I may have missed it – is there a good thorough review of the new Coker Aero rim by a regular rider or more? Strength, braking surface, effect of weight on riding, use for side mounts and hopping, etc…
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
My new Coker arrived on Thursday. I spent Friday riding and re-adjusting to
it, and Saturday recovering from the soreness. Sunday I took it on its first
ride at Huntington Beach.
Actually, the mounts put on there for the V-brake had a good half inch of
metal sticking out on each side. They were cutting up my legs really bad. I
removed them for yesterday’s ride, and plan on remounting them with some
other technique. So no brake for now.
I think the pads on the vbrake need to be replaced with something that will
NOT stick as well. Like hard plastic…? The brake is just too darn sticky
its dangerous.
I didnt feel a tremendous difference from the other coker rim. This is
probably due to the fact that Ive been riding a 20 inch for the past 6
months. It all feels new.
This wheel is by far the most true of any Coker wheel Ive owned (and thats
three). They did the spoke adjustment very well, and it shipped without
getting beat up. This one is lighter, not sure what material its made of. It
feels and looks like some sort of plastic. This is good cuz it wont rust
like my other Coker. The wheel does not side-to-side as much as other cokers
when at high speeds. This may be due to the new crank arms… The shape of
the rim is very interesting; Its almost an inch tall, and it comes to a
point where the spokes attach. Its almost a triangular shape. So the black
rim against the blackness of the tire, it makes the tire look an inch
fatter!
Stair riding felt good, off road was snappy, high speed riding was extra
smooth, bunny hopping up stairs no problem, side hopping down drops no
problem. OK so I abused the thing its first time out… It was a blast!
-Chris Carey
“U-Turn” <U-Turn.awr4m@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:U-Turn.awr4m@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
> I may have missed it – is there a good thorough review of the new Coker
> Aero rim by a regular rider or more? Strength, braking surface, effect
> of weight on riding, use for side mounts and hopping, etc…
>
>
> –
> U-Turn - Definitely not one of the Elite
>
> ~~~~~~~x (ouch)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> U-Turn’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/691
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/20415
>
>
I just ordered the new alloy rim, GB handle with metal support bracket and 4.5 inch cranks. The cranks were $25.00. I guess unicylesourse is out of the cheap ones. Hope the rim is’nt too difficult to change-out. I will give you all an update. Oh–and I hope the handle goes on easily as well
dan
I spent a summer in my youth working in a bicycle shop and I can verify what most of you suspect, The stock Coker rim is crap. It is the same sort of garbage metal which makes department store bicycles so disposable. Anything is bound to be an improvment, and since the rim is the most important part on any cycle I would advise anyone who will ride a lot to spend the bucks at the initial purchase or repair stage and get the alloy rim.
Maybe if I bunny hop and bust the hub I will have an excuse to get the nice rim…
Your darn right the stock rim is crap. It is also poorly made single walled steel, which doesnt even have a constant width, making brakes more difficult to set up. The new ones are most certainly anidized aluminum. Very good looking too.
the peice “O” crap Coker rim i had didnt even come with a rim strip!(or mounting hardware for the seat or the owners manual) it came straight from Coker not uni.com.
The stock Coker rim may very well be crap but I’d just like to point out that this is relative to the rider. I have had my Coker for slightly more than 3 years. I ride it every year in the LBI Unithon, which is a great joy for me. I do not take it on any rough terrain and I do not hop, bounce or otherwise put it through any strenuous riding. I would be surprised if I have actually ridden the thing 500 miles total, but however far it has been I have enjoyed those miles immensely and will continue to do so with the crappy rim. Which is to say that the standard Coker rim is more than adequate for me as well as for many of the folks who have gone plenty more miles without incident. In fact, John Foss himself has publicly stated that he was wrong in predicting that the Cokers would not withstand the stress normal riding would put them to.
All this is by way of saying, that for certain purposes and riders the standard/stock Coker may be inadequate.
