Reeder handle orientation

General
1

I’ve recently started to grab the seat on rough ground, uphills and downhills and am thinking of buying a handle for my Muni.

I still haven’t worked out which hand is best for grabbing.

When hopping I’ve been using the right, but this may be because I’ve been going straight into hopping from the mount and I hold the seat in my right hand when mounting.

Tending to use the left when rolling off curbs etc.

I’m actually left handed, so my question is, for those of you with Reeder type handles, do you use the same orientation handle as your handedness?

2

I use a left hand handle.
I am very right handed.
I hop with my left foot forward.
I prefer to pedal grab with my left foot.
I usually carry keys/change in my right pocket.

3

Right handed
Hop left foot forward
Hop better using right hand.
Landed my first pedal grab to rubber yesterday. Used left foot and right hand.
My Reeder is right handed and oriented almost horizontal to the seat nose. More comfortable right handed but very useable left handed.
Keys and change in right pocket. Cell phone in left.

unihandlecrop.jpg

4

Argh, Too late to edit. Make that CRANK grab to rubber.

When grabbing for up or down hill riding I prefer my left but use which ever is waving around the least at the time.

5

I’ll make an exception and be long-winded and digress…

Hold your thumb up at arms length, so that your thumbnail appears to cover a suitable sized object in the distance. Now shut your left eye. If your thumbnail still covers the object in the distance, you’re “right eyed”. If the thumbnail moves to one side, you’re “left eyed”. This is how archers tell which is their natural side for using a longbow.

If you stand with your feet side by side, about shoulder-width apart, and a friend pushes you suddenly from behind, one foot will go forward to stop you falling over. That is your ‘leading foot’. Some surfers/skateboarders suggest beginners do this simple test.

The point being that, in complex activities, it isn’t a simple case of being ‘left handed’ or ‘right handed’. Right handed people eat with their knife in the right hand and fork in the left; but if they only use a fork, they transfer it to the right, even though it is doing the same job. Left handed people tend not to transfer the fork from one hand to the other.

So, which is your ‘natural’ seat holding hand?

Do you usually hold the seat when you freemount? (I do.) Which hand do you use? I use the right hand, whether I am freemounting right foot or left foot down - which means I am doing a different set of movements if I mount right foot down from when I mount left foot down. It isn’t a simple mirror image.

I knew without any shadow of a doubt I would want a right handed handle.

If you need another test, I’d say ride along a floodbank (US = levy/levee - remember to give way to any Chevies you encounter, especially if the levy is particularly dry, as the occupants may have been drinking whiskey and rye and this could be the day that you die). Ride along the floodbank “hands free” and then turn to ride straight down the steep side. Which hand grabs the seat to slow you down?

If you don’t know then there are two possibilities:
(1) It would be premature to buy a handle, or…
(2) In this respect, you are ambidextrous and any old handle will do.

Mike

6

I found that while staring at my thumb prepairing to block out the object that I was looking at two instances of the same object and had to choose which one to block out. I ping-ponged back and forth for a moment but ultimately I chose the one on the right so I guess I’m right eyed.

Anyone else have a momentary dominance discrepancy?

Cheers,
Jason

7

I forogt to mention (drum roll) you’re OLD Mike! :stuck_out_tongue:

8

Or perhaps he likes Madonna…

I tried the eye test thingy, and went to hold up my right hand to cover something, and found I was right eyed. However I suddenly thought about using my left hand, and this time I was left eyed! I think it is because when I stuck my right arm out, it was easier to be right eyed. Being left eyed would mean I would have to move my arm further to the left which would be uncomfortable. Similarly, it felt easier to be left eyed with my left hand. If you don’t know what I mean, just stick up either of your arms, in the fashion described be Mike, and move your arm so that the two images of thumbs cover the object. Try swapping round which thumb covers it. I think that this shows that eyedness (like handedness) is more to do with what feels more comfortable.

9

Mike, the ‘Archers eye’ would have been a good idea, unfortunatly I came across it years ago and my brain knows what I’m up to when I try it which means it varies and I’m fairly conscious of the double image.

On balance, I think my left eye is dominant.

If you don’t know then there are two possibilities:
(1) It would be premature to buy a handle, or…
(2) In this respect, you are ambidextrous and any old handle will do.

