I’ve just recieved my 29" tyre (IRC notos 2.1") from Roger at unicycle.uk.com, first impressions: -
Wow! What a difference it makes; last time I took the 28"-er out I had a miserable ride, thought it was lack of control with the 5" cranks.
This time I was going to switch for 6"-ers but I’m glad I didn’t. Somehow the tyre almost made me forget I was using 5"-ers. Still got some serious riding to do b4 I get it smooth but, even with my lack of experience I really enjoyed this ride.
It strikes me that all the new forms of unicycling that have arisen in the past few years generally have big fat tyres, i.e. trails, muni, cokers.
The Notos fits in my Nimbus I frame, but only just, either my wheel or frame is misaligned and the tyre almost scrapes, but even with that I think it’ll be fine.
Does anyone know how to tell whether the spokes or the frame needs adjustment in the situation where a wheel seems to be more on one side than the other?
Cheers Roger for seeking out and stocking great stuff like this.
Mark the side it’s closest too on the frame. Then turn the wheel round so it is backwards in the frame. If it is the spokes that are wrong then the wheel will be moved over to be closest to the opposite side of the frame. If it’s the frame, then it will be pushed over to the same side.
If it is the frame, then apply brute force to bend it a bit until it looks the same with the wheel in both sides.
If it’s the wheel, then you need to redish it, basically unwind a 1/4 turn from the spokes going to one side of the rim, wind on 1/4 turn to the spokes going to the other side. It’ll move towards the side you tightened up.
[1] You can put some tightly folded aluminium foil into one of the bearing holders. That way you’re going to tilt the wheel slightly to one side. (I also saw someone using a strong plastic foil for the same purpose sometime ago).
[2] My last unicycle had the wheel built in an odd way, so that the wheel was perfectly in the center when put into the frame backwards. And the wheel was way out of the center if put in forwards. So I exchanged the cranks L->R and R->L and was happy with it ever since.
[3] I control trueness of my wheels by holding my index finger against the frame and the tip of it against the rim. While turning the wheel I watch the distance between the tip of my finger and the rim.
just by curiosity, have you got any idea what the diameter of the complete wheel would be. I’m building a good commuting wheel for my Pashley Muni.
Mavic T519 700 rim, and a purty standard 28" tyre. I would like to upgrade to a thicker tyre, but clearance is a bit of aproblem. 374mm x 2 seems to be max diam.
I am not sure what rim you have but there is a big difference between last years rims and this years ones… last year was single skin standard rim… kind of ok… but this year we have a box section rim with eyelettes and stainless steel spokes. Basically brillent rims for the price.
Whoa! Before redishing the wheel you should verify that both bearings are pressed all the way on the hub and that the bearings aren’t slipping on the hub.
I’ve had two unicycles that had a bearing slip and move outward on the hub towards the crank. Bearing slippage really throws off the alignment of the wheel in the frame. I’ve had a bearing slip on both my Coker and my DM Ringmaster Advanced.
If the bearing has slipped on the hub the fix is to pull the bearing off the hub, clean off any dirt or oil from the surface, and then use Loctite Sleeve Retainer to secure the bearing when you press it back on the hub.
Did what Joe suggested and the wheel was close on the same side so it must be the frame that’s out.
Rather than attempt to bend the frame with no workshop I’ve used tin foil like BBraf suggested to get the wheel central.
Worked well, though when I got back it was slightly out again so I guess the foil got compressed, adding a little more should hopefully do the job.
My ride today was nice, all the way into town and back. Still not as in control as when on the muni, but not massivly far off. The tyre definitly is a big help especially over bumps and rolling off curbs.
Another interesting thing is the extra height, noticably more than the muni.
I guess with the muni I associate control, with the 29"-er the association is dignity- you’re not wobbling as much cos of the shorter cranks and you’re higher up.
Makes me think of the Coker which would be even more so.
I know Mike Fule has posted comparisons between his 700c and his Coker and come to the conclusion that the 700c is more like a big 24" than a small Coker- if you’re reading this Mike it’d be interesting to see what you’d reckon if you put a 29" tyre on it.
