I’ve been looking into this for a while, and I think that I might just go join the Peace Corps. Now, while I welcome any comments about that, my question is actually unicycle related (hence the RSU posting instead of Just Conversation).
I went to a meeting about the Peace Corps tonight and they said that each person is allowed about 80 lbs of luggage. It’s a two-year committment, so I wouldn’t want to go without riding for that long, and the recruiter said that it would be a good thing to have the uni.
So my question is this. What would be the ideal uni for taking into the middle of who-knows-where and being gone for two years? This is what I’ve come up with so far.
–I’d want a 20 inch wheel. If I go any larger, it would be very bulky. But a 20 inch wheel should be manageable.
–A collapsible frame would be very nice. Steve Howard has made some nice frames which break down into 3 (or 4?) parts. This makes it much more compact.
–I’d also want splined cranks. They would be easier to take on and off for transportation, and I think they would be lower maintenance when the closest bike shop is a couple countries away.
–I’d have to bring along a tire repair kit and a couple extra tubes (once again, lack of places to buy stuff), and I think I’d want a fatter tire, so I could do some MUni.
What other things should I consider?
If you have a Miyata seat maybe get an extra set of bumpers? I don’t know how fast these wear down.
Maybe an extra set of pedals? I am trying to think of anything that wears down.
I would recommend you splurge and get a really strong uni unless you already have one. You don’t want to break a crankarm or hub halfway through your stay.
If your are going to have a new frame built the pichlerrad frame could be an inspiration (see the attached picture).
I’d prefer steel over aluminum. If something breaks you’ll probably be able to get it welded.
I would have thought a carbonfibre base, cuz I guess most things can be fixed to an extent, but busting your seat would be hard to fix! But generally something as close to indestructable as you can afford!
Can you get replacement tyres / inner tubes for 20" wheels out there. I’ve heard bike tourists say that the 26" wheel is pretty standard everywhere.
Definately splined cranks and a good rim.
If I were you I’d get hold of a spare folding (kevlar beaded) tyre. It’s quite possible to get a tyre into a situation where you just can’t repair it even with a kit and they’re pretty small and light when folded.
Joe
Re: Peace Corps Uni
If you get the chance you should definately join Peace Corps. Do it
before you have commitments!
We were with CUSO (Canadian version of Peace Corps), Oxfam and the UN
logistics. It will change your life for sure. You should definately
take the Uni. Take something strong and simple. There will be no parts
available locally but there will probably be access to a courier
company if your desperate.
The main problem is that the countries you might go to are often very
hot. Heat exhaustion is a real problem even in the early morning, but
the locals will love it for sure!! Remember you will end up teaching a
few, so a 20" would be my choice.
I’ll leave the Unicycle discussion to others, but here is my Web site
for a bit of travel info.
http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~bps/
Brian.
Re: Peace Corps Uni
In article <paco.10s6mg@NoEmail.Message.Poster.at.Unicyclist.com>,
paco <paco@NoEmail.Message.Poster.at.Unicyclist.com> wrote:
)
)I’ve been looking into this for a while, and I think that I might just
)go join the Peace Corps. Now, while I welcome any comments about that,
)my question is actually unicycle related (hence the RSU posting instead
)of Just Conversation).
)I went to a meeting about the Peace Corps tonight and they said that
)each person is allowed about 80 lbs of luggage. It’s a two-year
)committment, so I wouldn’t want to go without riding for that long, and
)the recruiter said that it would be a good thing to have the uni.
)So my question is this. What would be the ideal uni for taking into the
)middle of who-knows-where and being gone for two years? This is what
)I’ve come up with so far.
)–I’d want a 20 inch wheel. If I go any larger, it would be very bulky.
)But a 20 inch wheel should be manageable.
)–A collapsible frame would be very nice. Steve Howard has made some
)nice frames which break down into 3 (or 4?) parts. This makes it much
)more compact.
)–I’d also want splined cranks. They would be easier to take on and off
)for transportation, and I think they would be lower maintenance when the
)closest bike shop is a couple countries away.
