Another Coker sighting

Unicycles and Equipment
1

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Hi all.

We’re getting more press. Mark Stephens, a good friend in Tulsa, has = been
featured twice in his local newspaper, atop his Coker. You can see = both photos
at Tulsaworld.com:

Winter photo:

http://search.tulsaworld.com/archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=3DDisplayStory=
&ID=3D000113_Ne_a14cut

Summer photo:

http://search.tulsaworld.com/archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=3DDisplayStory=
&ID=3D990721_Ne_a14onthe

At 6’ 4" and built as though he just walked off the gridiron, he’s a = sight on
a Coker. Mark visited us a couple of months ago in Atlanta, = and of course we
went for a Coker ride through our county. It’s funny = how people hold back
their comments when you’re riding next to someone = who’s huge. Mark gave me my
new favorite quote for bicyclists: “Is = that thing hard to ride?” =20

If there are any subscribers to this group in Tulsa, and you enjoy = riding
15-20 miles per outing, contact Mark at = markastephens_2000@yahoo.com. =20

Regards, John Drummond Unicycle.com 1-800-Unicycle

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<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
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</HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi all.</FONT></DIV>
<DV> </DIV>
<DVI><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We’re getting more press. Mark =
Stephens, a=20 good friend in Tulsa, has been featured twice in his
local newspaper, = atop his=20 Coker. You can see both photos at
Tulsaworld.com:</FONT></DIV>
<DVII> </DIV>
<DVIII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Winter photo:</FONT></DIV>
<DIX> </DIV>
<DX><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20 href=3D"http://search.tulsaworld.com/-
archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=3DDisp= layStory&ID=3D000113_Ne_a14cu-
t">http://search.tulsaworld.com/archives= earch/default.asp?WCI=3DDispl-
ayStory&ID=3D000113_Ne_a14cut</A></FONT>= </DIV>
<DXI> </DIV>
<DXII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Summer photo:</FONT></DIV>
<DXIII> </DIV>
<DXIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20 href=3D"http://search.tulsaworld.com/-
archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=3DDisp= layStory&ID=3D990721_Ne_a14on-
the">http://search.tulsaworld.com/archiv= esearch/default.asp?WCI=3DDis-
playStory&ID=3D990721_Ne_a14onthe</A></F=
ONT></DIV>
<DXV> </DIV>
<DXVI><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At 6’ 4" and built as though he = just
walked=20 off the gridiron, he’s a sight on a Coker. Mark visited
us a = couple of=20 months ago in Atlanta, and of course we went for a
Coker ride through = our=20 county. It’s funny how people hold
back their comments when you’re = riding=20 next to someone who’s
huge. Mark gave me my new favorite = quote for=20
bicyclists: “Is that thing hard to ride?” </FONT></DIV>
<DXVII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DXVIII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If there are any subscribers to this = group
in=20 Tulsa, and you enjoy riding 15-20 miles per outing, contact Mark
at <A=20 href=3D"mailto:markastephens_2000@yahoo.com">markastephens_200-
0@yahoo.com= </A>. =20 </FONT></DIV>
<DXIX> </DIV>
<DXX><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DXXI><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>John Drummond</FONT></DIV>
<DXXII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Unicycle.com</FONT></DIV>
<DXXIII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1-800-Unicycle</FONT></DIV>
<DXXIV> </DIV>
<DXXV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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2

Re: Another Coker sighting

Hello I’ve been subscribed to the newsgroup since early December and enjoyed
listening to everyone’s stories and comments. I’m 39 years old and have lived in
Oklahoma most of my life. I learned to ride when I was 11 and quit riding when I
was 16. At age 32 I gave it another try. I bought a new 24" Schwinn and was
surprised that I still new how to ride. At 280 lbs. it was a real challenge to
ride 2 or 3 miles. I would ride 2 or 3 months during the summer and then give it
up until the next year. Last year I took it more seriously and was up to 10
miles a day when I looked for “unicycle” on the internet. I bought a Coker in
July and have ridden many miles since. My average days ride now is about 30
miles and I have lost almost 40 pounds since last spring. I really want to find
other people to ride with and maybe get a club going in this area. I would also
like to ride on an all unicycle tour anywhere in the US this year. Can someone
tell me if there is a club within 5 hours drive of here? That could include
Dallas Tulsa OKC Kansas City. Thanks for listening and thank you John Drummond
for the intro.

