Yes, but did he mention how many sets of his own cranks he’s been through? especially the newest (thicker), strongest ones?
I think that the aformentioned point about people who don’t break cranks having to pay for people who do is also very valid.
I don’t know many people on this forum who could claim to have broken a set of KH cranks, or even profiles for that matter!!
Jason, I know you’re very happy with your new profiles on your muni, and on your trials, and with good reason. You probably will never break them though.
All that people are saying (including Udc Roger) is that the KH crankset was developed to improve on the Profiles’ flaws, and I think it has done so (wider flange, stronger wheel, lighter overall, possibly stronger cranks, and no keyway slop).
If the expensive warranty helps you sleep at night (as would insurance for something), then go for it, but if you want a newer technology, with fewer (or no) known flaws, that also happens to be lighter, then go with the KH and save money.
That’s my humble opinion.
Did I mention I love both of my KH unis and that they are pretty much the bomb-diggity?
Search feature is your friend.
Kris said he merely “wore out” the cranks (sans intentional abuse).
The fundamental point is that whether they wear out, rust, or fail on a 15 foot drop . . .
Get to doing the math.
Again: Search feature is your friend, 'cause the calculation has already been made.
As noted, there may or may not be a cost savings.
Even with the warranty, I try to take good care of my Profiles.
Nonetheless, there is a mental benefit from being ABLE to be carefree.
I ride on a primo rod. Yes it is strong, but it is heavy enough to be used as a battering ram. the rod is also one of the only options in the YUni frame’s size, look at all the options availible for the KH, namely, the thompson (if you want to get something really nice).
The thing about Kris going through dozens of sets, is that if you look at the way he rides, he lands like a cat and just isn’t a crank breaker in the ‘big drop’ way, I believe this was the cranks wearing out at the splines. With the new KH cranks, they shouldn’t wear out in that way, because they’re designed to avoid that flaw. Whatever the cranks, with bad technique or doing really stupid drops, you can bend or break them, but if you practice rather than just jumping off ten foot drops before you can ride, then either should hold up under drops.
They also wear at the keyway, which is a nightmare to fix and may or may not be guaranteed, the lifetime guarantee being for the cranks and crank attachment. Every set of profiles I’ve seen (all on riders who ride a whole lot), has had the dreaded profile creak, and that awful disconnected from the pedals feeling.
As well as normal riders not having to subsidise idiots with poor technique, they should get something that holds up when just riding along, rather than needing to be warranteed 5 times a year if you’re riding a lot. However good a warranty is, it’s no substitute for product development. If you’re riding regularly, or are doing particular events, or are sponsored, you can’t afford to be waiting for warranty cranks, so you end up needing two sets of profile cranks, so as to avoid the warranty delays when your cranks start turning on the axle. Also, warranties aren’t free either, if you figure in the cost of postage, (and wheelbuilds if you want the keyway slop fixing).
Yeah, I’m sure the warranty was a big help to Dylan Wallinger when, right at the start of the Slickrock Trail, his crank broke. “Gee, my day is totally hosed, but at least when I get home I’ll get back $80 of the enormous cost of this crankset!”
I agree and disagree. I agree in the short term, as doing a warrantied replacement can be obnoxious some times. I disagree in the long term. With a warranty, the manufacturer pays for the costs of “product development”… without, it’s the customer who pays.
If anything, a warranty encourages a manufacturer to develop a better product, so they don’t have to pay out warranty claims as much. Selling without a warranty, a manufacturer stands to benefit when their product breaks and a customer comes back to buy another unit… as long as their product isn’t so bad that they lose their customers altogether.
I’m not saying KH’s product is bad, but a warranty would help convince me that it’s better. KH is a relatively new manuf. in comparison to Profile, and although it seems lots of people swear by his products, I’ve also heard of some of his manuf. woes in the past due to overseas outsourcing… who knows what else might come up? I know for sure that my Profiles are manuf’ed in the good old US of A and if I really have a problem with them there’s someone I can call who speaks my language and can help me out.
Yes, with the warranty they can pay for product development, but do they?
Does it encourage profile to make a better product? The warranty doesn’t cover keyway slop and that is a major problem that they haven’t “developed” their way out of. Secondly, they haven’t improved the weight of the crankset. Also, i think that the warranty isn’t keeping them on their toes; rather, it’s keeping them on their heels because people keep buying their stuff regardless of quailty, just because the warranty lets them sleep at night.
Last time I heard, people in Canada speak English too
and were you thinking of calling up Kris’ factory in Taiwan to talk to the makers? they know a lot less about the product than Kris does, and you could email him or talk to someone who sells them (Darren Bedford) or someone who rides the hell out of them (Ryan) or others.
And no hard feelings to anyone in this debate, it’s not like we hate each other for our cranksets…:)\
And a 4th i just thought of that isn’t a direct reply to anyone’s post:
Profile has a good share (at least i think so) in the BMX market, or at least that’s their main focus; whereas Kris makes unis, and only uni products. I think even if you think his products aren’t the best already, they’re going to get even better because that’s where his focus is. Have there been major revisions to the profile crankset in the last few years?? I didn’t think there were… but I’ve only been riding for 1 year (to the week actually :))
Just some food for thought…
It seems like this thread has reached a dead end until Ryan, Kris, Darren, or one of the other riders with extensive experience on both wheelsets shows up.
I can’t wait until this “I want my uni as light as possible” fad blows over…
The hub sits at the center of the wheel. A few extra ounces of weight savings here won’t affect the wheel’s moment of inertia nearly as much as a few extra ounces of weight saved at the outside of the wheel.
You want a wheel with low inertia? Cut off the knobbies on the outside of the tire. Get a carbon fiber stem cap. Replace your rubber inner tube with a mylar balloon. Fill it with hydrogen. Scrape the paint off your rim and spokes. Now you’ve got a light wheel!
People who don’t ride very hard can buy a “cheapie” unicycle, like the Torker. QUOTE]
psh. i ride my new torker DX('06) like its indistructable. its a quality unicycle.
it may not be the best but it IS the best for the money.
I ride a unicyle equivalent to the Yuni (I bought the parts before they were sold as a whole unicyle), and I recommend the KH. Profiles are great, but the KH has everything else going for it, plus it’s cheaper.
That’s an interesting thread in this context. It includes ChangingLinks talking about how his unicycle with high-end parts needs work all the time, and how Torker won’t honor the warranty on their frames if they weren’t put together by an official dealer (another way that warranties are a scam).
How long has the keyway problem been in existence? Are profile paying any attention at all to the unicycle side of business (which is likely quite small) since the first development of the hub? I’ve never heard of updates to the profile hub, so ‘tried and tested’ is kinda worthless when somebody who knows what they’re doing looked at the profile, a top-notch hub for its day, and ironed out all the bumps. THAT is why the KH is better. Not only that, but it will continue to improve as time goes on. So even IF the KH is miraculously worse than the profiles (and I really, sincerely doubt this is the case), then it will eventually be better.
honnestly my self I never had the key-way prob with profiles neither do any of the other unicyclists I kno… the only prob I heard of from the other ones are broken cranks…and Im talking about hardcore ppl here…
I have the exact Yuni model being discussed here, have had it since 2003, and have had keyway slop since early 2005. It’s now pretty bad. Even though I’m not “hardcore ppl.”
What exactly does the keyway slop do? Do the cranks just have alot of play or do they move slightly independently of the wheel (like just a little, not freewheel)?
