I was thinking about getting a trials unicycle this winter, but since my knees have been aching from too much hopping around on my muni, I decided to go with a freestyle unicycle instead. I’m a newbie at freestyle skills, having just learned one footed riding and idling this fall. To me, freestyle skills are a lot harder to learn than muni/trials skills because I really can’t be sloppy in my technique, or it just doesn’t happen. Where in trials/muni, I seem to able to muscle my through the moves until I get them perfected.
My favorite frame builder, George Barnes, agreed to build me a freestyle frame with enough clearance to fit a trials tire in case I decide to go that route later on. The frame consists of the following parts:
40mm bearing holders machined from shaft locking collars
Ovalized 4130 cromoly fork legs
Laser cut flat crown, set a 20 degree angle
Laser cut rear gusset, without the GB4 logo (George was out of them at the time)
14 inch long seat tube for 1 inch seat post
The frame has been powder coated metallic black
Additional components are as follows:
GB4 1 inch seat post
Black seat post clamp (borrowed from my 29er)
Viscount seat, black
Wellgo pedals, sliver (borrowed from my 29er, until I get some Twisted PC’s)
Bicycle Euro steel cranks, black, 125mm
Unicycle.com wide CroMo hub, 36 hole
Wheelsmith spokes, 14 guage, 184mm, silver
Wheelsmith nipples, silver
Alex DX32 rim, black, no eyelets, 36 hole
French rim strip, cloth, white
Generic 20 inch tube
Maxxis Hookworm tire, 20x1.95, black
Comments:
I love the fame! The metallic black powder coating is beautiful and flawless. The long seat tube looks great and the 1 inch seat post is perfect. One thing I’ve noticed with my two GB4 frames, compared to my other frames, is that with the GB4’s, I only have to loosen the seat post clamp and the post slide right out. With the 22.2mm seat posts on my other frames, I have to twist and pull and really work at it to get the seat posts out of the frame.
The 20 degree sloped, flat crown is wonderful. It just feels so natural to place my foot there for one foot riding and idling. I’m trying to learn one foot wheel walking and the crown provides a more comfortable perch than my Yuni frame’s crown. The long seat tube allows me to get my seat up high without having so much sat post sticking out of the frame. The frame feels more solid than my Yuni frame. I never noticed how much flex my Yuni frame had until I rode this frame.
When choosing my spoke length, I rounded down to 184mm and there are a couple threads showing on the spokes. Next time I’ll know to round up to a longer length of spoke. I’ve built a bunch of wheels, but this was the first wheel I’ve built with all new components. Normally I would have a new hub built into a used rim and spokes, so this was my first experience buying spokes. The DX32 rim is really wide and it looks great with a freestyle tire. Plus, it was only $21.99 at aebike.com.
That’s all I can think of for now. I’ll post more comments as I think of them. Now I just have to get out and improve my freestyle skills.
I have pictures posted at;
http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albus97
Some of them are a little blurry though.
Later potaters……… Mojoe
