My arrivial home from work late this evening was marked by the presence of a small note, colored with UPS brown and gold. About the same time I found the note on the kitchen counter, my wife confirmed what I already knew. Uni.5 was here.
Tommorow, I will have it assembled and running at mach speed. It is my hope to share the adventures of Uni.5 here in Sacramento with everyone on the forum on a daily basis. I will keep you posted.
-Carl
That’s a snazzy looking box you’ve got there, Carl. I shipped one about the same size to Los Gatos, CA months ago but it didn’t look anything like the one in your photo. What’s in it? The one I sent had a unicycle in it.
Uni.5 Last Stop
Day two on Uni.5 began with challenge, thrill and excitement and ended with an undeniable feeling of awe. It was a hair-raising ride and definitely lived up to all that I thought it might be.
While, by some stroke of luck, I was able to mount the beast on my first try, I did find a couple of immediate challenges. The first being that mounting and riding Uni.5 is kind of like riding a bicycle left in high gear from a complete standstill. The movement is sluggish and difficult to get used to.
After learning to deal with a small amount of backlash, the only other immediate challenge that I faced was in making quick compensations, especially slowing or coming to a sudden stop. Like it has been said before, though, this is something that would probably be remedied with a different wheel/crank combination.
Once accustomed to Uni.5’s obvious differences, I think the vast majority of unicyclists will find the ride to be incredibly fun, lively and white-knuckles fast. I couldn’t help but smile every time I got on it and I can only imagine what this technology will mean for the future of our sport. It’s almost frightening.
Bill of Bill’s Bikes
Bill, of Bill’s Bikes, sells previously owned bicycles in the front yard of his home in Vacaville, California. I first met Bill when I happened across his outdoor display of wheeled vehicles and started poking around and asking questions. Bill’s eclectic collection is something of a living-history meets retail sales and used parts supply operation. All of Bill’s machines are clean, safe and recently serviced, bringing them to a top-of-the-line second hand status.
After looking at some of his things, I started in with the questions about old bicycle hubs that used sun gears and began trying to explain how this mad scientist in the Pacific Northwest had used this technology to create a geared unicycle. Interested, bus seemingly puzzled, Bill dug up an old Shimano three-speed hub, rim attached, and freely gave it to me to disassemble and study so that I could figure out how these things worked. The only thing that Bill asked in return was that I tell him more about this Frankenstein-like creation and that I give him back his hub in it’s original condition after I finished tearing it apart. We both laughed and he sent me on my way.
The photo below is if Bill getting a first-hand look at Uni.5 during it’s Sacramento stop.
Re: Bill of Bill’s Bikes
Carl-
Send Bill to my website:
http://staff.washington.edu/gharper/
where there is more than he’ll ever want to know about it. Hope you’re goin’ fast and havin’ fun.
Day Three
Late in day three I took a leisurely, medium-distance ride along the American River Bikeway near downtown Sacramento. All things considered, my ride was great, outside of an abusive saddle and one unpleasant UPD.
The ride was 5-miles long on an out and back run and it took me a total of about 40-minutes. Uni.5’s traits and characteristics seem to mirror those of shorter rides with the exception of a slight, yet incessant pull to one side. I constantly found myself trying to compensate for that minor inconvenience. It was like the hour-long pebble in my shoe.
The UPD came when I tried to make a sudden stop and ended up loosing some skin from the back of my right lower leg. All in the name of science.
What a dedicated researcher. I hope that just made you mad and want to speed up some.
I am undaunted.
This afternoon, the bolt that holds the frame tab in place worked it’s way loose and fell out. But I retraced my steps, or pedals as it were, and was fortunate enough to find it.
This evening John Foss, John Hooten and Hooten’s Boy Scout Troop will have a go at it.
The assembly that holds the frame tab to the frame is made of four parts (five now that Keith added a shim). There is a brass, round head shoulder bolt top and a brass, hex shoulder bolt back. The back is tapped to accept a 10-32 stainless steel button head screw. The top is drilled 10-32 clearance. The two shoulder, or shank, sections are 3/8" diameter. There is a rubber washer and the washer than Keith added that goes between the tab and the frame. Did you find all of the parts? Can you post a photo of the re-assembly so I can see if all the parts are there?
Re: The Last Stop
“harper” <harper.7hyj0@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:harper.7hyj0@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
> The assembly that holds the frame tab to the frame is made of four parts
> (five now that Keith added a shim). There is a brass, round head
> shoulder bolt top and a brass, hex shoulder bolt back. The back is
> tapped to accept a 10-32 stainless steel button head screw. The top is
> drilled 10-32 clearance. The two shoulder, or shank, sections are 3/8"
> diameter. There is a rubber washer and the washer than Keith added that
> goes between the tab and the frame. Did you find all of the parts? Can
> you post a photo of the re-assembly so I can see if all the parts are
> there?
>
>
Calm down, Greg…Calm…Down
Its sounds like you are describing a lost child to the police. I’m sure the
uni.5’s picture on the milk carton will be enough for its safe return. :o)
Doug
You beat me to the punch with that missing child remark, Doug. It made me laugh, hard. I still chuckle when I think about it now because it was so true. Sorry Greg.
Anyway, Greg. I’m pretty sure that I found all of the pieces and everything seems to work just fine.
The meeting tonight went well. Everyone that rode Uni.5 seemed to really enjoy it and I have asked that they incorporate their comments into this thread. I personally will post more details and a photo tomorrow when I get a little more time.
Thanks again, Greg.
-Carl
Thanks for the photo, Carl. That says it all. Glad you participated in the tour and it’s too bad that you are wearing the red badge of courage alone on the back of your leg.