However, I would not want to see potential Coker riders put off because they thought that the standard Coker at $329 was not up to their needs and were not willing to put out the $489 for the deluxe version. And to put this in perspective, all of you now enjoying your new deluxe or upgraded Cokers certainly also remember the elation you felt when you first got your standard Coker. (Right?)
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
JJuggle.b4wey@timelimit.unicyclist.com writes:
>> Your darn right the stock rim is crap. *
>
>
>The stock Coker rim may very well be crap but I’d just like to point out
>that this is relative to the rider. I have had my Coker for slightly
>more than 3 years. I ride it every year in the LBI Unithon, which is a
>great joy for me. I do not take it on any rough terrain and I do not
>hop, bounce or otherwise put it through any strenuous riding. I would be
>surprised if I have actually ridden the thing 500 miles total, but
>however far it has been I have enjoyed those miles immensely and will
>continue to do so with the crappy rim. Which is to say that the
>standard Coker rim is more than adequate for me as well as for many of
>the folks who have gone plenty more miles without incident. In fact,
>John Foss himself has publicly stated that he was wrong in predicting
>that the Cokers would not withstand the stress normal riding would put
>them to.
Raphael is right to point out that for most ppl and most conditions, the
standard is adequate (if not better than that).
My brother and I have each ridden our Cokers a bit over 3,000 miles.
Neither of us has any complaint except that we’ve heard from many ppl that
the uneven rim isn’t too good for brakes. In fact, neither of us has had
much or any experience with this, so I can’t say so for myself.
Each of us, however, wants the upgraded rim. That’s because we both have
felt that a brakek would be a smart idea. John had a serious UPD (S-5) in
his EUT ride bc he didn’t have the leg strength to slow down on a steep
hill. I would have liked a brake on the Century for some of the downhills,
tho I did ok.
As I pointed out to John, tho, there is no other major reason for the
upgrade as far as we are concerned. It might be nicer to ride a lighter
wheel, but again, I lack enough information on this point. The new rim is
lighter, right?
If I were about to purchase a Coker and felt that I’d be using it a lot
for commuting or long rides involving hills, I’d definitely go with the
new rim. Otherwise I might pocket the cash.
David Stone
Co-founder, Unatics of NY
Well put comments about rider relativity. At my weight, I have folded a standard Coker rim (brand new one I might add) but the B boys (Ben and Brad) at 85 and 70 lbs. are fine with the stock steel rim. No need to spend the extra money there until they’re ready for accessories, i.e., brakes. So far, my CD is great…can’t say the same for this rider’s Coker skills though.
Bruce
Re: Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
Isn’t there quite a bit more weight in the tire than the rim? That is the weight of the tire, rim, spokes, tube, and axle stays about the same with the new aluminum alloy rim. The main advantages, as I see them, are the strength and therefore the ability to hop around a little and ride up curbs while commuting and the braking surface which is good for long, nasty downhills (Nathan Hoover descents…not standard commuting).
I think that the new Coker rim would be a good addition if you really needed it. That is to say: you want to true the rim nice and straight; put brakes on it; maybe some weight reduction; maybe stronger. But if you want to get a new rim just to put brakes on. I think that it is a good idea.
However has anyone ever thought of putting a disc brake on the Coker? I think it would have a better potential for braking power as well for not going out of true like a wheel would. Now the problem of getting the extra space needed for the disc to be installed on the wheel and putting on the disc brake
Thanks all for the fine posts. What I personally am really interested in are detailed reviews of the rim by people who have one and are using it, especially those who have ridden the steel rim before (like Chris Carey’s post). I’m keen to hear about Coker wheel experiences from off-road riders too.
Bruce – what things have you done with your CD that you couldn’t do with the steel rim? How did you taco the steel and have you done that movement with the CD? Have you installed a brake? Do you find that the rim stays true? What about the rim joint? Is it machined? Smooth?
