, or modified stock- or custom built? Are the multiple holes in the gear cage to accommodate different sized gears, or for tensioning? Your tolerances are sooooo tight. Beautiful, beautiful work- like a giant clock.

[chuckaeronut]

Yet another year goes by, and yet another bump!

Geared riding has really taken off in the past year or so... Gigahats off to Unisk8r for making something so awesome... it's a pretty huge contribution. Even if it's only one, it proves it's totally possible and doable... gives us something to look forward to.

I've always heard stories about the Red Menace, but for some reason I never found this thread until now. It's quite breathtakingly beautiful!!

Would it be possible to make it be able to disengage the jackshaft drivetrain and re-engage a 1-1 lock-in to make the cranks lock directly to the hub, to enable shifting between 1:1 and whatever gear ratio is selected? Seeing how the Schlumpf hub shifts its drive plate thing back and forth between the planet carrier and the hub housing, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible with this design, either, but I could be missing something important. To make this shiftable back to 1:1 would be absolutely epic.

And UniSk8r, though I don't know your name (my name is Chuck, btw ), would it be possible for me to come to Redmond some time to ride your unicycle? I don't know offhand when I'd be free to come up, but I really, really, REALLY would like to, if you'd let me. I've been wanting for quite some time now to ride something geared higher than 1.5, and this looks, quite frankly, amazing.

[tomblackwood]

Originally Posted by chuckaeronut

And UniSk8r, though I don't know your name (my name is Chuck, btw ), would it be possible for me to come to Redmond some time to ride your unicycle? I don't know offhand when I'd be free to come up, but I really, really, REALLY would like to, if you'd let me.

If you decide to head up this way Chuck, give us enough notice to plan a decent group distance ride. Probably we could turn out all the RTL Puget Sounders, as I think Joe is probably just about ready to get back on the horse (if he hasn't already), and we could easily get another handful of locals to come along.

Lots of low traffic farm roads around here, where there will be little risk of you getting pulled over for speeding.

[chuckaeronut]

Hahahahahaaa, riiight :-p

Yeah, I'd love to come up some time. Pretty much as soon as I get my motorcycle frame augmented to hold my uni rack. Then I can do an Ironbutt ride and another half an ironbutt the day after, and I'll be in Washington! Ugh, that'll be a long ride. But it'll be sooo cheap! About $60 worth of gas to get to Seattle from San Diego!

What if it was in mid to late December? Is that enough time? Hopefully Joe's healing up well... the sooner he can ride, the better. I bet he misses it...

I have family all around the Seattle area, and in Spokane, and some other places as well, so I could make it a quadruple whammy trip, with some 2-wheelin', one-wheelin' and family-seein'... and hopefully some mega-geared one-wheelin' too

Edit: w00t, 300th post!!

[maestro8]

Originally Posted by chuckaeronut

About $60 worth of gas to get to Seattle from San Diego!

Hey Chuck, y'know Corbin got a Prius, and that got us to SD and back for only about $50 in gas. We should all pile into that thing and do an extended weekend in Seattle, eh?

[chuckaeronut]

Yeah! Then I'd only ride up to there, and we could all hop in for a much more comfortable and social 900 miles. This should be something to think about...

Sorry for the threadjack, by the way; this isn't a thread that should get jacked.

I'd really love to ride this unicycle at some point, even if only for a couple of minutes... but this is getting more about a trip up north. Maybe we should go to PMs?

[Unicycle-Emele]

Please post a vid. It would be awesome to see it in action. Also, have you tried it with a bike saddle?

[saskatchewanian]

Originally Posted by chuckaeronut

Would it be possible to make it be able to disengage the jackshaft drivetrain and re-engage a 1-1 lock-in to make the cranks lock directly to the hub, to enable shifting between 1:1 and whatever gear ratio is selected?

Wow, why didn't anyone think of that sooner? That is an awesome idea Chuck.

I don't see why it wouldn't work.


And I love the brilliant simplicity of the jack shaft design.

[skrobo]

it would be a little complicated, but i've just imagined a reasonable design engage-able and disengage-able with simple allen screws, so no shift-on-the-fly, but still reasonable.