Cool to see this project taking shape. It looks pretty good!
Interesting solution for the spokes.
Would be great to hear a full ride report on this one.
I wonder if there will ever be 32" unis in production.
But I won’t wake up my old thread in which I tried to convince the world of the necessity of a 32" wheel size now. :o
did you get a custom triton made? it seems you haven’t used a 36" or 29" standard frame. Very interesting build by the way, you are truly an inspiration to all of us with you innovative styles.
Very cool, Eric
it is a Triton triple muniframe as you find here but has 20mm more hight to fit Erics “frankentire”
Looks like different tyres are made different ways - my test ones were the same rubber all the way through, so no peeling worked. I hope to try with other tyres sometime. I just had the cheapest ones I could find to experiment with (CST Selecta 700c 38mm)- they say ‘nylon’ on the side, which may give some clue.
It’s cool to hear that it is holding up this well. Keep us updated!
What’s the thinking for the folding bead?
Sam
Yup, custom triton. Like Jogi said it is based on the triple mount frame but a bit taller and with disk break tabs.
It also fits my 29x3.2 with clearance for something around 29x3.7 if I ever want to go truly endomorphic with my 29.
Why I think that folding might be better: I made the tire a bit too small thinking it might stretch a bit over time. Right now I have dips at the joints because the tire is sewn together but the beads just meet up and don’t overlap. I think that at those joints the bead must be pulled apart a bit pulling the tire down making the dip.
I could have avoided this by making it the right size to begin with or by making the bead stronger in that area, I figure with a folding bead I can overlap the bead and then wrap/sew them together better to make there be less of a seam.
I also think that they would be easier to work with and they are lighter. I think I am going to leave this one how it is but if I decide to make one for a 36 (or other big wheel) I am going to use some nicer folding tires.
On several occasions, I was thinking of “your” thread while reading this one.
But thank you for NOT waking it up.
Downsizing
hey Sam I now know what you are talking about but still think you can peel that sucker.
I was thinking of posting this in another thread but it fits with the conversation.
I just downsized a 29" tire I didn’t like to go on my 24" Guni, partly because I want to loose some weight compared to the Duro that is on there, partly because I wanted to test out my theory about using folding tires.
Started with an Intense System 29 tire
Peeled some thread off the casing, This was a lot harder than the last couple times, It seems I found a tire like Sam that does not have separate tread and casing rubber. I was peeling rubber right off the casing threads and it was stuck on there good, probably took 60 lbs of force to peel back a 1cm piece.
I cut the tire in half near where I peeled and measured out 1593mm (507*pi) from the peeled back section and marked where the next part should be peeled. Peeled off that chunk, cut everything to size and got ready to splice them together.
First I glued the casings together
Then I sewed them up, wrapping the beads tightly together.
Glued the flap down (had some trouble with this but eventually got it)
Mounted it up and went for a ride.
I think that this one turned out much better than the 32" with much nicer seams. The threads are protected under the tread and there is no bump or dip at the seam.
This is looking like a promising technique for making light weight 36er tires if you want, much simpler and easier than making a tire from scratch like my original plan.
Wow! While it looks like a lot of work, it looks awesome. It looks as if that tire will wear out before it fails for any other reason.
Did you do anything fancy with the bead?
Any reason for the backwards frame?
I overlapped the beads and used a needle and thread (not the sewing awl) and stitched through and around the bead all the way down the overlap. Should be pretty strong.
look again 
You are seeing the 26" brake bosses, there are also 29" brake bosses, the reason I am using this frame right now is the seatpost I have is too short in the 24" frame.
Ohhhhhh it’s a triton tripple frame.
Nope, It is a 07 KH29 with brake mounts added for a 26" wheel by Darren Bedford. It has been my main MUni frame for the past year and has served me well in both 26 and 29 mode. This is the first time that it has seen a 24" wheel.
I think you must be referring to the set of brake mounts in front. You probably missed the set on the other side. The frame is made to accommodate a couple different size wheels with brakes.
That was quick, after the last one!
What kind of glue and thread do you use? I haven’t found a glue that sticks tyre rubber with any strength yet. Is it linen thread? That’s what I had, but it started splitting off some of its twisted fibres as I forced it through rubbery surfaces, leaving it thinner as I went on. Thick polyester thread would be better?
Well done, again 
Sam
Edit: Nice hat pin.
What’s the date today? 
april fools
I’m ready to be wrong, but if it is an April Fools then it is one worth doing, as it looks like it works. Way too much work to set up as a fake, with all the sewing for photos etc. Seeing as Sask has actually made one of these things already, I for one don’t doubt it.
Sam
+1
If this is april fools then I have been building up to it for a couple years, put over a hundred hours into it and Jogi doesn’t have a tire…
Sam I used 50# test braided fishing line in the sewing awl and the white stuff is some thread that my mom had for sewing canvas tents, not sure what it is made of.
Went for another ride yesterday, the tire felt absolutely normal, no lump or bump felt or heard. With this tire and a light tube I saved over 1kg on the wheel compared to a Duro and DH tube. Geared up and in the 125mm hole it felt like a proper road machine.
I got to thinking last night that if this thing holds up (I can’t see why it wouldn’t) there might be a market for good franken 36er tires, MUni and road.
If someone wants to send me 2 folding tires (26 or 29) and $200 I will send them back a 36" version of what they sent. The joint on the last one took me about 6 hours to do.
