In that case, any fresh brake rotor will probably be a major improvement. A consistent brake is a smoother brake and a grease spot will make any brake inconsistent. As the first start, I would just get a 180mm disk.
Make sure to clean up the pads (or replace) to get rid of all contamination if you keep the same brake. Perhaps a fresh bleed, clean & lubricate the pistons, just generally make sure it is in good working order. It’s a very common setup, if it is working normally, it should be totally usable.
You can of course swap in the BR-MT520/BL-M4100, I personally would not expect any major improvement, but worth a try since you have it around.
Possibly it is smart not to touch fixed wheel uni’s when getting into freewheeling, but I have only 1 freewheel uni and 13 or so fixed wheelers (incl UW’s) Maybe @Ulkicycling can come up with a freewheel UW
But I think after 10 years of riding fixed wheel and ur body being used to just stopping the pedals to regain backwards balance will make it very difficult to use a brake at such cases instead.
The only time I would have both hands off the seat would only be when going very steep uphill. Naturally with flat riding, coz I don’t know what to do with my hands, so they are on the handle bars, on the seat, in front of my chest, everywhere basically without flailing.
For now Im full on getting my 36" UW under control. My aim for now is stable freemounts as well as being able to ride 1km.
Ultimately I went back to fixed, for the same reason, I had 5 other fixed unes, and could not ride them, just sat not being used for 3 years. Plus fixed riding is easier and more forgiving.
Sold it a few months ago, and I am still not as good, as I was before learning free, basically like learning fixed all over again. Are the skills transferable, eer not really, for me anyway. It just messed with my head far to much. I can still forward crank mount and double foot jump mount easier than I can do a conventional freemount. Something I could do easily, before learning free.
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So… good advice so far.
Initially I had a single piston 160mm on my 36 and braking gave me some trouble. I now use a Zee (simpler Saint dual piston) with 203mm and braking is never a problem, even on steep muni downhills.
So, I would say 180mm is okay but 203mm is better.
But I did get what you’re getting at. A few years back when I first upgraded to a 180mm disc on my 26" muni, I felt the brake modulation was too “digital” meaning on/off, so I changed back to 160mm.
Now I would say that a more powerful brake/disc generally makes it easier to modulate.
As has been suggested, brakes are different as are pads.
As a first and less expensive step, I would replace the disc and use organic pads.
If that doesn’t work, then I would try a dual piston brake. Lastly, then upgrade to 203mm (for 36 muni very nice to have, but for road 180mm should be more than sufficient).
It’s funny that just yesterday I had thoughts about brake modulation for the first time in a long time… and because I was riding my freewheel. I found myself wishing for the old modulation adjustment screw that old disc brakes like Avid around 2010 used to have. I think it changed the pull distance ratio to force.
I love the Shimano Zee/Saint, but it did seem like the old adjustment was great (back then I would set it to soft for wheelie riding on a two-wheeler when I would ride for >1km wheelie. Do any current brakes have that adjustment still?
Interesting… I would say I take a little bit of time switching I’m both directions but it doesn’t seem to be a huge problem. Although I did have a problem with ghost shifts in both directions: riding in fixed and then suddenly freewheeling and landing on my butt as well as coasting nicely and suddenly engaging and (almost) landing on my face. For this reason I have removed both shift buttons. If I have a major UPD in fixed where the uni flies it sometimes switches to freewheel, but I notice this immediately as it freewheels as I roll it to mount. As I tend to not switch back and forth too often, this has been working out okay.
Last week I did a ride on the FlickFlock and first rode freewheel on XC like trails. Then for a hard-core DH trail I switched to fixed. I think I was probably slower than if I had ridden fixed before (as my confidence going over obstacles was lower from the freewheel), but otherwise not so much a problem. At the end I rode down a steep asphalt road and kept wanting to coast (actually I did then stop and shift as coasting is more fun). But I would just describe it as feeling a bit off and maybe more cautious…
Although I get what you’re saying… Actually, I was thinking that in the long term the freewheel practice should -improve- my fixed technical riding as riding freewheel trains keeping really centered and balanced… But I still haven’t ridden so much freewheel, so guess I’ll have to see how that works out.
