My Uni.5 Review

General
1

I’m getting threats from harper to post my review, so I’ll do it now. :slight_smile:

The Uni.5 was here in Minnesota over a week ago where a ton of people from the Twin Cities Unicycle Club gave it a try. Too many people to keep track of. Each day, between practices, somebody took it home to try it for a longer ride than what could be done just in the gym.

Right after it arrived on my doorstep, I assembled it and took it for a 5 mile ride. It took just under a half hour, which is very similar to what that same route is on a coker. I got pretty comfortable on the uni.5 during that ride but turning and going over stuff (sand, curbs, etc) still needed some work.

I attempted to do some drag seat in back to then see if grabbing the tire would pull the frame and seat up to get out of it, but I never got the seat dragging down very well to be stable enough to grab the wheel. Max Dingmanns also tried this. When I handed it to Ryan Woessner (level 10), the first thing he tried was to do sideways wheel walk (now if you could only figure out a way to gear that up).

Pretty much everyone that gave it a try had some trouble mounting it at first. Of course those with experience riding cokers were able to get it after a couple tries.

Idling on it proved to be a little harder than I expected. Each time you switch directions while idling, the gearing causes it to pull the seat the opposite direction from what you want it to go.

I took it to the track to do a little racing with it. I did a 1500 m in 4:06 (on a normal 24", it’d be about 1 minute longer). The corners were a lot easier than a normal 24" since the larger distance per revolution causes it to be smoother for cornering. I also did a 400 m on both the Uni.5 and a coker to compare, and the coker was a little bit faster, which I think is a result of the coker having more momentum. For a 100 m race, the Uni.5 was no benefit as it took longer to get up to speed than on a normal 24".

Overall, I’d trade one of my cokers for a uni.5 as it provides a good cruising machine like a coker does, can fit into a car easier, has more options for choice of tires and rims, and can easily be brought inside with you in a store/office/wherever. I hope a geared hub like this gets mass produced (or at least available for all of us), whether it be this design, Frank Bonsch’s, or something else.

2

and when can we expect the uni-5 roadshow to hit johannesburg?

3

Gilby-

Thanks for the post. Now I don’t have to come up to the twin cities to rough you up which is good because I have to mow my lawn today.

Dave-

Think of the customs headaches! Come to UNICON and ride it. It will be there for all to test for the duration. I’d tell you to bring Desmond Tutu with you but he was here about a month ago. Oh, he says he’s sorry it was on the road and he missed it. He wanted to give it a go.

4

the scary thing is, i can see the arch on a uni
purple robes flowing!
sadly wont be in a position to visit unicon this year
my situation is bound to change in the coming year and i’ll hope to catch u then
actually, i hope to buy it then
(hint, hint)

5

Re: My Uni.5 Review

Greetings

In message “My Uni.5 Review”,
Gilby wrote…
>
>I’m getting -threats- from harper to post my review, so I’ll do it now.
>:)

Very interesting indeed. I would like to but a Uni.5, perhaps get it at UXI.
Can someone construct one for me? I am also in the market for an upgraded
Coker (with a speedometer built-in to the seat if posible) and with the best
seat possible – air seat?

Whatever it costs I will pay. Will someone in a position to deal with this please
let me know.

