Well thanks for the explanation.
I still think you should conform and let the finger braking develop but whatever floats your boat is what’s best for you.
What would concern me most would be dumping the uni and damaging the brake.
I keep looking at your pictures and try to understand what is involved in making this. It just looks so incredibly complicated, like building a better mouse trap. I’m all for simplicity in unicycling. I keep my set ups simple, for me it makes everything go better and my riding more enjoyable. Braking is hard to learn, I do better with the rim brakes I have on my udc 29 and 32 because I have them adjusted to just drag and slow me. The discs I have on my 24 oracle, 26 nimbus muni and nimbus 29 road have been hard for me to adjust to. On my kh t bars I have my brake lever positioned on the down post toward the T and angled to the right where I can grip it with my ring finger and pinky. I can get enough leverage and control with out removing my dominant hand from my handle bar. I am able to do this comfortably even with wrist guards on. Just a note on all of my unis except for my muni I use riser bars like you would use on a hybrid bike instead of the plastic ones you get with the kh t bar.
Nothing really new, but I have found something pretty fun while trying to find the best position for my brake:
Based on a regular KH t-bar, I was looking for a bike-similar braking position. The issue is that the KH t-bar is too narrow to let you use it as bike handlebars. So I had to find a way to make the bar larger. Guess what? KH seat posts internal diameter is almost 22.2 mm. That means you can use an old cut seat post to have longer bars! Not tested it yet, I’ll give it a try tonight.
Looks like it could be a real leg catcher on a front off UPD. You will have to say how it works in a UPD.
I don’t think it will be a real issue. Or, at least, not a bigger issue than my aerobars and my previous bar ends. But I’ll say how it works once tested!
Some quick tests yesterday and this morning: the braking position feels amazing. As expected, it’s really similar to a bike-braking position - the brake lever is where it has been designed to be and the fingers spontaneously go on it.
Quick questions. How is it moving from an aerodynamic position to an upright to operate your brake? Have you moved into a more upright stance to shift your weight backwards for a decent?
Not sure to get your questions right
It’s been a long time since I have use the aerodynamic position. I have gone through a difficult phase when I was unable to be stable on a fixed uni - I have had a bad fall after switching from freewheel to fixed uni on a muni day and I have needed lots of time to get back onto a fixed uni. Now I’m back but not really reassured to use the aerobars. So I can’t really reply to your questions as of now. I have planned a 50 km ride on Saturday, we’ll see how it behaves!
Let me rephrase, it looks like you have to pull back completely off of the resting position On your aero bars to operate your brake, that seem like you are moving your riding position a great deal to operate the brake. I could be wrong. I’m not one to tell anyone how to ride,if it’s working for you that’s all that counts. Have a great ride.
I’m not sure. I have ridden my unicycle for 6 months with a similar setup but brake lever was on the t-bar. I could keep one hand on the handlebar while the other one was operating the brake. Not the most comfy position but it worked. I’ll have to give a try with this new position, though.
Thanks for your cheers, mate! Have fun, too
I’ve been enjoying my M40 Handle Saddle + ISM saddle setup for quite some time now. It’s my favorite so far. But I’ve also come to realize that the Handle Saddle base is not really important to me as I exclusively hold the handles/bull horns at the end. So I have long been toying with the idea of building something similar with a regular seat post…
Parts list:
- Split nose saddle (an ISM clone)
- 27,2mm regular bike seat post
- 27,2mm → 31,6mm shim (ideally it should be 31,8mm but I had no issues with 31,6)
- A piece of 22,2mm handlebar (just a piece of a regular bike handlebar)
- 22,2 → 25,4mm shim
- 3 x bike bar ends / one cut short to just hold the brake lever.
- 180 degree bike stem
- Folding bike stem 300mm - description said tube was 28,6mm but it was in fact 25,4mm
- 25,4mm → 28,6mm shim (because of above mistake…)
I ended up using some other longer bar ends than pictured and I also had to angle the nose of the saddle a bit downwards to get the best comfort.
It’s very stiff and also quite lightweight. Seatpost, seat and handlebar is ~1300g in total.
Like it so far, obviously best suited for seated riding with two hand on the bar. When standing up in the pedals it feels a bit sketchy
Nice setup!
Those stems you found look perfect for low fabrication diy handlebar builds
Nice DIY build indeed !
Seeing the picture, I wonder how does it feel riding? Does it feel like you need to reach down (aero-like) or is it just the picture giving this false impression ?
It feels like I have to reach slightly downwards when riding but I believe physics/balance makes it slightly less aggressive than it looks like in the first picture I posted.
I think it rides similar to the angle pictured here but unfortunately I don’t have a picture in motion…
Also a “cockpit” view. If you look closely you can see the “clamping screws” on the 180 degree stem just in front of the nose of the saddle. I touch them slightly when riding and it’s the only minor issue I have with this DIY solution.
Btw if someone wants to tweak this setup with a different handlebar position I suggest getting a 28.6mm seat post and a regular 1 1/8"->25.4mm stem. It would obviously be possible also to use a stem with an adjustable angle for a flexible but a bit heavier setup.
The important part in this setup is the 180 degree bike stem connecting the seat post to any tube of 28.6mm (or smaller with a shim). The rest is just about creativity.
I had the same thoughts, and that’s part of what led me to the realization of my new 29" frame.
In my experience, handlebars that attach under the saddle are fine for muni.
For road riding, long & stiff handlebars are a real plus. This type of handlebar or specific frames are more suitable.
Not having the front bumper can be confusing. To handle easily the unicycle (mounts, stops, technical sections), it’s best to have the handles positioned close enough to you.
In any case, I think you need at least 2 positions to optimize comfort and handling.
Is the inner bore of the 180 stem 28.6mm throughout? Or only for the clamped section near the end?
Unfortunately a 28.6mm tube cannot be inserted further than the clamped section.
Just a few pictures of two other handlebar setups build using my previous ideas described a few posts above. They are slightly less aggressive than my first build and by moving the 180 degree bike stem downwards / away from the saddle I also experience less rubbing of the bar from my legs.
I love it!
Do you use a stem for 25.4mm handlebars, a 22.2/25.4 shimmer and a 22.2mm tube?
How do you feel your new setup compared to the old one with the M4O handlesaddle base?
I feel that the handlesaddle base, which is 7 cm wide in front of the saddle, can be a useful support with the thighs when mounting or idling. On the other hand, when riding, it’s a source of friction for the thighs.
I really like the ISM saddles. The KH fusion one saddle I have on my G36 is really uncomfortable by comparison. But its shape and handle are useful when mounting or idling.
I’m thinking of a 36" frame in the spirit of my 29" frame (with an ISM saddle, a stable extender, maybe with a small frame bag too… but that also increases lateral wind resistance…), but also with a support not too far forward of the saddle to make mounting easier.