Amazing new trials frame

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Hello every one

I just got a new frame. It was built by Mike Pritchett (SEMPER_UNI). And let me tell you this frame is so incredibly nice. It looks really cool - the crown kind of looks like the wings on an X-Wing fighter from star wars. It is also extremely light. I don’t know exactly how much it weighs, but from what Mike told me it weighs a few ounces less than a wilder frame. Today I took it on its maiden voyage, and it stood up to all the abuse I put it through. I found it easier to gap with a lighter frame and my hopping was quite a bit higher (I almost got to rubber on an 80cm ledge – something that I’ve never achieved before).

I think this is the best frame I have ever had. I’ll take some photos of it and post them soon.

Jeff

2

Will be nice to see, ive been looking for a nice frame to add to my custom trials that ill be making after college.

Trev

3

Jeff,
Very glad to hear that you’re enjoying the frame.

Everyone,
These are the frames that i’ve been blathering about everynow and then for almost a year now.
the frames are constructed from 6061 and heat treated to T-6.
the seat tube, crown, and bearing holders are machined and the legs are made of laser cut sheet metal that has been bent into a tapered, rectangular box section and welded with a single bead down the center of the inside face.

The 20 inch frame weighs in at one pound, four ounces. this weight is frame only and doesn’t include the steel lower bearing clamps or bearing clamp bolts. (We weighed them at the heat treat place and didn’t have the steel components with us)

Jeff Groves and Ryan Atkins are beating these frames up for R&D purposes. After the frames have been 100% Ryan Atkins approved there will be a production run of a yet to be determined number.

Hopefully a meeting with Mr. Drummond at Unicycle.com later this month will give me a better idea as to what sort of demand a product like this will create.

4

Hey, they sound awesome. And im lookin forward to purchasing one(when on unicycle.com). So what colors will they be coming in? and also how low is the frame to the wheel? i have been having troubles wheelwalking, gliding and one foot ww on my onza due to the height of the nimbus 2 frame crown.

thanks

Austin

5

I must also agree with Jeff, it’s a very nice frame indeed. on it’s first ride it showed me that eveything is made easier, crisper, bigger, and more precise.

it’s very light, and stiff, and i really like it.

-Ryan

6

How much is it? Do you have any pics?

7

One of my downhill biker buddies posted a few really good pictures on a couple of different forums (all mtn bike.) he’s pretty excited about getting new people into the sport, which is great for all of us. Unfortunately i haven’t been able to find these pictures, so when i do i will link to them.

The crown is very low profile. Ryan and jeff commented that they would have to get used to the crown but told me they thought it was good. carl, who rides a KH 24 inch frame, said that your foot sits further away from tire than it would on a KH frame. so it’s somwhere in the middle.

each side of the crown has two small set screws like you would find in a good pair of platform pedals. these can be taken out or replaced with smaller ones if they seem a little too grippy.

Colors: As my uncle hank once said, “you can get any color you want, as long as it’s black.” Ryan and Jeff were impatient and whiny (kidding) so i didn’t have the chance to get their frames powdercoated. the three remaining frames are getting powdercoated tomorrow (monday.) It is sandpaperish textured black that looks really nice, but it’s not actually rough.
Custom colors will be available upon request (possible cost change) and i’m toying with the idea of an anodized finish.

As far as price goes… I hope to meet with the people at uni.com at the end of this month. I’m hoping that they will be able to help me decide a fair retail price. Ryan told me that if i wanted to sell alot of them I should ask around 300-350 american.

this seems like a pretty fair price to me. Since i will be going through distributers like uni.com and hopefully Bedford unis, the wholesale marigns and things like that will have an effect on retail price.

This is a pretty “elite” type of frame in my mind. it is hand made and not mass produced. these factors affect the supply side of the microeconomical part of things. What i need to figure out is the demand. then curves can be made, intersections can be found, good retail prices can be dtermined and smiles can be made.

I’d like to have frames available in quantity by mid january. right now i have a 24" frame without brake mounts and two of the trials frames that jeff and ryan are riding. If these are still in my possesion after my interactions with unicycle.com they will be available directly through me for a good price.

thanks for the interest. tell your freinds.

8

here are somepictures of the frame

-Ryan

9

DUDE, my cousins name is Michael Pritchett!! But he’s not a unicyclist…
Sorry, just had to say that.

10

nice lookin frame,respectfully though my money’s on Ryan pull twisting the seat tube right out of the crown.

11

Jagur,

Your on! That seat tube has around a five thousanth of an inch interference fit with the crown. It took a whole lot of nitrogen to get that baby in there. (this reminds me of a past conversation where i made it into your sig commenting on aluminum not sharing the characteristics of a certain oriface…) and it’s welded on the top and bottom of the crown.

the seat tube also has pretty thick walls. 27.2 ID with a 31.8 OD. Ryan keeps telling me to make them thinner.

12

screws in the crown

nice!

13

Michael, the frame looks great. You couldn’t’ve picked better testers than Jeff and Ryan. Here’s hoping they hold up.

—Nathan

14

that looks awesome! thats a great idea with the pins on the crown, except would it not cause some wipeouts due to the over grippyness (if there is such a thing)? I look forward to buying one ASAP!

Edit: oh yea and will it fit an onza aluminum steat post?

thanks
Austin

15

Looks great man,

You’ve deffenatlly come far with from the original prototype.

Mike Carroll

16

Very nice frame. I really like those pins on the crown. Very smart idea. Looks very solid and heavy… But if you say it’s light i have to believe you.

Looking forward to owning one myself in the distant future.

17

Nice looking frame! I’m on the lookout for light 24" frames. Acccording to this thread

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25824&highlight=wilder+frame+weigh

The Wilder 24" fram weighs 636 grams or 1.402 lb.

Michael, you mention that your 20" frame weighs 1 lb 4 ounces or 1.25 lbs. I’m curious about the weight of your 24". Based on the weight of your 20" I can’t see how your 24" could weigh less than the Wilder (as Jeff mentions).

If your 24" does in fact weigh in at or near 1.4 lbs, that would be pretty cool for a steel frame. Could you let me know? I want to buy a new 24" frame pretty soon, but lightness is key for this old man.

Joe

18

Oh, damn-it! This is gonna hurt - the wallet. Frame looks sweeeeet.
Tommy

19

One word…

AWESOME!

Joe,

20

Hey Ryan!!

Did you fix your seat yet after Muni Weekend???

Bwahahahah!!!

TJ