>The Uni.5 was here in Minnesota over a week ago where a ton of people
>from the Twin Cities Unicycle Club gave it a try. Too many people to
>keep track of. Each day, between practices, somebody took it home to try
>it for a longer ride than what could be done just in the gym.
>
>Right after it arrived on my doorstep, I assembled it and took it for a
>5 mile ride. It took just under a half hour, which is very similar to
>what that same route is on a coker. I got pretty comfortable on the
>uni.5 during that ride but turning and going over stuff (sand, curbs,
>etc) still needed some work.
>
>I attempted to do some drag seat in back to then see if grabbing the
>tire would pull the frame and seat up to get out of it, but I never got
>the seat dragging down very well to be stable enough to grab the wheel.
>Max Dingmanns also tried this. When I handed it to Ryan Woessner (level
>10), the first thing he tried was to do sideways wheel walk (now if you
>could only figure out a way to gear that up).
>
>Pretty much everyone that gave it a try had some trouble mounting it at
>first. Of course those with experience riding cokers were able to get it
>after a couple tries.
>
>Idling on it proved to be a little harder than I expected. Each time you
>switch directions while idling, the gearing causes it to pull the seat
>the opposite direction from what you want it to go.
>
>I took it to the track to do a little racing with it. I did a 1500 m in
>4:06 (on a normal 24", it’d be about 1 minute longer). The corners were
>a lot easier than a normal 24" since the larger distance per revolution
>causes it to be smoother for cornering. I also did a 400 m on both the
>Uni.5 and a coker to compare, and the coker was a little bit faster,
>which I think is a result of the coker having more momentum. For a 100 m
>race, the Uni.5 was no benefit as it took longer to get up to speed than
>on a normal 24".
>
>Overall, I’d trade one of my cokers for a uni.5 as it provides a good
>cruising machine like a coker does, can fit into a car easier, has more
>options for choice of tires and rims, and can easily be brought inside
>with you in a store/office/wherever. I hope a geared hub like this gets
>mass produced (or at least available for all of us), whether it be this
>design, Frank Bonsch’s, or something else.
>
>
>–
>Gilby - Unicyclist.com Webmaster
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Gilby’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/1
>View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/18799
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
>rec.sport.unicycling mailing list - www.unicycling.org/mailman/listinfo/rsu
>

Stay on top, Jack Halpern
Executive Director for International Development
International Unicycling Federation, Inc.
Website: http://www.kanji.org

6

RE: My Uni.5 Review

> Whatever it costs I will pay. Will someone in a position to
> deal with this please let me know.

Note: This is coming from a guy who once spent US$160 (1986) for an ultimate
wheel. He means it!

Notice Unicycle.com just came out with a high-end version of the Coker. I
recommend you order one of those and have it shipped out to North Bend.
Order it with a Miyata air seat. Then talk to Andy Cotter or Paul Wyganowski
about the bumper bracket system they used for Unicycle Across Europe last
summer. Those things looked pretty cool, and will hold a computer where you
can see it (rather than in the seat).

That looks like the Coker for me as well, and I may end up getting one and
using it to ride to work. I have a friend who welds (Terrell Williams), and
he and I may try to design a new handle/bumper/everything-holder system,
building upon all the designs we’ve seen. Something with an ergonomic handle
that works with either or both hands.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com <http://www.unicycling.com>

“This unicycle is made all from lightweight materials. But it uses a lot of
them.” – Cliff Cordy, describing the very heavy new prototype unicycle he
brought on the Downieville Downhill

7

Re: My Uni.5 Review

On Wed, 19 Jun 2002 02:18:35 -0500, Gilby
<Gilby.6hhkb@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:

>Pretty much everyone that gave it a try had some trouble mounting it at
>first.
Not that I don’t believe this, if only because everyone seems to say
it. But can somebody explain WHY it is difficult to mount uni.5?

>Overall, I’d trade one of my cokers for a uni.5
Hehe, if I had several Cokers I would probably feel the same…

Klaas Bil

8

Re: My Uni.5 Review

On Wed, 19 Jun 2002 10:30:58 -0500, GILD
<GILD.6i490@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:

>sadly wont be in a position to visit unicon this year
>REUNITE GONDWANALAND!!
So that you can travel to UNICON over land?

Klaas Bil

9

Re: My Uni.5 Review

On Wed, 19 Jun 2002 02:18:35 -0500, Gilby
<Gilby.6hhkb@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:

>Pretty much everyone that gave it a try had some trouble mounting it at
>first.
Not that I don’t believe this, if only because everyone seems to say
it. But can somebody explain WHY it is difficult to mount uni.5?