-Mark
P.S. I sent USA application and wonder when the next quarterly issue is due? —
“John at www.Unicycle.com” <unicycle@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> We’re getting more press. Mark Stephens, a good friend in Tulsa, has been
> featured twice in his local newspaper, atop his Coker. You can see both photos
> at Tulsaworld.com:
>
> Winter photo:
>
>
http://search.tulsaworld.com/archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=DisplayStory&ID=0001-
13_Ne_a14cut
>
> Summer photo:
>
>
http://search.tulsaworld.com/archivesearch/default.asp?WCI=DisplayStory&ID=9907-
21_Ne_a14onthe
>
> At 6’ 4" and built as though he just walked off the gridiron, he’s a sight on
> a Coker. Mark visited us a couple of months ago in Atlanta, and of course we
> went for a Coker ride through our county. It’s funny how people hold back
> their comments when you’re riding next to someone who’s huge. Mark gave me my
> new favorite quote for bicyclists: “Is that thing hard to ride?”
>
> If there are any subscribers to this group in Tulsa, and you enjoy riding
> 15-20 miles per outing, contact Mark at markastephens_2000@yahoo.com.
>
> Regards, John Drummond Unicycle.com 1-800-Unicycle
>
>
>

Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com

3

RE: Another Coker sighting

> You know how the auto maker Saturn invites all its customers to the factory
> for a big party weekend?
>
> Well, maybe John and Amy Drummond should invite all the Coker owners to a
> weekend in Atlanta!
>
> Or maybe a fund raiser of riding Cokers from John and Amy’s house to the Coker
> factory…

You know, I was just thinking about how the Coker seems to have created a new
category of rider. People who just like to cruise, and aren’t necessarily
interested in some of the other “traditional” unicycle activities. The Coker
allows them to actually get somewhere with a little speed, and turn lots of
heads in the process. I had no idea the Cokers would be so popular.

So it might be a great idea, for Coker or UnicycleSource, to host some sort of a
Coker get-together. Coker riders aren’t concentrated in far-away areas, so you
can host it in your area (or anywhere). It could usher in a new form of unicycle
convnetion; a big wheel convention!

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone (reply to jfoss@unicycling.com)
http://www.unicycling.com

“Mine’s 45 inches.” - John Foss (talking about his big wheel, you sickos)

4

RE: Another Coker sighting

> Coker riders, please enlighten me. What is so different about a Coker with a
> 36-inch wheel than riding a unicycle with a 24 or 26-inch wheel? Granted, one
> can go faster, but the laws of physics seem to dictate that a bigger wheel
> will also present some challenges to one’s ability to quickly turn or stop.

It’s faster, but more sluggish. It will never be as quick as a smaller unicycle,
but I’ve found that with my 45" wheel I can make an emergency turn/stop pretty
quick. That’s where you dig in and make a sudden turn to the left or right,
either stopping, or continuing in that direction. This will get you out of most
troubles with cross traffic.

> Does the size of the wheel make bumps in the road less problematic for riders?
> In other words, does the tire size have a shock-absorbing effect?

Yes it does. Take it from me, my big wheel has a bump-amplifying hard rubber
tire. The air tire smoothes out the ride, and by being larger, the unicycle
rolls more easily over bumps that might cause a dismount on a smaller wheel.

Everything is not perfect though. One of the dangers with a big wheel is being
further away from the ground and sometimes maybe not paying as much attention.
Hitting a big bump when your feet are in the dead spot (one up, one down) may
bounce you off your seat, causing your bottom foot to come off the pedal. Then
you get some of that “air swimming” and maybe a little “unintentional coasting”
on your way down. So pay attention to what’s in the road.

> Or are there some other qualities about Cokers, like the ability to turn heads
> because of their sheer size, that I’m missing?

If you don’t have one, you’re missing it. The big, graceful wheel definitely
attracts attention. Also being big, by its very nature, people see it as more
important. Adults maybe feel more justified in riding one.

> Aren’t they difficult to free mount and to idle on?

