Hi there geared muni riders and interested others!
I am just starting a thread to discuss ideas for a handle suitable for the new generation of 24" and 26" geared off road unicycles that are becoming more common with the success of the KH/schlumpf hubs. After riding a 24" KH GMuni with 150mm cranks for a while at the recent australian uninats (and deciding that a KH schlumpf will be my next big purchase) i thought i may as well start planing to get a handle made up as well. I have tried some existing production handles on the market such as the t7 and new KH touring handle on 36ers but i think they are not suitable for hardcore muni.
What i am thinking of now is a gb4 style handle made from Aluminium that can be bolted on the front of a CF seat base over the top of a standard KH plastic front handle. From what i have seen of the gb4 is that it is fairy compact, would not get in the way too much for tech muni but would still offer the comfort a handle does on lighter xc and road riding.
So what i am looking for is specs and drawings for the gb4 handle or pics and drawings of other munibar handle designs that are floating around on the forums. Any advice of tips would be appreciated.
I know people rave about SW cf bases and handles, i tried one last weekend and it was really nice- but i don’t think the V grip is quite ideal either. Firstly, the fact that the handles are for opposite hands (ie i cant use my dominant hand on the main cf handle as well as the extended piece) and two, i really like the option of getting both hands on something solid when things get less technical (the same position i use for road riding).
If the SW v handle was ambidextrous with two extended handles (that could even meet out the front i think it would be (expensive) but ideal. Here is a very dodgy paint mock up of what i am thinking
from seeing the new kh handle on tony meltons 36"er at uninats
it would be quite possible to cut down the extender bar of the handle
and slide it further through the bracket to create a V or U grip closer to
the saddle.
I love the GB4. I used it on my 36er for everything…light muni/xc/tricks/distance. It felt perfect on the geared 29er…I can’t imagine a better handle for a geared 29er than the gb4 on a CF base. I have never tried a geared 24…nor have I really spent much time on a regular 24, so I am not sure if it would be ideal for that. I would think it would still work quite well though.
You don’t need a regular handle or a deathgrip handle close to the seat if you have the GB4. If I am hopping up something with the GB4 I usually just grab the right handle and it gives me a lot of control.
There is a thread on the forums of someone who made an aluminum version of the GB4…I forget who it was though.
I’ve done extensive research in this area. It has been discussed a lot. Take a look at my blog, particularly the unicycle archives. My latest is via this link:
It is the best handle I have made and used ever. And I’ve used lots of them!
Looks like you’ve got a Modified triangle Reeder design
Opologize if I’m out of the loop, but I have a right handed Reeder on my Muni attached to a CF base and this things been rock solid for 3 yrs now. It is steel and maybe a bit heavy, but wondering about designing a Reeder type of handle for R or L handed out of a lighter hardened alloy or some such. I’m not a fabricator or pretend to be… But I would be a buyer as plastic handles do flex more than I like.
Bronson Silva, of silvacycles.com, can make modified versions of the reeder for people. He used some thin walled aircraft grade cromoly tubing; it still seemed quite strong, yet quite light. Contact him if you are interested in getting one made – you can tell him I sent yah!
