Equipment Anxiety and Building Your Crap at the Wrong Time of Year

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Thought I’d get some stuff off my chest on my recent 700c build and what I’ve learned from it…

I’ve almost been unicycling for two years (this Christmas), and this summer has been my first summer of ‘real’ Muni and Road riding. I have a good Muni, and purchased a decent 36er this year, they’ve taken me a long way.

I got it in my head that I’d like to build a 700c uni cause they look cool and would climb better than the 36. With winter approaching, I thought the timing couldn’t be better. Instead of sitting inside wishing trails’d dry up, I’d be out on pavement living it up.

I was wrong. To date, I’ve gotten one good ride in on my 700c, and it has since been sitting in the corner, despite being my dream uni. I rode my Muni the last good week of riding we had, and then the snow hit. Local roads are packed with snow, and the roads I had hopes of climbing this winter, are piled with snow from plows. I tried to get out today on my 36er, and was just sliding everywhere, constant UPD; not good for my aero bars.

I still have plans on getting out when/if the snow ever melts off. I recently asked about riding on a closed road, and still have hopes of getting to it sometime this year.

But with the recent storm, reality has finally hit me, I’m not going to get to ride as much as I’d like. What bothers me is that I have this unicycle that I was so eager to try out, just sitting in a corner. With only one ride in on it, I still don’t have it completely dialed in. Do I like my bars where they’re at? Is the crank length right? Maybe my brake still needs to be adjusted. Sitting here staring at it, I begin to question everything about it. This is why I shouldn’t have waited until November to build it. Once it’s been mentally picked apart, I turn to my others. The dented frame on my 36, how heavy is my Muni?

When I’m riding, I have full faith in my equipment. But when I’m left with sitting around watching the temperature drop and snow level rise, my mind begins to wander.

Long story short, I hate winter.

Thanks for listening. :slight_smile:

And I will not buy a fat unicycle.

2

Get a fat tire and go ride Antelope.

OR

Go skiing like everyone else :wink:

3

Why not to take your Muni out of snowy roads/offroads?

4

Patience, Grasshopper. :wink:

All kidding aside, this series of mini-storms will pass, and there is a surprising amount of great riding that happens during the winter here. The roads dry out fast, and you can get some great rides in, all without the typical crowds of roadies in your way. :smiley:

The road shoulders will be a bit grittier than normal, since that’s where the plows push everything. So, pick low traffic roads where you can get out in the lane most of the time. But, by this time next week, my bet is you’ll be able to be out riding lower elevation roads. Upper elevation roads may take longer b/c of the melt/freeze and black ice. (If I’m wrong, that means my ski season will be off to a good start!)

Stay strong! Your new uni will soon get the love it deserves.

5

Ben, after seeing fat bikes in my LBS recently, I’d love to get an Oregon 26. However, I just had the conversation with my mom about “enjoying what you have first” :roll_eyes: . Plus I’d only be using it for 3 months of the year…

But maybe I’ll take Vookash’s advice and put my Duro back on. 3" might be fat enough I guess… My thing with that is I don’t want to be accused of riding when/where I’m not supposed to. I know fat bikes can ride in the winter, but what constitutes as fat? Seems kind of taboo to have normal sized tires on snowy/muddy trails.

Thanks for the encouragement Will. Hopefully you’re right and the roads dry out fast. Not sure if we’ll get to ride Muni any time soon though…

6

Wait a sec, I thought winter lasted at least 5 months in SLV. :wink:

The one silver lining to building in November is that it is ready to go on the first day of spring… of course having it sit in the corner for several months is a terrible reminder.

Vegas is just a few hours away… there were some decent sounding trails mentioned in the pictures of your latest ride thread. Road trip?

7

Ha. Speak for yourself. I slapped the Duro back on the rim yesterday and was riding the trails that you, Bert, Kasey and I rode a month back. Completely snow covered, but nicely packed out by all the dog walkers. Big fun.

On a related note, if you want to try the Trail King tire, I’d be happy to loan it to you for a while. It’ll be hanging on the wall until spring.

8

I can hear that 700 taunting you from here. “Are the pedal spikes too grippy? Is the tire pressure too high? Does it need flame stickers?” I think you should ship it off to a state that’s a wee bit closer to the equator… maybe somebody on the forums will be kind enough to help you get it dialed in before the spring thaw. :smiley:

9

Move to California.

