I’m sure you’ve already chosen your machine by now, but I was going to recommend against the V2 for serious/long distance riding. It’s best aspect is looks. The Big One frame does the same job just as well, for much less weight. Also some people find the V2 a little wide for them.
If the V2 isn’t too wide for you (works for me), the Pi Bar will probably work for you as well, unless you want to run it low. If your knees overlap the front part where the bar-ends attach, you may find that annoying.
For me the T7 is a nothing handle, being too high to lean on, and too low to use as a cupholder. It’s just there. I prefer a much lower handle. The T-bar sounds very promising. Even if you have to invest in the whole seat to go with it, one can always use a spare “regular” Coker/Velo/Nimbus/KH seat.
The KH bar attaches to the bottom of the seat so you can have your seat all the way down. No worries about seat post mounting.
As John and others mentioned you will need to have an 09 KH or Nimbus seat in order to mount the handle so it does get a bit costly for the initial setup if you don’t already have one of those seats.
I have a KH bar on my KH 36 and I like it, however I have not ridden with any other bar option. (With my shorter height I do not have any spare post to mount to.)
I used a KH handle for 6 months before getting this:
There’s the weak point of this handle, at the thinner part of it. Overall it’s perfect, but this problem need to be fixed. I wont buy another one before it’s officialy fixed, or it will break again overtime. So I’m trying to find a way to repair this one with a thicker tube.
It looks like the problem was fix. I dont know if Darren Bedford is the only one to supply this stronger replacement piece. My handle will be repaired next week!! Yay !
The Pi Bar is wide for some peoples’ tastes, but fine for others (including me).
The KH T-bar is the second most adjustable. Pi Bar is the most by far. More up-down adjustment, both in angle and in location on your post or frame. But it doesn’t telescope.
Terry’s add-ons, in that little video above, make it a very flexible handle, and may remove the width issue for most riders. Unfortunately it adds some weight, but it’s worth that if the handle works for you.
I also question the weight comparison of the T-bar to the Pi Bar. Neither one is what I would call heavy, but in weighing the T-bar it’s important to include the stiffener plate and all those bolts. They’re probably pretty close in the end though.
I’ve ridden the T-bar some now, though not enough, and love the way it feels when I’m tucked down onto it. I’m running it as low as it will go, and turned the mounting tube around backwards to give it more extension. However I feel kind of awkward when I sit up and am not holding onto it, based on where it emanates from the front of the cycle, if you know what I mean.
Now somebody needs to come up with a way to protect bar-ends on unicycle handlebars from the inevitable drops that are going to happen…
I think it’s better if bar ends are left unprotected and hopefully take the bulk of any impact. Provided the handlebar design is strong enough the bar ends will fail and you’ll only need to replace them, not the handlebar.
TBH I’m skeptical the strengthened T-bar meets that requirement, which is ok I guess if you don’t crash much.
If you have the mounting tube on backwards then you will not have it as low as it can go. I accidentally installed my one backwards and it definitely is not as ergonomic with it that way. It does extend further the wrong way but it also angles upwards more. My cycle computer wire was stretched tight like that. After installing it the correct way it goes further down allowing your arms to lock straight better, and a cycle computer wire fits much easier.
I’m confident the fixed T-bar is going to withstand a few decent crashes. It is a lot stronger than the initial one that cracked. I feel fine sitting up with it and not holding the handle (or using the small KH seat handle)- the bar is down and out of the way and easy to grab when I need it.
Well I don’t know much about the Pi-bar. As far as I Know it isn’t available in Europe anyways. So it wouldn’t be an option for me.
So far the KH T-Bar is great with the new improved part. And I really like the stiffening plate as well.
The bar ends that come with are not my favorites, so I replaced them with round ones from my lbs. They’re like 2cm shorter than the rubber grips that I put on them.
So I guess that adds a bit of a compression zone and saves the handle and bar ends when crashing.
I also shortened the T-bar by a couple of cm, moved the brake lever backwards and added some foam padding to the T-bar section between the bar ends.
So now I can grab it there single handedly and use the brake with the spooner.
That way doing steep technical sections feels a little more like having the lever right under the bumper handle.
Here’s what my current KH26 guni setup looks like with the T-bar:
I’ve been looking at the handlebars, and I am leaning towards the Pi bar at this point. It’s only 30 grams heavier than the KH, and I like the idea of connecting to the seapost directly. I was a little worried about the leg rubbing issue, but it seems like that has been a problem for relatively few people.
The price is an issue for me, and at $50 the pi bar is 1/3 of the cost of a KH bar/seat combo.
I hadn’t thought of that. I had it on the “right” way first, but didn’t like the length. Didn’t notice the change in angle afterward. I’ll have a look and see how much metal I can take away in the bracket to allow for more adjustment without compromising its strength.
Their ad in Uni Magazine #11 says “competitive international shipping rates” so I think they want it to be. But it may be a question of whether the sellers in your area are carrying it.
I like your idea of using some long rubber grips, that may be the best way to protect bar ends without having to add parts to the cycle. But I like the square handles with their little thumb notches, so I’ll stick with them for now. When (not if!) they get chewed up I’ll probably do what you did.
Can I add some comments from someone who has struggled to create a handle for everyone…
Ok here was my brief.
Make a handle that wont break when dropped. All handles will break! Now decide what will be the part that will break and make it replacable.
Make it light (please note this when designing above!).
Fit riders who like:
a. upright position and close to chest
b. level to seat with arms in rested position but body upright
c. level with seat but allow body to lean forward (good for schlumpf)
d. Race position - below seat and forard
Now seat position… level, up 5 degree, or even 15 degree?
Make the handle bars flexible to position. handle up, handle steight, handle down… wide or narrow?
Fit a brake handle for:
a. right handed rider
b. left handed rider
c. gear lever activation
d. central activation
They all have to be protected from falls.
Space for a computer… needs to visible when riding and protected from falls
Make it cost effective and make it reliable to manufacture.
And now for the biggie… make it fit a rider with 30" inside leg measurement with 150mm cranks! ha! fail on most options!
As I am sure you all know this is an impossible brief… but we are close with the T7.5! (ok I know that it will not be called that when released but that is the pre-release name). Release date… don’t know… I need to get a reliable prototype back from the manufacturer.
not the exact handle I was talking about in the post but the same bike top-tube cut down a bit more with the back T section. This was my winter MUni setup for a while.
using the integrated seat post clamp on the seat post and a clamp for a 22.2 seatpost on the handle to hold the T section.
And that is a flashlight (modded with Cree LED) sticking out the bottom.
I need to get a reliable prototype back from the manufacturer.
