> ride long distances with them – I like the control of the 6" cranks. > Any thoughts?
If you’re going to be riding around cars or any kind of cross traffic,
stick with the longer cranks. Oh. You live in NYC? You need leverage! My
big wheel has 6.5" cranks. I’ve ridden smaller wheels with shorter
cranks, but I was never as comfortable. Once I rode Sem Abrahams’ 42" air
tire big wheel with 4" cranks. Like you mentioned, it took me about 10
tries to get on, but then I was flying. However quick changes in speed
were just not an option. I prefer the control offered by my longer
cranks. And unlike a smaller wheel, it’s not like you’re pedaling too
fast to keep your feet on.
> Has anyone mastered riding 1-foot on a coker?
Yes. I don’t know how handy it would be in an emergency, because for me,
if one foot comes off it’s usually a surprise and I’m not ready anyway. I
have to be nice and ready before switching to one foot riding. Also, you
don’t have the easy ability to rest your non-pedaling foot on the fork
crown so it has to hang in the air or be pressed against the side of the
fork. My wheel is 45".
I just put 5" cranks on my coker. Scary. It took a few tries to mount
successfully, but after that it was easy no matter what method I chose. It
helps that the tire is heavily pumped up, since it allows twisting for
balance. But stopping after reaching any decent speed (even 10mph) is
harderthan expected, and turning isn’t easy yet, and turning while slowing
down – an act of faith (I just leaned over a lot). I definitely need a
brake. Hills weren’t so bad, but I am still not convinced I ever want to
ride long distances with them – I like the control of the 6" cranks. Any
thoughts? I’m probably just chicken bc I am not used to them yet. I also
forgot to raise the seat, so my legs were bending too much, and that made
uphills esp. hard.
Has anyone mastered riding 1-foot on a coker? I tried it (using 6" cranks)
and the thing just shot out from under me. It seems like a good idea to
learn it, tho, bc it would be nice to know I can do it if a foot ever
slides off accidentally.
In message “Coker: 5” cranks; 1-footing", David Stone wrote… >I just put 5" cranks on my coker. Scary. It took a few tries to mount >successfully, but after that it was easy no matter what method I >chose. It
After you get used to it it won’t be so bad, really, except perhaps when
climbing hills, though I hear that some insane Cokerheads ride with 4"
cranks and survive to tell the tale. I normally use
5.5" cranks, as there are many hills around my house. I feel that 6" is
too long and uncomfortable for gebneral riding.
>helps that the tire is heavily pumped up, since it allows twisting for >balance. But stopping after reaching any decent speed (even 10mph) is >harderthan expected, and turning isn’t easy yet, and turning while >slowing down – an act of faith (I just leaned over a lot). I definitely >need a brake. Hills weren’t so bad, but I am still not convinced I ever >want to ride long distances with them – I like the control of the 6" >cranks. Any thoughts? I’m probably just chicken bc I am not used to them >yet. I also forgot to raise the seat, so my legs were bending too much, >and that made uphills esp. hard. > >Has anyone mastered riding 1-foot on a coker? I tried it (using >6" cranks)
I do it on a regular basis. Once you get going it’s not that hard. Just
relax, keep your weight on the seat, and be sure to take most of the
weight off the pedal as it comes up. This is tru for one-foot rifing in
general, but I think even more so for Cokers.
>and the thing just shot out from under me. It seems like a good idea to >learn it, tho, bc it would be nice to know I can do it if a foot ever >slides off accidentally. > >David > >
Regards, Jack Halpern President, The CJK Dictionary Institute, Inc. http://www.cjk.org Phone: +81-48e$B!]e(B473e$B!]e(B3508
> I just put 5" cranks on my coker. Scary. It took a few tries to mount > successfully, but after that it was easy no matter what method I chose. > It helps that the tire is heavily pumped up, since it allows twisting > for balance. But stopping after reaching any decent speed (even 10mph) > is harderthan expected, and turning isn’t easy yet, and turning while > slowing down – an act of faith (I just leaned over a lot). I definitely > need a brake. Hills weren’t so bad, but I am still not convinced I ever > want to ride long distances with them – I like the control of the 6" > cranks. Any thoughts? I’m probably just chicken bc I am not used to them > yet. I also forgot to raise the seat, so my legs were bending too much, > and that made uphills esp. hard.
I tried the 5" cranks (127mm) on my Coker for awhile and never got
comfortable with them. I finally went back to the 6" stock ones and I love
the thing again. I have long legs and the 5" cranks didn’t seem to match
my leg’s natural stroke. I never felt like I had good control of the
unicycle with them on there. Plus, I always enjoyed the powerful feeling
of accelleration and braking you got with the Coker and that kind of
disappeared with the shorter cranks.
They were smoother after getting up to speed, but I couldn’t brake for
beans. One time, while attempting to slow quickly from a moderate pace, it
actually shot me off! I put my weight on the back pedal when it was coming
around expecting to slow down a lot and it didn’t, just popped me right
out of the saddle into the air. I landed on my feet feeling quite
surprised!
Freemounting was much more difficult with the 5" cranks, especially when
tired. And fighting the constant wind we have here in Kansas was
especially tiring with the shorter cranks.
> Has anyone mastered riding 1-foot on a coker? I tried it (using 6" > cranks) and the thing just shot out from under me. It seems like a good > idea to learn it, tho, bc it would be nice to know I can do it if a foot > ever slides off accidentally.
Yep, i do it with 6 inch cranks sometimes, But for preference where the
ground is flat and smooth. I havn’t bothered practising it for ages,
but I could do it quite happy last summer. Even put a very little bit
into my Coker pairs artisic routine at UniconX but I don’t think the
judges noticed.
sarah
–
Euro-cycle 2001 20 - 22 July Plymouth UK A european unicycle convention http://www.eurocycle.org
I am still riding the stock 6" cranks and like them fine. I need to
be able to go up and down steep (20% grade) hills so don’t want to go
any shorter.
> Has anyone mastered riding 1-foot on a coker? I tried it (using 6" > cranks) and the thing just shot out from under me. It seems like a good > idea to learn it, tho, bc it would be nice to know I can do it if a foot > ever slides off accidentally.
I tried 1-foot riding recently. It takes some courage to take the foot
off, especially since you just have to lay it along the frame less
securely than on a regular uni. After a few times of taking the foot off
for just 1 revolution, I tried 2 then 3. After a few times I was able to
ride as long as I wanted that way, including turning etc. That isn’t
‘mastered’, but if I can do it, it’s not that hard!
> I tried 1-foot riding recently. It takes some courage to take the foot > off, especially since you just have to lay it along the frame less > securely than on a regular uni.
I’ve put a single wrap of cloth rim tape round my frame at the point my
foot lodges when I one foot on the coker. It makes the contact so much
more secure despite being only 1mm thick or there abouts. I tried a really
thin cloth tap first but that just got screwed up from my foot “pushing”
it down the frame, the rim tape is much tougher.
sarah
Euro-cycle 2001 20 - 22 July Plymouth UK A european unicycle convention http://www.eurocycle.org