More difficult than a smaller wheel, yes. Idling is not even recommended, by
me. For two reasons. First it wears out your (expensive) tire on one spot.
Second, it’s not very effective on a big wheel, because you have to take up
a lot of space to do it, and move very slow. It’s pretty hard. I only idle
when I want to show off, like in a parade. When stopped for a light, I
either lean against a post, or dismount. The people in the cars would rather
see how you get on anyway.

Freemounting takes a little extra practice, but it’s a piece of cake once you
get the hang of it. http://www.unicycling.com/unifoss/garage/bigwheel.htm

Let’s here from other large wheel riders too!

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone (reply to jfoss@unicycling.com)
http://www.unicycling.com

“I’m not a Level 9, but I play one on TV” - John Foss, who demonstrates IUF
Skill Level 9 on the video but in real life has only passed Level 7

NOTE: Views expressed in messages with this signature are exclusively those of
John Foss, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Unicycling
Society of America, International Unicycling Federation, or other
positions of responsibility John may occupy.

5

Re: Another Coker sighting

On Tue, 18 Jan 2000, mark stephens wrote:
>I really want to find other people to ride with and maybe get a club going in
>this area. I would also like to ride on an all unicycle tour anywhere in the US
>this year. Can someone tell me if there is a club within 5 hours drive of here?
>That could include Dallas Tulsa OKC Kansas City. Thanks for listening and thank
>you John Drummond for the intro.

Mark,

I don’t know of any clubs in this area, but I might be interested myself. I live
in Wichita, Kansas and am also 39 years old, and I learned to ride this year. I
got a new Coker for Christmas (Thanks again John & Amy!!!)

What part of Oklahoma do you live in?

Greg

6

Re: Another Coker sighting

John Foss wrote:

> > Well, maybe John and Amy Drummond should invite all the Coker owners to a
> > weekend in Atlanta!
> So it might be a great idea, for Coker or UnicycleSource, to host some
sort
> of a Coker get-together. Coker riders aren’t concentrated in far-away
areas,
> so you can host it in your area (or anywhere). It could usher in a new
form
> of unicycle convnetion; a big wheel convention!

We had one in the UK before I went off to the MN ride last summer, it was great
fun… well it was until we had our Cokers stollen!

:frowning:

Roger

 The UK's Unicycle Source <a href="http://www.unicycle.uk.com/">http://www.unicycle.uk.com/</a>
7

Re: Another Coker sighting

John Foss <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote:
: So it might be a great idea, for Coker or UnicycleSource, to host some sort of
: a Coker get-together. Coker riders aren’t concentrated in far-away areas, so
: you can host it in your area (or anywhere). It could usher in a new form of
: unicycle convnetion; a big wheel convention!

It won’t be apure big wheel convention but Coker riders are welcometo come along
to the British Muni Weekend ( BMW to its friends) , with social rides,
orienteering and daft games, along with plenty of time and space to potter
around on one wheel. If there are a number of coker riders who want to we could
run a coker ride covering a few more miles… Orienteering will have a coker
class in any case. As for the daft games, hands up all those who have laughed at
my Limbo attempt on my Coker pictured in On One Wheel, well Simon has come up
with a new idea for this year.

sarah

www.vimes.u-net.com

8

RE: Another Coker sighting

In article <631B3F1D150FD3118E4D00A0C9EC1BDA14E065@SERVER>, John Foss
<john_foss@asinet.com> wrote:
> You know, I was just thinking about how the Coker seems to have
created a
> new category of rider. People who just like to cruise, and aren’t necessarily
> interested in some of the other “traditional” unicycle activities. The Coker
> allows them to actually get somewhere with a
little
> speed, and turn lots of heads in the process. I had no idea the
Cokers would
> be so popular.

Coker riders, please enlighten me. What is so different about a Coker with a
36-inch wheel than riding a unicycle with a 24 or 26-inch wheel? Granted, one
can go faster, but the laws of physics seem to dictate that a bigger wheel will
also present some challenges to one’s ability to quickly turn or stop. Does the
size of the wheel make bumps in the road less problematic for riders? In other
words, does the tire size have a shock-absorbing effect? Or are there some other
qualities about Cokers, like the ability to turn heads because of their sheer
size, that I’m missing? Aren’t they difficult to free mount and to idle on?

Tony

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

9

Re: Another Coker sighting

You know how the auto maker Saturn invites all its customers to the factory for
a big party weekend?