@MUCFreerider “Hope” brakes have a modulation screw, mounted at the back of the lever, the front screw adjusts reach, rear screw biting point. I found this very useful, certainley when learning to coast. If you wanna take up the travel in the lever, or make your brake less or more effective. Retarding or advancing the screw a couple of notches makes quite a difference.
I usually buy second hand off ebay, the Tech 4 V4 is the latest model and usually cheaper than the Tech 3 e4 but both are IS mount. The Tech 4 has stainless steel coated pistons and silky smooth.
It also comes in black or silver.
@MUCFreerider mixing fixed and free, was beyond me. I like riding both and the origional plan was to switch between the two.
For me anyway, I am just not gifted enough. Dont get me wrong, I preferred riding free wheel, its just so more fluid and I enjoyed the little brakes in pedaling. My skills are reasonable in both.
Perhaps I should have mixed my training, I just found, if I swapped, everything I had learnt on the other, just went out the window.
Big respect to anyone who has learnt free riding and coasting, anyone who can swap between the two, is a uni yoda
I set out with only one objective, to prove that anyone can learn to ride free and coast, even @ 55, and that I did.
Do I miss it, yep big style
@MUCFreerider, Things that have transferred, is improved balance in fixed, like you say more centred and balanced, I also tend to ride, with my weight further forward and a better posture. Braking and one handed riding have improved massivley.
Although if I am riding fixed, I find I get sloppy, just because the balance window is bigger and you can get away with more, not intentionally, but I do it.
That just moves the bite point, it changes the amount of empty lever travel before the pads engage. Available on quite a few brakes, not just hope. (Honestly still beyond me why anyone would ever want more empty lever travel, on no brake have I ever had this set at anything other than the minimum.)
Some brakes also have an adjustment that directly changes the leverage ratio.
Personally, I’ve found that it’s all just a matter of what you are used to. All I want is consistency, I can get used to everything else.
Freewheeling is fascinating. But I gave up the thought of trying to learn it - I mean you don‘t have to join every hype, do you?
But the more I‘m reading about it the stronger the itch… So please, everybody, stop it and get back on topic. Thank you!
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Pipifax is only available with the QUAX interface, right?
If it only has to do with QuAx, then that is your answer to trying a freewheel from a different brand.
Just wanted to say that you are really missing out when you don’t want to join the freewheel hype. Just the idea of going downhill, feet in the air and controlling the speed with the smooth braking, the wind in your hair.
But by all means get back on the topic of braking with non-freewheel unicycles, where you can just brake by rotating backwards.
Actually, you just apply a braking force on the backpedal . Backwards rotation usually means backwards riding (or crankflips, but that won‘t do much in terms of braking anyway).
Any recommended wheel size for freewheels? My guess is: bigger is better because rolloverability.
The Flik Flok hub switch on the fly between fixed and freewheel modes - yeah, that’s the main point!
The Pipifax hub provides an instant engagement: as soon as you start pedalling, it moves the wheel forward. On the other hand, the Flik Flok hub doesn’t provide instant engagement. However, its engagement is pretty fast compared to other options, such as the Nimbus Drift Trike hub.
The Pipifax is completely silent, whereas the Flik Flok produces some noises. It can creak, but it is apparently normal based on Marco’s experience and knowledge
Sometimes, the Flik Flok can switch gears without your input. It’s rare, but it can happen when the hub withstands a high load, e.g. when you jump.
A new Flik Flok hub costs 3 times the price of a new Pipifax hub
There are many colors for the Flik Flok hubs, whereas the Pipifax hub is only red and gold
And… As far as I remember, that’s all for the differences between both hubs.
The ability to switch is nice - I could cycle fixed to the location where I want to practice and then simply engage the freewheel. On the other hand that‘s only really needed in the beginning.
A used one is still twice the price… I need to think over this and determine how bad the itch really is. Then gauge this with my fear of falling on the bum plus the consequences of my wrist injury. So for now I think I pass.
Agree. I am tall (6’1"/185cm) and have ridden a lot of Muni and Freestyle and starting with 27.5 was ok but very strenuous and challenging. My first few times, when I got tired (beginning freewheel is more strenuous than almost anything I’ve ever done) I could hardly mount without immediately falling…
So I would say start with 24-26" unless you’re tall and then 24-27.5" unless you’re young and really ambitious.
Thank you! 
. Backwards rotation usually means backwards riding (or crankflips, but that won‘t do much in terms of braking anyway).