)–I’d have to bring along a tire repair kit and a couple extra tubes
)(once again, lack of places to buy stuff), and I think I’d want a fatter
)tire, so I could do some MUni.
)What other things should I consider?
My girlfriend, Nancy, was in the Peace Corps, and we just got back
from visiting the family she stayed with in Honduras. I brought my
MUni, and had a great time with it. The kids in town loved it; they
kept shouting “brinco, brinco!” once they saw that I could hop. Don
Paz, the head of the household, asked me to give a demonstration to
pretty much any guest who stopped by.
In Honduras, 80% of the land is on a 20% grade or greater, and like
most countries a with Peace Corps presence, most of the streets are
unpaved. There was plenty of technical downhill just on the roads in
town.
You won’t have a choice in your assignment, but when you find out
where you’ll be stationed, do some research and see what kind of
distances you’ll be expected to cover. You likely won’t have access
to a car, so if your territory is large enough to be worth unicycling,
and also small enough to be reasonably ridable, you might want to
bring a larger wheel so it’s easier to get around. It definitely
should be something with a fat tire.
The town where I was, Guaimaca, is sizable by Peace Corps
standards–about 10,000 people. (In Honduras, they call it a city).
There are bicycles all over the place, and a bike repair shop with
some access to parts. Most of the bikes there are cheap BMX or 26"
mountain bikes; you should be able to get rims, tires and tubes if you
have a 20" or 26". (This is probably true for most of Central
America–I don’t know much about Asian or African assignments).
I’d definitely want something with a splined hub, just because it needs
to last. A solid seat is also a good idea, since you won’t be able to
replace that–get one with a bike rail adapter, so you can use a bike
seatpost if yours breaks.
A good tool set is a good idea; there won’t be a lot of specialized
tools available. At least bring a full Allen wrench set, a vise grips,
maybe a spoke wrench, and tire irons.
Nancy will be at Moab if you want to talk about the Peace Corps.
She’d strongly encourage you to go.
-Tom
Re: Peace Corps Uni
This should depend on the type of riding you will do. If you’re trying to get anywhere, you’re not going to be happy with 20". If you’re more into transportation and trail riding and less into Trials, get a 26" wheel, which should be easy to find rims, tires and tubes for in nearly any country. Avoid 24", it’s far less common (even in the US, the vast majority of what’s available in 24" is for kids).
Not to take away from Steve Howard’s beautiful frames, but if you take apart your uni, the frame doesn’t take up much space at all. The advantage to a Pichler or Steve Howard frame is you don’t have to hassle with attaching it at the bearings; you can just take apart the top. When I fly with my MUnis, like to Moab in March, I just take off the bearing holders and pack the frames separately.
Splined axle: good. Tire repair kit: real good. Plenty of patches or multiple kits. I recommend you stick with a rim size that’s replaceable in-country. A Trials rim will be pretty strong, but you probably won’t be able to replace your tire. You can’t bring too much in spares, because when you add up a unicycle, tools, pump, and extra parts, it’ll eat into your weigh allowance quite a bit.
Carbon seat base is a good idea, as you can be pretty sure that part will never break. Next think about seat post and attachment. Make sure it’s beefy, or made of steel so you can get it welded if needed. A long-lasting unicycle for remote places will not be light.
Make sure you have enough tools to completely take apart and put together your unicycle, and change tires. Don’t forget a pump. An itty-bitty frame pump that fits both presta and schrader will serve you well.
Beyond that, bring spares of whatever you normally break due to your style of riding.
If it were me, I’d probably bring a 26" MUni with splined axle and cranks (shouldn’t need to replace cranks the way I ride). A beater Schwinn frame would be nice, if it came in 26". Any strong frame should do. Steel seat post that’s strong at the top, carbon seat base, and whatever you want on top. Spare seat cover.
Good luck!
I’d bring some spare bearings and a bearing puller.