Dan – Looking forward to your update! Could you weigh the two rims before you put your cycle back together?
Chris – What length crank arms are you using?
One more question – has anyone put a Semcycle Deluxe hub into a Coker wheel? If so, what are your experiences (the Sem Deluxe hub is wider than the Suzue)? Does anyone know the relative strengths of the two hubs?
Thanks again. I recently rode a double-track with the Coker that I have ridden many times on the 26" and it was a far different trail! What a neat machine. I need to get a rolling mount going, though. 
I personally think with my limited experience on the Coker (perhaps 100 miles so far) that a brake is really important, especially with shorter cranks (though I have only used 150mms on mine). I have a Magura HS-33 on my cycle, though I am tinkering with it still with regards to pad positioning, vertical angle, toe-in, pad material, and connection-to-hand. The brake flattens the downhills and lets me get some of the energy back out of the hill that I put into it. It certainly lets me place my speed and controllability wherever I want to in my skill/strength zone on downhills. But it is not a solution for runaway descents, where your weight gets ahead of the wheel and you pedal faster to get it under you, only to find that you can’t catch up… It can only help prevent them.
Well, so far I can’t or haven’t folded the Deluxe rim. It does seem more stable than the steel rim but can’t put my finger on why.
The movement to taco the Coker with the steel rim was to mount and sit on it. There may have been a slight side to side movement but nothing to speak of. After speaking with John and Amy, now we’re suspecting the wheel’s spokes may have been overtightened. If so, it was a fluke and the source of the problem has been corrected. Note to the group, as if you didn’t already know, John and Amy were absolutely wonderful about the incident. I’ve never seen as much customer support and willingness to help from any other company. What a valuable asset to our community!
The rim seems very true. The seam does have a slight weld pad but the rim is painted black and it’s hardly noticible and is not a factor at all in my book. I’m at the office and can’t remember if the weld pad extends down the side wall of the rim but I wouldn’t think it does because of the available brake option.
I’m on 6" cranks until I learn to ride. My freemounts are there but I’m fairly unstable during the ride yet. Cornering is more unstable but I’m off to try counter-steering as mentioned in a previous post. Of course the boys are natural on them and are way out of my league…the hope of every father.
No brakes on my CD. The brakes were an expensive add and our neck of the woods is pretty flat so we’ll maybe add them later once I learn to ride like the wind.
As I mentioned before, Ben and Brad’s Cokers are scheduled to arrive tomorrow and have the standard steel rims and 6" cranks. Since the Cokering bug bite effects seems to last for years, I imagine we’ll upgrade their rims and other componentry someday.
Bruce
U-TURN
the hub width of the Suzie= 62mm
the hub width of a Sem DLX is=74.6mm
thats what i would use to build a Coker with(Sem).the new rim is deep dishso i think the spoke lenth would be the same[?]may want to ask someone to look how many spoke threads are left on their CD Coker with Suzie hub first.
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
I have been riding the Airfoil rim on a wheel built by John Kovachi for a
couple of weeks. When I held the old stock one in one hand and the new one
in the other, I couldn’t really feel a weight difference, so if it is
lighter it isn’t by too much.
After about 30-40 miles I had to tighten all the spokes 1/4 turn - since
then it is almost silent. It is true and nice and works with the brake
(Odessey A-brake) fine. I can’t really notice that much difference though.
Everyone always complained that the old stock wheel was so crappy (and I
complained too), but after riding it for over 3 years, approx 2400 miles,
when I fit a brake on finally last month, it worked surprisingly well. With
the brake on very strongly, it didn’t wobble or feel bad or untrue. In the
time I used it, I had to true the wheel 2 or 3 times, just a tiny bit.
Anyway, I really like the Airfoil and it looks way cooler. Hopping also
feels much more solid on it than the stock wheel. Any way you cut it, riding
around on a Coker is cool.
Scot Cooper is visiting before his 520 mile SF to LA ride this weekend and
we went on a great ride yesterday in the hills here. 3 guys on Cokers, all
with Airfoils!
