I have long wanted to try riding BlueShift in geared 43" mode with long cranks to see if the extra torque helped with stability. But I wanted those cranks to be blue, anodized Kookas to match the frame. I had been unable to locate a pair until PDC (one of our Virginia members) offered some for sale in RSU. I already had some blue, anodized Primo Tenderizer pedals just waiting for the occassion. Pics are in MY GALLERY, HERE.
I thought I wouldn’t get to the assembly until Thursday but found time last night after my daughter left to put it all together slowly and meticulously. Of course I had to ride it in today. I have long legs so the extra crank length doesn’t really make me pump my legs like crazy. I padded up (as I have learned to do riding BlueShift) but had no UPD’s. I had to stop about 1.5 miles into the ride because a USPS truck cut me off. I decided it outweighed me and dismounted. I took that opportunity to readjust the seat height for the new crank length. Ahhhh…perfect.
I could ride comfortably at my Coker spinning speed but travel at faster than Coker speeds. The hills became cake both up and down and I usually dread ups on the geared uni. Corrections were much easier and I could zone out like riding a Coker a little bit. I passed two bikes. This is usually the clue that I’m going faster than Coker speed. I arrived at work less tired than usual. There are many other unexplored variables in this changeover and the ideal ride today may be attributed more to my knowledge of the esthetics of the rare unicycle I was riding than anything else.
Regardless, thanks so much, Phil. The opportunities to pick up rare bargains like this on these fora always astounds me.
I’m surprised that you didn’t frame the shots to get a full view of the espresso machine along with your huge mug of pure espresso? You disappoint me. The toaster is nice, but not necessary in those shots.
Yes. That foil wrapped object next to it didn’t do very well in the microwave. I should have shown the entire espresso machine AND the coffee bean roaster just for John Kangas’ benefit. I was just looking for a white background in my house at night.
The unicycle looks great, Greg. I was also impressed by the speed of the espresso machine. It’s hard to guess which would heat up water faster.
I have to add one thing about riding gunis: It’s a good idea to use an extension. I have two Wyganofski (sp?) extensions (one on my Coker, one on the guni), and they make a HUGE difference. I can’t count how many times they’ve saved me from lurching too far forward or backward. It must happen several times a month.
It’s impressive that you can achieve high cadence with those flippers, too. I don’t care what you say about long legs, Daddy, I still like 125s or maybe 150s at most.
Will you and Blue be in Memphis? I’ll be there with Queen Gunivere as well as the whole family.
Gotta love it! The new blue stuff makes the name all the more appropo.
Nice job on the crank mods too…the shape of the Kookas lends itself to those 3 settings.
As far as wheel control goes, 170 cranks on a 43" EWD = 142s on a regular 36" = 115s on a regular 29er.
Yeah, but not quite. I think that there is a lot to be said for the weight of the wheel as well as some other factors that make this comparison difficult to judge. I’m sure that it’s a lot easier to go up hills on a 43" with 170s than a 29" with 115s. I’m equally sure it’d be easier to maintain a high cadence on the smaller uni with smaller cranks than the bigger uni with bigger cranks, to a point.
I remember switching away from the 110s on my Coker to 140s. Huge difference in my max speed stats. I really couldn’t get the cadence up very high any more. I should test my speed on that thing nowadays (since I kept some records from when I had the short cranks).
I have 110’s on my 29er with the Nanoraptor and 140’s on my Airfoil Coker. I rode a hilly route last summer with the 29er and found the 110’s were better than expected for hill climbing. I rode the same route a few weeks ago on the Coker and found the 140’s very similar for hill climbing.
Looks like its time for a multi-uni hill climbing comparison day.
BTW, Harper, Like the Delft on the counter too. But Delft Shift just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
The crank length figures are about relative mechanical leverage on the wheel. I agree there are many more variables in the overall “wheel feel”, not the least of which is rotating mass. As Effective Wheel Diameter increases, in order to have similar mechanical leverage on a geared wheel the crank length will also increase, sometimes surprisingly.
For example, in order to get the same relative leverage as a 36" direct drive wheel with 150s, a 54" EWD (36" geared 1.5) calls for 225 cranks.
Not that we will ever use such a length, but it underscores some of the parameters of riding geared wheels. If you’re good with the dynamics of very short cranks on a direct drive, then you’ll likely take to geared wheels much faster!
And I also think that Blueshift is one of the greatest unicycles of all time.
No. There are some very elegant unicycles out there these days. Abram Clark’s penguin giraffe was a work of art. Pete’s stuff is incredible to see. Dave Stockton’s creations are among the finest in quality and appearance. Anything ever put together by Steve Howard is a masterpiece.
I had to do the crank re-tighten drill when I got to work and again when I got home. They loosened only slightly during both 5 mile rides. The really big ups are on the way home as I go from 60 feet to 300 feet above sea level. I have a long, very steep hill and a short, even steeper hill on that route. I made both hills in high gear with those new cranks. I don’t think I’ve ever done both successfully before yesterday.
I’ve done about 40 miles on my cranks and still haven’t had to retighten them. I put them on with a liberal swath of anti-seize and a few firm shots with a rubber mallet.
You should really use nuts or bolts on those cranks, too. I’ve found that they really help keep them attached. (This is a test to find out if you know that I’m kidding.)