For anyone thinking of buying the IRC notos 29" tyre I’d really recomend it, for £18 it’ll make a big difference to your 700c tourer.
As a brief aside I’ve also come to appreciate the Reeder handle I put on my muni, the seat on the 29-er is handle free and there’s a definate lack of leverage when grabbing the front of the seat.
A shim made from an aluminum beer can or soda can will work better than rolled up aluminum foil. You can use several layers if you need a thicker shim or you can sand it down to make it thinner if you need a thinner shim.
I would recommend using a Guinness can for the shim cause you’ll get to have a good pint of beer while you cut the shim.
I should be asking you just how you managed to submit your post a day in the future?
If you run in to Roger at a unicycling event show him the frame. He’s a human jig. I’ve seen him bend frames in to alignment with his bare hands.
Check for weld splatter in the bearing holders. It is possible (but not too likely) that there is some weld splatter in one of the bearing holders that is causing the bearing to sit differently and thus cause the frame to be out of alignment.
But for now the beer can shim will get the unicycle in working order.
Yes it is my inhuman strength and ultra-precision eye that allows me to do this… No, actually… If you give me a call I will talk you through it, it is very easy to do but would take lots of writing to put it down on paper… will do some drawings and make some notes for the group when i get a chance.
Took my 29-er to Huddersfield ‘Poi in the Park’ (a meeting for poi/staff spinners and jugglers) yesterday.
A few UPD’s but on the whole I’m getting really comfortable with it.
There was a fair/festival there so loads of people, most of whom had probably never seen anything like my 29-er.
Today I hit the local park and tried a bit of speed stuff, even with 125 cranks (5") it goes quite fast.
My muni now feels a bit sluggish so I reckon I’ll spend next few weeks getting really solid on the bigger wheel.
For the wheel alignment problem I gave up using tin foil as a shim cos it turned to dust after a few rides.
Wanted to try Johns tin can shim solution but had no tin clips so, instead cut some clear plastic off the tennis ball containers that come with ‘pound shop’ tennis balls. Works really well, alignment is as good after several days riding as when I put the shim in.
I’m intrigued by Rogers offer of an explanation of how he aligns frame forks by hand- Roger, is this something that requires a fair bit of strength?
“onewheeldave” <onewheeldave.sbe4w@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in
message news:onewheeldave.sbe4w@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
<snip>
> For the wheel alignment problem I gave up using tin foil as a shim cos
> it turned to dust after a few rides.
>
> Wanted to try Johns tin can shim solution but had no tin clips so,
> instead cut some clear plastic off the tennis ball containers that come
<snip>
Dave,
Aluminum beer or soda cans (or pop or cola depending on where you are) make
easy to cut shim material. Cuts with large scissors (though don’t use a
favored pair of fabric or paper scissors as you’ll ruin them). I don’t
recall the typical thickness but if it’s too thick you could sand it down.
You can also get brass shim material at an auto parts store in various
thickness. Or at a hobby shop but it’s probably more expensive.
-Cubby
-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----
Still going strong on the 29-er. Been out every hour for a ride and with each one have felt some improvemnet.
Yesterday, reading the 29" cross country thread replies I got my spare 150’s and crank puller out in preparation for a changeover. However I’m getting so at ease with the 125s now that I’ve decided to leave them on.
Still feel a little nervous when near the road as I feel that in a UPD there’s a chance of the uni running off a little. Also have difficulties with steep downhills and freemounting uphill.
These are overshadowed though by the extra speed/smoothness on the flat and the steady improvement I’m getting with control.
On the ride into town there’s a bit where, on the muni, it’s become a tradition to plough up a long grassy hilly bit that runs parallel to the pavement and ride down for about 300 yards b4 rejoining the path.
I can manage this now on the 29-er fairly easily, the new fat tyre has really opened up a lot of possibilities.
I always used to say that in a really hilly place like Sheffield that a muni is ideal for street riding/commuting; now I reckon that the 29"-er with 125 mm cranks is a strong contender.
