i have one of the new style Miyata handles and, when i was trying to put on a reenforcement plate in i found out that one of the screws had stripped/bottomed out/cant get the nut off. I also realized the major crack it has that has turned into a pretty big tear:( . I know i will have to replace it with a new handle, but i cant get the current one off due to the screw. Is this possible without replacing the seat? Do you think i should just get a Reeder handle?
thanks
scott
Bruce Edwards has developed a variety of ways to deal with Miyata nut removal. The latest is photo-documented in this gallery:
http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/Miyata-seat-cover-removal
Search the fora for other techiniques.
yeah
Thanks, that technique looks like it will work nicely. I will get my dad with me to try it. One i get all the nuts off, and the handle off, do you think i should get a new handle? It already has a fairly large tear that is just going to get worse. Would anybody reccomend the reeder? The wilder? Just a regular replacement?
Scott,
What kind of riding are you using this handle for? If it’s offroad or trials, I’d recommend the Reeder handle, though I’m just a little biased (I make them).
See my website for more info regarding the Reeder handle.
will it fit
I am riding muni/trials. How strong would the reeder be on a regular miyata seat base? Could i do that at all? Is it worth the money overall?
Thanks,
Scott
Theres always the other SH handle you can put on that thing. Thats a $19 fix. And I dont think it’ll be cracking anytime soon like the OEM Handle.
SH? OEM? Im confused. The only other handle i see is the Kinport one.
SH (Steve Howard) is the creator of the Kinport handle so the SH handle and the Kinport handle are the same thing.
OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer, in this case Miyata.
Check out this thread for more on the Steve Howard Kinport handle, including a link to an image gallery and my (positive) review.
http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19843&highlight=howard+cnc
I’m still riding with this handle and me likey. me likey lot.
reeder
So would it be useful to put a reeder on a plastic seat base?
You can put a Reeder handle on the plastic seat base. I strongly recommend the stiffening plate also available from Unicycle.com:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbarnes/gb4/miy_stiff/miy_stiff.html
bad
I tried Bruces appraoch. It would have worked fne, but that bolt had no bolt sticking out after the nut was put on like the others.
We tried it regardless. After 3, yes 3 hours of hard labor on that handle we managed to get it off. I love Unicycle.com, and dont get me wrong, but this was the first time i was seriously dissapointed with a product from them. I know they rip due to bad manufacturing and what not, but ive only had this for 2 weeks. The handle is pretty much dead. What made me even more frusturated was when i tryed to take the front bumper off. It was already 12 and me and my poor dad, who stayed up with me, decided not to mess with it because we couldnt take any more disasters.
But on a better note:
Does the stiffener plate make the seat less comfortable, or stiffer?
I think i am going to try to go with the Reeder, but im still looking.
Re: bad
Max posted a recommendation to put the Miyata seat in the freezer overnight. Apparently the freezer treatment makes the plastic harder and helps prevent the bolts from spinning in their holes.
Here is Max’s cool post
<http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20654&highlight=freezer>
My miyata seat is in the process of the conversion. I am going to wait to borrow my friend’s dremmel tool instead of using a hack saw blade.
If the bolts spin with the bolts already, do you think its too late for the freezer meathod???
I noticed some white junk while taking off 3 of the bolts, it almost looked like silicon or some kind of glue.
Has anyone tried WD40, mabye it would help loosen the bolts?
–Jon
Re: bad
The comfort of the saddle is not diminished by the stiffener plate. It just makes the base stiffer.
Scott,
I’ve just(about 2 hours ago) finished replacing most of the parts on my Miyata saddle. I replaced the handle with a Reeder one, added the stiffener plate, and put all new hex bolts with washers and nuts. I don’t have any neat tools or money so I used a crappy file which I broke and had to replace. I managed to file down the stripped saddle post bolts enough to remove them after a few days… The most frustrating experience of my life. Luckily I knew I was going to replace the handle so I kept those bolts loose.
I like the Reeder handle a lot. Its much better than the Miyata one. Definately get the stiffener plate if you go for the Reeder handle or probably even if you don’t.
Problems with this setup do arise though. The underside of the plastic Miyata saddle is not flat. This means the Reeder handle doesn’t go on flush. Not really a problem it seems. I managed to get It on pretty tight.
Secondly, the stiffener plate is much thicker than the standard Miyata one. At least 2x. This means you need longer bolts for the handle than what come with it. Comes with 3/4" I used 1" but there’s not much bolt hanging out of the end of the nut. I suggest 1" for the seat post. They work well.
George is right about it not affecting the comfort. Not that its that great anyway(compared to an airseat).
This also affected my saddle cover a bit. The fit was quite a bit tighter with the stiffener plate. Mine was pretty tight anyway, so I had to actually bend the metal fasteners along the saddle closer to where they are attached so they could reach the cover. It was quite a pain to get on. Especially after several hours of filing. But it sure was satisfying when I got it done.
Overall I’m very disappointed with the Miyata saddle. But you can make it work with some time, effort, extra parts, and a strong will not to buy a carbon fibre saddle. I’m looking forward to seeing the Kirs Holm Velo saddle.
Hope my experience helps you out in your decisions.
Nick Hoover
Yes, I believe it is too late for the freezer if the bolt is spinning away. it’s worth a try anyway though.