—Nathan
“U-Turn” <U-Turn.awr4m@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:U-Turn.awr4m@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
> I may have missed it – is there a good thorough review of the new Coker
> Aero rim by a regular rider or more? Strength, braking surface, effect
> of weight on riding, use for side mounts and hopping, etc…
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
Last weekend we did a 3300’ ascent and descent (10.8 miles each way) on the
airfoils - with the drag brake, even on the steep parts I could just set it
and cruise hands-off eating a Luna bar and enjoying the scenery! Most
importantly, afterwards, I felt no soreness at all. Anyone can do those
descents with a brake!
The one thing that always bothered me about Cokers in the past was that I
was really afraid of the descents and didn’t feel that I could ride down
anything I could ride up (as with a bike). All fixed now.
But yes I agree exactly about what you say the advantages are.
—Nathan
“harper” <harper.b519z@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote
> Isn’t there quite a bit more weight in the tire than the rim? That is
> the weight of the tire, rim, spokes, tube, and axle stays about the same
> with the new aluminum alloy rim. The main advantages, as I see them, are
> the strength and therefore the ability to hop around a little and ride
> up curbs while commuting and the braking surface which is good for long,
> nasty downhills (Nathan Hoover descents…not standard commuting).
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
On 18 Sep 2002 19:58:32 GMT, “Nathan Hoover” <nathan@movaris.com>
wrote:
>The one thing that always bothered me about Cokers in the past was that I
>was really afraid of the descents and didn’t feel that I could ride down
>anything I could ride up (as with a bike). All fixed now.
Are you saying that (without brake) there were stretches that you
could ride up on your Coker but didn’t dare to go down? I have no
Coker experience (nor brake experience) but on a regular-size wheel
(20 or 24) I can go down anything I can ride up, but not the other way
around. Is the “dare” aspect stronger on the Coker because of the
height? 
Klaas Bil
If you had this signature, I have forged it.
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl writes:
>Are you saying that (without brake) there were stretches that you
>could ride up on your Coker but didn’t dare to go down? I have no
>Coker experience (nor brake experience) but on a regular-size wheel
>(20 or 24) I can go down anything I can ride up, but not the other way
>around. Is the “dare” aspect stronger on the Coker because of the
>height?
>
>Klaas Bil
THere are DEFINITELY hills too steep to go down that are not too hard to
go up. It’s not nec the incline angle itself – it’s the length of the
downhill, too. There are tough hills to climb that are really hard to go
down in part bc getting UP the hill was so tiring itself! I have had that
experience. As a result, when I get to the top of such a hill, I actually
slow down even more so that I don’t accidentally get caught going too
fast. That works well.
David
Co-founder, Unatics of NY
Re: New Coker Rim Review anywhere?
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Yes that’s basically it. It wasn’t that those climbs are too steep to go
down without a brake, but it’s that they are too long. Your knees will just
die when you descend lots with no brake on the Coker. We use to not do some
rides at all and do silly and complicated car shuttles to avoid big 1000+m
downhills - no longer!
—Nathan
“Klaas Bil” <klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl> wrote in message
news:3d88f259.1006924@newszilla.xs4all.nl…
> On 18 Sep 2002 19:58:32 GMT, “Nathan Hoover” <nathan@movaris.com>
> wrote:
>
> >The one thing that always bothered me about Cokers in the past was that I
> >was really afraid of the descents and didn’t feel that I could ride down
> >anything I could ride up (as with a bike). All fixed now.
>
> Are you saying that (without brake) there were stretches that you
> could ride up on your Coker but didn’t dare to go down? I have no
> Coker experience (nor brake experience) but on a regular-size wheel
> (20 or 24) I can go down anything I can ride up, but not the other way
> around. Is the “dare” aspect stronger on the Coker because of the
> height?
>
> Klaas Bil
>
> If you had this signature, I have forged it.