i have heard that the noodels break off easy? is that true?
what exactly is a noodel
those new little tubes on the new kh frames
Does anyone even have the new frame yet?
David
Re: Noodels on KH frame?
From whom did you hear this? I don’t think there are many of these frames out in the field yet, so it seems unlikely. If they were really breaky, Kris would have done something different on the design.
But we will see…
If so, that is a good thing. I would not want noodles on my frame. The top of it looks square enough to hold a foot on there and the noodles look silly. I think the old KH things look better for grip but I haven’t tried the noodles in practise so I don’t really know how practical they are. Maybe it is possible to buy the frame without the noodles cos it doesn’t seem like all the ones pictured have them. The noodle is the hollow tube on top of the KH fork for extra grip when putting feet on the frame.
i dont think you should be worried about it. to me it looks like the frame is well made. the only things i would worry about breaking (on the hole Uni). would be the cranks and hubs because in my opinion they take the most stress and also the pedals. unless you have profile?
the 2004 frame looks like it might brake more then the 2005
what-ever dude
none of them ever did and i would have heard about it by now if there was one that broke…they are made of steel, these newer aluminum frames are the ones to worry about. also, if the bearing caps are Aluminum too then everyone doing trials sould ask if you can get replacement caps since one over shot crank grab onto the cap and its “cracksville”
Hi,
I bought a KH Pro Trials frame in September, and that thing has withstood the beatings. There are a few scratches, but it hasn’t broken. I’ll be using it for a few years, before I get another frame.
evan
sorry i didnt know the new ones were made from aluminum. i wasnt saying that they would break i was saying that they might break. i still dont think they would ever break since there are design to withstand huge drops and such. plus i dont think that the frame takes that much of the wieght its mostly the cranks and hubs. i made a wakeboard pole out of aluminum and it hasent broke yet so i dont think its anything to be worried about. 
kh noodels
i have enough money to buy the new one but i dont want it. i am going to get the 2004 one. I know looks don’t really matter but i think the new kh frames looks stupid. does anyone know if it is available in anything other than blue too?
has anyone broken a 2004 model frame?
Are the bottom bearing caps made of aluminum? That would seem risky on a frame designed for the abuse of people like the ones on this forum. At least on a Trials frame I would expect an aluminum bearing cap to take too much beating, and be exposed to a lot of potential grinding or otherwise abuse to grind it away over time.
i dont know yet, thats why i brought it up…i’ll find out soon though
With recent developments in frame, hub and crank design, surely someone’s built a beefier bearing cap, no?
Hi,
A lot of thought went into this frame and in my opinion it’s by far the best frame design now available. Here’s some comments.
First, my priorities for the 2005 design:
- Stronger
- Stiffer
- Lighter
- Narrower fork crown.
- Improved bearing housings
I’ll address each of these in turn:
- Stronger.
Properly heat-treated 7005 aluminum with the geometry used for the fork crown and blades is super strong, redundantly strong in fact for the forces generated during unicycle riding.
There’s 1/3 more weld contact area in the fork crown compared to most frame designs, due to the U-shaped reinforcement. With this combination it’s strongest frame available for the weight.
- Stiffer
Larger diameter ovalized tubing makes these frames extremely stiff. The U-shaped reinforcemnt extends reinforcement close to the brakemounts which eliminates frame flex in the critical area where braking occurs on the 24" and 700c frames.
The standard for frame stiffness and strength was actually set by the requirements for the 700c frame, where the longer fork blades put a lot more leverage on the frame. This makes it really, really stiff for the KH20 frame with the shorter fork blades.
- Lighter.
These frames are 30% lighter than the 2004 KH frames.
- Narrower fork crown
Flat crown frames are great for one-foot tricks but they are a little prone to knee bashing. Rounded forks eliminate this but then you have nowhere to put your foot for one-foot tricks.
It makes for expensive manufacturing but the KH design combines the advantages of both in an approach that also makes for a much stronger fork crown.
As far as the “noodle” is concerned: Why all this talk about how it looks? Fact is- if you glide on a 24" or 700c MUni frame, your foot on the frame is scrunched up more than on a 20" and it helps a lot if you have grips for control. Try this out and you’ll see what I mean.
- Improved bearing housings.
Bearing housing design actually makes a big difference to the life of your bearings. The new bearing housings are CNC machined with ridges on either side of the bearing surface, and the bolt-holes and housing are one piece of metal for increased strength. The bolt holes are also centered across the bearing surface, not the entire housing, to make sure the bearing is supported properly.
As far as bearing housing durability goes:
First, a major point: Neither grinding nor pedal grabs should come anywhere near your bearing housings! Bashed bearing housings is a pretty good sign of bad technique and something to work on avoiding.
That said, on the 2005 frame, the housings are thicker and one-piece so they shouldn’t be any less durable than the 2004 KH frames. In any case they are much, much stronger than the stamped metal housings found on most cheap frames (ie the bearing housings secured with nuts and bolts).
Lastly, the frames are only one part of what has been a year-long process to redesign and upgrade the KH unicycles. I’m excited about how they’ve turned out and will post some photos as soon as they become available.
Kris
true, i brought it up mainly because durring the learning process mistakes happen and a hard hit on Aluminum is never good. i hope for the sake of accidents and for spare parts reasons a super expensive uni will have extra bearing holders available.
Thanks Kris for all the detail. You confirmed my earlier comments about how these are like the next level in unicycle frames. I will eventually have a Trials version.
I didn’t notice if you mentioned the material of the bearing caps. From what you wrote I gather they are made of the same material as the rest of the frame. I for one do not intend to grind on my bearing caps, and don’t know how much abuse they get from trialsists and learners. Anyway, It definitely sounds like a good idea to make replacements available. Then everybody’s happy.