>Overall, I’d trade one of my cokers for a uni.5
Hehe, if I had several Cokers I would probably feel the same…

Klaas Bil

10

Re: My Uni.5 Review

On Wed, 19 Jun 2002 10:30:58 -0500, GILD
<GILD.6i490@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:

>sadly wont be in a position to visit unicon this year
>REUNITE GONDWANALAND!!
So that you can travel to UNICON over land?

Klaas Bil

11

Re: My Uni.5 Review

klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl writes:
>>Pretty much everyone that gave it a try had some trouble mounting it at
>>first.
>Not that I don’t believe this, if only because everyone seems to say
>it. But can somebody explain WHY it is difficult to mount uni.5?

I had no trouble because I told myself that I was mounting a Coker, which
I sometimes do from a curb (when I’m lazy). Since uni.5 is about a curb
shorter than a Coker, this felt just right.

Most ppl probably have a hard time ‘believing’ that it’s not a 24", so
they try to get on tentatively. This doesn’t work anymore than it works
for mounting a Coker. You have to hop aboard and ride that sucker like a
bronco.

David

Co-founder, Unatics of NY
1st Sunday / 3rd Saturday
@ Central Park Bandshell
1:30 start time after 11/1/01

12

Re: My Uni.5 Review

BUILD IT UP ON A CORKER!

__
Trevor andersen

13

Re: My Uni.5 Review

BUILD IT UP ON A CORKER!

__
Trevor andersen

14

RE: My Uni.5 Review

> Most ppl probably have a hard time ‘believing’ that it’s not a 24", so
> they try to get on tentatively. This doesn’t work anymore
> than it works
> for mounting a Coker. You have to hop aboard and ride that
> sucker like a bronco.

I agree with David. I can’t remember if I made it on my first mounting
attempt, but I have the experience of some geared unicycles in the past.
Plus, Nathan was the first to receive the cycle, and we were treating it
with care…

JF

15

Re: My Uni.5 Review

I am asking the following out of total ignorance, please bear with me.

I’ve never ridden, let alone mounted, a Coker, but I imagine the main
problem is to get that high up. Now on the uni.5, the height is just
as usual. The only difference as for mounting seems to be that the
wheel is more sluggish. So I imagine that for a standard static mount
on uni.5 you need to step with more weight on the first pedal to
prevent the uni from rolling forward. Since using too much weight for
a regular uni is a common beginner’s fault, how can mounting be
difficult for more skilled mounters?

So, what exactly is the problem with mounting uni.5? What goes wrong?

Klaas Bil

On Thu, 20 Jun 2002 01:23:32 -0400, “David Stone” <dstone@packer.edu>
wrote:

>klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl writes:[color=darkred]
>>>Pretty much everyone that gave it a try had some trouble mounting it at
>>>first.
>>Not that I don’t believe this, if only because everyone seems to say
>>it. But can somebody explain WHY it is difficult to mount uni.5?
>
>I had no trouble because I told myself that I was mounting a Coker, which
>I sometimes do from a curb (when I’m lazy). Since uni.5 is about a curb
>shorter than a Coker, this felt just right.
>
>Most ppl probably have a hard time ‘believing’ that it’s not a 24", so
>they try to get on tentatively. This doesn’t work anymore than it works
>for mounting a Coker. You have to hop aboard and ride that sucker like a
>bronco.
>
>David
>
>Co-founder, Unatics of NY
>1st Sunday / 3rd Saturday
> @ Central Park Bandshell
>1:30 start time after 11/1/01
>[/color]

16

what goes wrong

first, the axioms, hehe:

