Putting a Coker tire on the Airfoil rim

Unicycles and Equipment
21

I just put the TA tire back on my “Coker”.

I had ridden the Coker tire for few hours, it felt really different from the TA. The Coker tire was squirrelly, and I felt that I was fighting the crown of the road all the way. It was so bad that I brought my cycle to a b*ke shop to see if I had spokes properly tightened, they were fine. I played with air pressure and seat position. My leg muscles are even sore from the difference in feel. Finally I took the Coker tire off and mounted the TA tire.

The TA tire mounted easily on the airfoil without tools, if anything not significantly more difficult than the Coker tire.

With the TA tire back on, my unicycle rode great again, it’s smooth, and I don’t even notice the crown of the road.

I’m really very disappointed, I wanted to use the Coker tire, partially to have the ‘Coker’ name on my uni, to save weight of the wheel and I like the knobby tread. I expected to feel the Coker knobby tread, and I did, that was OK since I felt it would allow me to get more venturous off the street. Riding on the Coker tire however was difficult and unpleasant compared to experience with the TA tire.

(All these mounts are with the big heavy 36" inner tube.)

22

Since my last post I’ve been hearing a voice in the back of head, “You really need to spend more time on the Coker tire to get used to it.”

Funny, it sounds like John Childs and I’ve never heard his voice. :slight_smile:

I’ll try that Coker tire again. At least I know the tires are easy to swap.

23

I can generally fit a Coker tyre without tyre levers at all or with only a little tweak at the very end. The key is to knock the tyre off the bead all the way around and hold it in the centre. I do this by laying the wheel on the floor and stepping one end of the wheel while I feed the tyre on from that point up pushing the tyre into the centre all the time.

The tyres do vary. Some are slightly greesy and that helps a lot. Others are really dry and I just rub a little washing up liquid on the inner surface before I start.

Off is another story… use the same technique but definately need a tyre lever to get it started.

Roger