Re: Re: Peace Corps Uni
I’m with John on this: Definitely go with the 26". You will use it for transportation, and for longer trips it will fit into all kinds of boats (the best traveling in many Asian countires) or a tuk-tuk [taxis – tuk-tuks are motorcycles with a 1-2 person trailer/carriage attached–the name is now used in Haiti, Thailand, Cambodia, etc and the name is traveling into new countries all the time].
26" should be easy to box up for plane trips too, without paying for oversize box. I just removed the pedals and seat post from my 24" to fly. 20" will frustrating and slow–but if you go that route, try it with really short cranks for traveling/speed. Don’t think twice about the luggage/weight restrictions–you can always ship it or pay extra. Just get a solid tough uni to your destination.
I have a friend in the PC in Haiti. Most places in the PC you will be riding on paths, or really poorly paved roads, or through rice paddys. Write again when you know which country you get assigned to, for more specific advice.
PS: I am NOT a uni newbie (like it says under my name), I just don’t know listserves/computers well, and can’t figure out how/why that appears.
Good Luck Paco; Peace Corp is a noble service.
Eth
Indeed!
Studebaker
Re: Re: Re: Peace Corps Uni
It really means “posting newbie” and relates directly to the number of posts you have submitted. My “posting expertise” rapidly outstripped my riding skills. You can change that designation under the user control panel.
Thanks everybody for your replies!
I hadn’t thought of using my uni for transportation. I was just thinking of using it for fun. But you all have a good point. I may have to get a 26".
The Peace Corps recruiter suggested that I have my uni shipped, so if I can make it relatively lightweight, I might just do that. And thinking of having a LBS (by which I mean, a b*ke shop within a couple hundred miles), I might not have to worry about it as much. I’d still go prepared, but there would be a possibility to get something fixed/replaced if necessary. I might go for somewhat cheaper components that could get trashed and then leave it there as my service ends. I’m still just thinking.
BTW, this wouldn’t be any time soon. If I do end up in the Peace Corps, it will be after I get married, which might be in another year or so.
Re: Peace Corps Uni
As someone who has traveled and volunteered on a number of projects in the 3rd
World, my advice is to not spend too much money–especially if you are going to
ship it. These things often get stolen in transit. Also consider the fact that
every kid will want to try it out. If you buy something too expensive, you will
get nervous every time that you loan it someone to try. Also you need a quick
release on the seat post, so that it can be easily adjusted for other people to
try and ride it. As a volunteer in the 3rd World, all of your possessions
become public property!
–Amos
paco escribió:
> Thanks everybody for your replies!
> I hadn’t thought of using my uni for transportation. I was just
> thinking of using it for fun. But you all have a good point. I may
> have to get a 26".
> The Peace Corps recruiter suggested that I have my uni shipped, so if I
> can make it relatively lightweight, I might just do that. And thinking
> of having a LBS (by which I mean, a b*ke shop within a couple hundred
> miles), I might not have to worry about it as much. I’d still go
> prepared, but there would be a possibility to get something
> fixed/replaced if necessary. I might go for somewhat cheaper components
> that could get trashed and then leave it there as my service ends. I’m
> still just thinking.
> BTW, this wouldn’t be any time soon. If I do end up in the Peace Corps,
> it will be after I get married, which might be in another year or so.
>
>
> –
> paco - Proud owner of 2 opposable thumbs
>
> And I have come to the conclusion that there should be one drunken
> indian in every unicycling movie from now on.
> --Sofa
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> paco’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3715
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/30176
>
Ethel_The_Tree
Shoulder of Fortune
Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Billy The Mountain
Good Luck Paco; Peace Corp is a noble service.
Eth
Ethel,
Your location is very funny, Rafael, and your sentiments are right on. If you can manage to juggle with all those tree branches, come to a NYC Unatics meeting soon.
PS. My friend in the PC in Haiti has been evacuated to Dominican Republic until the coup or unrest ends. Apparently its not the first time for PC Haiti.
BillyTheMountain
People often mistake me for JJuggle also. My goal is to learn the true identity of Billy, Ethel, and Studebaker Hawk. I notice they all showed up about the same time…
you mite want to look towards a certain Logan_A.
But you didn’t hear it from me