  1. i have never even .seen. a coker in person, let alone ridden
  2. i’m a relatively newish rider (4 or 5 months in?)
  3. i own a 20" and a 24" and have only ever ridden those sizes
  4. i learned to static mount (“quarter to 3”) before i learned to ride around

rather than needing more weight on the pedal to keep it from rolling, it seemed to need a great amount to .start. it rolling. it felt like no matter what you did, the thing just wasn’t going to budge. part of that was psychological i’m sure, as it .looks. like a 24 and rides like a coker, but part of it’s in the gearing and the gears both, i assume.

so my missed freemounts were mostly of the “got up, and didn’t manage to get it to go anywhere” variety. it just takes steady deliberate pressure on the front pedal to get the thing going at all, and the same thing in reverse to get it to stop (unless you prefer to UPD, and end up 20 feet away from the uni wondering how you got that far).

i’d be interested to see how anyone else’s impressions line up with my own, as most of the “reviews” here tend to focus on the mounting success rate, or the riding experience rather than the mounting process.

come to think of it, the mounting process is something that i find myself wondering about quite often, when reading through written descriptions of different mounts, etc.

hmm,
John M

17

Re: Re: My Uni.5 Review

Klaas-

The classic roll back mount is tricky for either the Coker or a geared up unicycle. The rider applies some force to the back pedal to get the unicycle to “roll back” under him/her/it. The big wheel (or effective big wheel) travels back much further than expected and the unicycle shoots out backwards from under the rider.

The problem is exacerbated in the case of the geared unicycle because it “looks” like it shouldn’t do that. It’s short, lightweight, and before you know it you’re over the top of it and it’s squirting out behind you like…well, you get the picture.

In the case of the Coker the problem is made greater by the mass of the wheel. The rider tries to “roll back” this inertia by exerting a larger than normal downward force against the back pedal to overcome this rest inertia. Once rolling, the big, heavy wheel just doesn’t want to stop and again, out the back it goes.

18

klaas, it was a rollback mount that you were describing?

i rest my case on this mounting confusion thing, hehe.

at any rate, my comments about a static mount still “stand firm”.

bad pun,
John M

19

I was determined to successfully mount uni.5 the first time I tried it. I knew just from reading posts about it that a standard non rollback mount is the way to go. My first attempt failed because I put too much weight on the rear crank and the uni shot out behind me … really fast.

I did mount on the second try and soon found it easier to free mount than my MUni. In fact I was able, for the first time, to do a non rollback free mount from my weak foot. I got to the point where I could nail a weak foot mount every time and a dominant foot mount was simple. I found a roll back mount impossible though.

Steve Howard

20

Re: My Uni.5 Review

In article <3d125540.3925513@newszilla.xs4all.nl>,
Klaas Bil <klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl> wrote:
)I am asking the following out of total ignorance, please bear with me.
)
)I’ve never ridden, let alone mounted, a Coker, but I imagine the main
)problem is to get that high up. Now on the uni.5, the height is just
)as usual. The only difference as for mounting seems to be that the
)wheel is more sluggish. So I imagine that for a standard static mount
)on uni.5 you need to step with more weight on the first pedal to
)prevent the uni from rolling forward. Since using too much weight for
)a regular uni is a common beginner’s fault, how can mounting be
)difficult for more skilled mounters?
)
)So, what exactly is the problem with mounting uni.5? What goes wrong?

Getting high up on a Coker is only the first problem. The second problem
is getting it moving, and I think this problem would also exist for uni.5,
though I’ve not had the opportunity to try it.

What happens on a Coker is, the first quarter of a pedal revolution or
so feels pretty much like a normal uni, but after that, you head into
Cokerland, where wheels have an impossible amount of momentum. Your
speed gets up to where it would be on a normal uni, so you relax your
legs or maybe even try to slow down while the uni wants to keep going
faster. Sometimes it spits you out ahead; other times it drops you off
the back and runs away. But it definitely is the case that you can
get up on a Coker and still have problems getting going.

uni.5 shouldn’t have as much trouble with weight, but the speed will
still throw you off.
-Tom