U-Turn <U-Turn.t7uz1@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>We just put brakes on David Bagley’s 43"er. Check out a couple of pics
>at David’s website:
The brakes look great on that cycle!
Who made the 43" big wheel itself?
Sincerely,
Ken Fuchs <kfuchs@winternet.com>
I believe it’s a Semcycle. It has a solid tire, although it feels like about 80 psi or so to the fingers. I wish I could ride it but it is a little tall for me with the 150s we had on it.
Thanks for the compliment, Ken. Both David Bagley and I, too, really like the way it turned out visually and structurally. We are just doing some fine tuning on the brake adjustment this next month. The techniques involved in using a brake, brake pad placement and wear-in, and the way the rim changes are all very dynamic at first. Hopefully we’ll be able to report soon on how well it works after the entire process has settled down.
The manager of our bike shop (also named David!) was key in selecting the proper brake and lever for the modification. A local welder reinforced the seat tube - frame connection. A local precision machinist drilled the mounting hole. I re-tensioned and trued the wheel, conditioned the braking surface, installed the brake, rebuilt the saddle, and the rest of the details.
I’m curious to know if this is the first time someone has put a brake on a unicycle larger than a Coker.
I’ll put up larger format photos here in the gallery very soon.
I have placed some larger photos of our project in the gallery. They are located here.
I’m still wondering if this is a first.
Re: big wheel brakes [was Re: 56 inch big wheel with 4.5 inch cranks!?]
U-Turn <U-Turn.tmdxa@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>I have placed some larger photos of our project in the gallery. They are
>located ‘here’ (http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albur89).
They look great!
>I’m still wondering if this is a first.
This is the first time I recall seeing a brake on a big wheel that isn’t
also a Coker.
Sincerely,
Ken Fuchs <kfuchs@winternet.com>
Re: big wheel brakes [was Re: 56 inch big wheel with 4.5 inch cranks!?]
>> U-Turn <U-Turn.tmdxa@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
[color=darkred]
>> >I have placed some larger photos of our project in the gallery. They are
>> >located ‘here’ (http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albur89).[/color]
>Ken Fuchs <kfcuhs@winternet.com> wrote:
>> This is the first time I recall seeing a brake on a big wheel that isn’t
>> also a Coker.
A fellow unicyclist had the following comment:
> Years ago when a penny farthing was converted to a unicycle the brake
> mechanism would remain intact on many of the conversions.
Does anyone out there know of such a penny farthing to big wheel
conversion where the brake mechanism was left intact and working?
If it’s not the first big wheel with a brake, it may be the first big
wheel with a (third party = non-original) brake added.
Sincerely,
Ken Fuchs <kfuchs@winternet.com>
Re: Re: big wheel brakes [was Re: 56 inch big wheel with 4.5 inch cranks!?]
I’ll go as far as to say it’s the first one with a Shimano brake.
<bike snob rant>
Bah! Why Shimano? Shimano is so… so… common. It’s the AOL of bike parts. I’d have gone for something like Campagnolo or anything but Shimano. Campy does some of their brakes in a black finish like the Mirage group. Campy parts on a unicycle - that would be cool.
</bike snob rant>