10

Ah yes, Winter did finally arrive…

… but what a stupendous October & November we had after as so-so September! :slight_smile:

But I hear ya, man. I spent Thanksgiving cooking my saddle flat so I could do some nice long road rides on my 36er, and I haven’t been able to check it out on a respectable length ride yet. :frowning:

And I’ll admit that I was bumming a bit this weekend too … so I went ice skating instead. (Which, by the way, is the only sport beside uni/muni in which my abilities are actually still improving! :roll_eyes: )

Other options:

  1. As previously mentioned, put the 3" back on the muni and have some fun in the snow. Ubernerd and I will keep our promise and come up to ride Antelope Island with you – snow or no snow. Perhaps even this weekend? :sunglasses:

  2. Put a street tire on your muni (or your Duro) and start learning tricks that will come in handy on the trails come Spring. (I enjoy riding Liberty Park in the snow, and I’ve had fun at Murray City Park too.) Find the park with the best features – usually a playground, or landscaping rocks, and concrete edging. (There is so much more I could learn just pushing my limits and learning basic trials tricks at a city park.)

  3. Take your wicked nice 700c to a track and see how fast you can ride 5,000 or 10,000 meters. :astonished:

  4. Teach someone to ride, or go beat the bushes around Ogden until you find a local riding buddy to do all of the above with. There have got to be other riders up there. Go visit all your LBSs (especially the one selling unis) and take 3"x5" cards with your contact information for them to give to other uni riders that come in to their shop. :stuck_out_tongue:

  5. Or come on down to SLC and I’ll organize another group ride at Liberty Park. :smiley:

11

Depending on temps, freeze/thaw cycles, and snow (and if there’s enough of it for the groomers to get the PistenBully out), the double-track (and even singeltrack, depending) at Round Valley can be an option to uni snow ride. Or…at least I think it would be, based on my experience there over the last four winter seasons on a fat bike.

I might try it if conditions permit later in the season (it is NOT anywhere close to ready to be ridden on anything but a full fat at the moment), though I have enough trouble riding up there without snow, so I might not. This year. Maybe by next I’ll be proficient enough.

I’m already a little sick of winter in SLC this year. This season, for whatever reason, the fat bike just isn’t scratching the ride itch like it used to. I’d like to be able to get back out to the park - or even on my porch without freezing to death! - on my trials uni to practice idling and a handful of other basic technical skills I still feel I need to hone, before “moving up” to…whatever comes next. :slight_smile:

Happy winter riding.

12

Why not throw on a studded cyclocross tire on the 700? Skinny tires are great fun in the right winter conditions (slushy or uncomplicated snow with a firm surface underneath).

I’ve got an even better idea, if the uni is not liking winter Summer has officially started here in New Zealand. I could use another unicycle during my stay here…

13

I think I’m going to try putting the Duro back on and seeing how packed down our local BST is on Thursday. I’m going to look into studded tires too.

Bert, I’d come down to Liberty, but I do not do trials. :slight_smile:

14

Kilian, you might get more interest next year when summer gets back. I remember the first winter with my Schlumpf waiting in the basement until the snow melted. I was asking my self “Why the hell did I buy such an expensive hub?!”, then summer got back, I was really really really happy I didn’t decide to sell it haha!

As Eric saif though, look for a studded tire, I’m sure the 700c will be awesome in the snow, it will go through snow banks like nothing!

15

Looks like I’m going to get a studded Marathon Supreme as soon as it get’s in stock (or I order one online) from my LBS. I think this’ll help ease the pain :). Maybe by the end of winter, I’ll deem my 36er obsolete and go 700c for all road riding. It’ll be nice to get out and put some miles on it.

16

+1
Practice flat and trials skills in the garage or yard (black tarp melts the snow off your obstacle course faster, or just keep it covered when not in use).

Both assist control in all other areas, but trials skills are MUCH more useful IMO.

If you don’t have much space for obstacles (eg normally need the garage for the car) there is a lot you can do that doesn’t take much space or is collapsible. (see signature)

17

Roads are slowly melting off. Hoping on Sunday I’ll be able to get my 36er out for a cruise around the hood. Wish I could be on my 700c, but I’m still waiting for a studded tire to try. The Nightrider seems like it’d be better in the snow since the Marathon is pretty much slick. My only other option would be to take the 700c out to Antelope Island where the roads might be drier… Decisions, decisions :roll_eyes: .

18

Somebody gave me a beautiful 700c bike wheel some time ago, with 32 spokes. Is there a way to elongate the fork of, say, a Craigslist 20-inch uni so that it would fit this wheel?