Longer cotterless cranks

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I’m looking to get longer cranks for my Yuni 29’er, which currently has Bicycle Euro 125s. I live on a mountain (not too big, but a mountain nonetheless), and I’d like to actually be able to ride up and downhill. I can handle small grades fine (can’t turn yet though), but 150 feet from my house my street becomes steep, and the other direction goes 30 feet to a street just as steep.

I’m wondering what cranks to get, and how tedious switching cranks is. I’ve found instructions on switching cranks:
http://londonunicyclingclub.ca/cranks.htm

And the CCP2 cotterless crank remover mentioned:
http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=420

But looking at the forum post titled “Crank Interfaces” ( Crank Interfaces ), switching cotterless cranks wears down the axle, eventually to the point of being useless. So switching back and forth isn’t much of an option.

I don’t think I’ll ever have the opportunity to go for pure speed, as this area is hilly, with very few flat roads. I’m also thinking of some XC and light MUni on this (no drops bigger than a curb to the road though), which the longer cranks would help with. The cranks I currently have look like they won’t hold up to much of anything, and again are short. I’m wondering what cranks and size you recommend. I was thinking 150mm, but after reading about someone’s experience pumping 150s vs spinning 165s uphill, I’m not sure. Also what pedals; the pedals I have now are plastic and aren’t grippy. No riding with wet shoes.

Another thing I’m wondering is if most bike shops will change the cranks without exorbitant cost, since I need to go to one to get my seatpost shortened, and I don’t have the tools.

Going kind of off topic, but my birthday is coming up, and I’m wondering what I should point out as the preferred gift. I don’t have a helmet, and SixSixOne discontinued what I wanted. A helmet would have to be <=$60. Any other pieces of equipment recommended? I will get the knee/shin guards regardless if I get pinned pedals, and with plastic they aren’t necessary.

More unrelated stuff, but I loosened the bolts on the frame around the bearings to the tightness they should be, and I appear to be able to ride indefinately on flatland, having gone ~150 feet to a bit into the steep part of the road more than once, after previously only going 75 feet at best. If I just learn to turn, I could ride as well on my unicycle as I can on my bike. My 29’er is the only unicycle I have, having learned some riding and freemounting on the bruiser’s 24" DX.

2

Once you learn to turn well, you may be able to handle that steep grade with 125s. I’ve been up and down some steep roads on my Yuni 29er.

Nonetheless, I like the 150s on my KH29 for muni. Some will advocate longer, but I think it really depends on your body mechanics.

As to switching cranks, buy yourself a crank puller like this. It will save you lots of trips to the bike shop. I’ve had shops pull cranks for free for me, but I’ve had others try to charge me more than the price of the crank puller for their time.

I generally don’t wear shin guards on my 29er simply because I don’t hop much, and when I do, it’s not very high. I strongly recommend wrist guards because you can fall a lot farther and faster from a 29er than a smaller uni.

3

The roads I am talking about give me trouble with my bike unless I am fresh, so up them on a unicycle with 125s doesn’t seem plausible.

I haven’t touched my bike since I got my unicycle, though.

4

I would agree that 150s are a pretty good length for general riding, including some steep hills. On the road I don’t reckon anything longer would be an advantage, unless your riding is always on steep hills, never flat. I ride 150s on my 26x3 (almost the same size as a 29er) and I can climb some pretty steep hills and have plenty of torque for cross-country muni. If you’re only riding on the road but just need a little bit more torque for climbing I reckon 150s would be a good choice. After you’ve ridden on 150s for some time and built up some strength (and improved technique) you’ll probably find you’ll be able to climb the same hills on the 125s. The difference between 150 and 165 is very subtle - I’ve tried both and ended up sticking with the 150s, but there isn’t a lot of difference in feel in my opinion.

Rob

5

I rode on Saturday, Monday (day before yesterday, and my birthday), and yesterday, and was actually able to get up the steep road which intersects my street in the front of my house, to the right. I’m having more trouble going down these hills than anything else now, so I don’t think I need those longer cranks unless, when I get around to MUni’ing, I can’t control it. I rode around 2 miles yesterday mostly up or downhill, and most of the roads for the first time.

6

i pulled the spider off of some Sugino AL 170mm cranks im not using anymore…if you want to experiment at a low cost i could send them to you for 10+shipping.