Has anyone tried this before? If not, I’ll have to order it and try it. I don’t know exactly how it works. However, it seems that it can rotate freely because there is a ball bearing under the screw
What benefits are you hoping for?
I will guarantee you that it will not save you any energy, all it does is add an unnecessary component between the pedal and cranks. Every few years something comes along that in one way or another claims to improve power delivery on a bike - oval chainrings, z shaped cranks, L shaped cranks, oval chainrings but mounted 90° from the previous versions, much more complicated levers, you name it and it has been tried. None of them ever actually hold up to their claims.
I don’t know, I don’t expect anything. It piqued my curiosity.
I have to disagree with you on the oval chainrings: it was called Bio Pace and I had it on my first mountain bike. I thought it was wonderful and was better able to climb very steep places
unfortunately, as you would rotate by pedaling the distance from pedal shaft to center of axle would vary. changeing the virtual crank length and torque you would achieve. now what is the bennifit of potentually more pedal strikes on that rooted and rutted forest trail we all love to ride on? No chance of breakage and walking home is there? “just sayin”
I can’t really imagine it either, but sometimes you just have to try things out without studying a lot It’s not built specifically for unicycles, it’s supposed to be for bikes and especially useful for uphill riding. I can only remember the oval “Biopace” sprockets from Shimano in the early days of mountain biking. While they felt odd, they were definitely helpful when climbing hills. I was simply amazed at the oddity and threw the question around
I think, the effect on efficiency would be in the same direction, as it is from biking to unicycling. You have more freedom of motion, but no general gain of transmission of force. So, for covering a given distance on a unicycle, we have an extra energy expenditure for balance maintenance on top of the necesary work for physical transportation.
For this add-on, you will lose some of the solid conection from pedal to crank you are used to. So when you ride, your habbit of movement and the “program” your brain employs for muscle control will work the ususal way, including lateral force on the pedal in some positions. With the free rotation this pedal can move around it’s center, you will probably experience some shaking in your leg movements on the unicycle, since your habitual micro-control movements will kind of run into emty space, and not create balance support like you are used to. Probapbly a little bit like walking (or doing anything physical) when you are drunk, there will be a time-gap or mismatch between your action and the physical reaction. Or maybe like riding a fat tire with very low pressure.
So, for the energy saving claim, it won’t happen. For the fun of trying, go ahead, I would be curious what your experience is.
oh i have a lot of experience in “drunk unicycling” so see a chance for me
Same, not advising non-soner Unicycling but it’s a fun challenge. There were many rides in my 24" in winter to go get snacks.