I think it’s (1), so I’m going to do loads of seat grabbing over next few days and subject it to analysis.

10

(This was in response to Jason wittily remarking: <<I forgot to mention (drum roll) you’re OLD Mike!>> )

I can assure you that given the choice of being old or liking Madonna, I would buy a pipe and a pair of slippers tomorrow.

Of course, Jason, if paraphrasing the song infallibly puts me in an age group, then recognizing the song from the paraphrase must put you in the same age group… :wink:

11

I am finding a similar result. In the past I have done it and back then my right eye was dominant. Now when I try I get two see-through thumbs with both eyes open, and either one disappears when I close different eyes. Foolish, I don’t think the hand you use should affect it. Hold your thumb at arms length and in the middle of your view. I am interested in this reeder handle orientation thread, because I have seen some reeder handles which seem to be mounted differenly to others. Sofa’s handle goes straight across at the front, and others I have seen come out on more of an angle. I was wondering, does the angled handle make it better for your dominant hand but less ambidextrous? Which way is best to avoid leg interference?

12

And if also recognizing the source reference for the line “…and the jester, on the sidelines, in a cast.”, you must be both in the same age group and a semi-licensed health care professional.
Nurse Trixie

13

I found this picture of a different handle angle at Chris Reeder’s site. It has a far different angle compared to Unibriers one. I don’t know what point I am trying to prove, I am just wondering what difference it makes I guess.

handlefront.jpg

14

I chose orientation by which hand seemed to be the smartest at flailing around in the air; the other hand got the handle.

You can orient the handle by what angle seems good to you. If you are having leg interference problems, then cut off up to 1". Be sure to put on a bar cap or plug to keep the end from cutting your leg.

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25416

15

Re: Reeder handle orientation

I tried a Reeder handle on my muni last year and I couldn’t get used to it. I actually tried three different Reeder handles, each of them was welded at a slightly different angle, and none of them were comfortable for me. I had problems with finger room and also with getting used to holding the seat handle at a slight angle. I’m used to the Miyata handle and I hold it squarely in front and not at an angle at all. I gave up on the Reeder handle. I liked it for climbing, but I couldn’t get used to it for general riding and jumping.

At the Moab Muni Fest Steve Howard gave me modified Kinport handle to try. It’s modified by routing out top of the handle to make it possible to wrap your fingers all the way around. I had problems with the stock Kinport handle because the ends of my fingers would get boxed up in that little confined space. The modified handle is absolutely great. I love it. It’s strong and there is no flex when I push and pull on the handle while climbing. It will also fit either hand equally well so there is no need to make a decision about whether you want a left hand or right hand version. The bottom edge of the finger hold is square and angular so I slit a short piece if vinyl tubing and taped in under the handle. The vinyl tubing rounds out the bottom of the finger hold and makes it very comfortable.

You could modify a Kinport handle yourself by cutting away the plastic at the top. Mine came from Steve already modified so I don’t know what would be necessary to cut the plastic. Here is a thread where U-Turn (Dave Stockton) explains how he modified his Kinport handle.
<http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22333>

The Kinport handle with extra finger room is now my handle of choice for muni.

I’ll attach a picture of my muni seat with the modified Kinport handle. You may also be able to see in the picture how I’ve taped up the vinyl tubing one the underside of the handle, but the photos don’t show that very well.

kinporthandle3.jpg

16

I should have linked to the Kinport handle on unicycle.com. Here it is
<http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=609>

17

OK, here’s a picture of the underside of the handle. You can better see how I slit the vinyl tubing and taped on under the handle. The vinyl tubing rounds off the edges and makes it quite comfortable to grab.

kinporthandle4.jpg

18

That tubing idea is great, John! I didn’t think of that. It seems natural since we’ve done it for the seat under-edges, but it sure escaped me.

I think that this modified Kinport handle is the best ambidextrous MUni/trials handle available in the world today. It’s also the best value for money/time.

19

After being unseramouniously probed by the Reeder handle on Max’s pimp ride, I’d have to surmise that the handle wasn’t straigt. I didn’t have an opertunity to see any chicks ride it- so can’t say if it’s an equal opertunity handle.

-C

20

my reeder handle isn’t straight either,
here a picture of it in my bed.
the bellend ™ is visible.

the kh seat however make riding seat out in back a lot more comfortable