Well, maybe John and Amy Drummond should invite all the Coker owners to a
weekend in Atlanta!

Or maybe a fund raiser of riding Cokers from John and Amy’s house to the Coker
factory…

Greg House wrote:
>
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2000, mark stephens wrote:
> >I really want to find other people to ride with and maybe get a club going in
> >this area. I would also like to ride on an all unicycle tour anywhere in the
> >US this year. Can someone tell me if there is a club within 5 hours drive of
> >here? That could include Dallas Tulsa OKC Kansas City. Thanks for listening
> >and thank you John Drummond for the intro.
>
> Mark,
>
> I don’t know of any clubs in this area, but I might be interested myself. I
> live in Wichita, Kansas and am also 39 years old, and I learned to ride this
> year. I got a new Coker for Christmas (Thanks again John & Amy!!!)
>
> What part of Oklahoma do you live in?
>
> Greg

10

Re: Another Coker sighting

Tony, it’s simply that the Coker covers ground so much better! Better means a
bit faster, in more “style”, and with less effort. Last week (for no good
reason), I rode my 24" Miyata to work instead of my Coker. It took 15 minutes
longer, was boring, and I worked harder but somehow it wasn’t better exercise.
Never again!

The 2 1/4" wide tire has a very nice shock absorbing effect - my ride includes
some bumpy rocky sections and one 23% grade (up and down) - the Coker handles
all this with style.

Yes, it probably does turn more heads - probably a combination of both the
higher speed and the height. I think I look more like a serious cyclist than
someone just playing around on a unicycle (no offense to any unicyclists on
smaller wheels of course.)

John’s exactly right about idling - while it is possible, it’s generally not
worth it. At traffic lights, I find the horizontal pole supporting the
“Walk/Don’t Walk” sign is a perfect handhold. Freemounting quickly becomes so
easy that it’s not a problem ever.

Get one!

—Nathan

Tony Ferlazzo <tferlazzo@home.com> wrote in message
news:8657rp$mse$1@nnrp1.deja.com…
>
> Coker riders, please enlighten me. What is so different about a Coker with a
> 36-inch wheel than riding a unicycle with a 24 or 26-inch wheel? Granted, one
> can go faster, but the laws of physics seem to dictate that a bigger wheel
> will also present some challenges to one’s ability to quickly turn or stop.
> Does the size of the wheel make bumps in the road less problematic for riders?
> In other words, does the tire size have a shock-absorbing effect? Or are there
> some other qualities about Cokers, like the ability to turn heads because of
> their sheer size, that I’m missing? Aren’t they difficult to free mount and to
> idle on?
>
> Tony

11

Re: Another Coker sighting

I love the coker so much that I have two of them! I’ve always been more of a
distance rider and not so much into tricks. The Coker is a beautiful unicycle
when it comes to long distances over all kind’s of terrain. I also have a 40
inch Tom Miller bigwheel, but find it’s not very good on rocky ground and rough
trails which I’m always on. It get’s much more attention and just seems to
impress people more. I highly recommend the Coker!

http://crash.to/unicycle

“Ein rad oder Kein rad”

12

Re: Another Coker sighting

On Wed, 19 Jan 2000, Kevin L. Seaman wrote:
>You know how the auto maker Saturn invites all its customers to the factory for
>a big party weekend?
>
>Well, maybe John and Amy Drummond should invite all the Coker owners to a
>weekend in Atlanta!
>
>Or maybe a fund raiser of riding Cokers from John and Amy’s house to the Coker
>factory…

Gonna be a long ride, my Coker had a sticker on it saying it was made in Taiwan!

Greg

13

RE: Another Coker sighting

>> Or maybe a fund raiser of riding Cokers from John and Amy’s house to the
>> Coker factory…

> Gonna be a long ride, my Coker had a sticker on it saying it was made
> in Taiwan!

Though Coker is based in the US, their products are made all over the place.
Their primary product is tires, for antique cars and other vehicles. The
Coker unicycle frames are made in Taiwan (same place as Savage, Zephyr,
Semcycle XL and others). The seats are made by Viscount, also in Taiwan, and
other parts come from various sources. But I do believe the unicycles are
assembled in the USA.

John Foss jfoss@unicycling.com http://www.unicycling.com