I can’t believe you and Doug are so insensitive. I had just called all of the dairies in Wisconsin (like looking for your keys under a lamp where there’s light) and wired them a snapshot of my missing baby for all of their milk cartons. Now I have to recall them all…and you two are just laughing at my trauma. I thought this was a tight community. Where’s the compassion…where’s the understanding…hey, where the heck ARE my keys?
RE: The Last Stop
> The meeting tonight went well. Everyone that rode Uni.5
> seemed to really enjoy it and I have asked that they
> incorporate their comments into this thread.
I rode Uni.5 in march, at its first stop with Nathan Hoover. That was a
different unicycle. The only part that might be the same on the one I rode
yesterday (other than the hub) is the seat clamp and quick release. And I
only say that because the quick release was worn out. Every other part has
been changed! This newer version was a much nicer ride, with its Kovachi
wheel, nice tire, and plenty of side clearance with the Semcycle XLW frame.
When I rode the original in March, the tire was rubbing the narrow frame.
The red Viscount seat has lost its front bumper somewhere along the way, so
it’s looking a bit used. The pedals are nice and grippy, but you saw what
they did to Carl’s leg. It was still looking disgusting yesterday. The cycle
has a different set of cranks and pedals on it (apparently there are three
sets of cranks in the box), and everything else was different.
I’m glad Carl worked out having Uni.5 brought to Sacramento. Though I’d
talked to him on the phone and seen his pictures, I still hadn’t actually
met him until yesterday! A really nice guy, and an amazing photographer.
Can’t wait to see some of his shots from last night. He was using a Nikon
professional digital camera, cranking away 3.5 shots per second or so.
I rode the Uni.5 through the USA/IUF Obstacle Course, which John Hooten had
set up for practice. I managed 26.4 seconds in the one run we timed. I
couldn’t go all-out because we couldn’t get the seat tight enough to not
twist with the worn out quick release. In any case, I don’t think the Uni.5
will be a contender on that course, as it’s not designed for quick
acceleration and braking.
John Hooten was having trouble getting started on the uni, and I told him to
not look at the wheel, and pretend he was mounting his Coker. This seemed to
work for him. Looking at the wheel you know you’re just going to see stuff
you’re not used to. Plus you’re not supposed to look down when learning to
ride either.
I zoomed around the big paved schoolyard, rode forward, backward, and idled
on it. I also did some spins and pirouettes, and rode in and out of wheel
walking, which was a little strange. I did a sloppy backward spin, and a
successful side mount.
I tried to do a kickup and was surprised at the result. I usually do a
kickup with the top pedal 90 degrees back from the frame. When you kick up,
the pedal automatically goes to the bottom and you continue from there. Not
so with the Uni.5. I came up into what you might call a stillstand on an
ultimate wheel. Because the wheel did not roll back, I was immediately off
balance, and the seat banged to the ground. I tried it a second time, but
stopped after that because I dropped the seat both times.
Unfortunately, I again forgot to bring the stickers with me. I’ll try to
remember to bring some to NAUCC/UNICON for it (or the box).
Also unfortunately, I think I may have done something to the cranks on my
first try at a timed Obstacle run. I tried to accellerate too quickly, and
felt something give before I fell off. After that, the cranks were out of
alignment (on my timed run). This was at the end of the night, after all the
kids had left, and we didn’t examine it in great detail. Hopefully the
cranks were just on too lose. I hope it’s nothing permanent.
Thanks again for touring your unicycle around the country so all us unicycle
nerds could play with it!
Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com <http://www.unicycling.com>
“This unicycle is made all from lightweight materials. But it uses a lot of
them.” – Cliff Cordy, describing the very heavy new prototype unicycle he
brought on the Downieville Downhill
Re: RE: The Last Stop
How is it that you’re always in the right place at the right time?
You’re very welcome. You have no idea how much fun it has been for me to do this. Thanks to all who participated and especially to David Stone who conceptualized the tour.
Unicyclists are not nerds. Look around you.
RE: The Last Stop
> How is it that you’re always in the right place at the right time?
It’s at least a three hour drive between the school in Granite Bay and De la
Veaga Park in Santa Cruz. I was mostly down there for the Sea Otter Classic!
> Unicyclists are not nerds. Look around you.
Uh, all I have to do is read the posts on this group to disagree with you…
JF
Re: The Last Stop
On Tue, 9 Jul 2002 10:48:16 -0700, John Foss <john_foss@asinet.com>
wrote:
>Thanks again for touring your unicycle around the country so all us unicycle
>nerds could play with it!
That needs a small correction in capitalisation as in “all US unicycle
nerds”, unfortunately.
Klaas Bil
RE: The Last Stop
> >Thanks again for touring your unicycle around the country so
> all us unicycle nerds could play with it!
> That needs a small correction in capitalisation as in “all US unicycle
> nerds”, unfortunately.
Klaas seems to be trying to exclude himself from all of “us” U.S. nerds. But
then, in another post, he wrote:
> Are you talking about 25 kilometers or 15 miles? The two do not
> equate, as 15 mi is only 24.14 km.
I rest my case.
JF
Re: RE: The Last Stop
I think Klaas is commenting on the fact that uni.5 only toured the U.S. so only U.S. unicycle nerds got to try it.
I don’t think Klaas was trying to excluded himself from being classified as a unicycle nerd. We know better.
john_childs
Wrap Up
Thank you to everyone who took part in Uni.5’s Sacramento stop, most importantly Greg Harper. Looking back on it, I can honestly say that I feel Greg is a pioneer on the leading edge of our sport and it is because of forward-thinkers like him that scores of average riders, like me, will see the next level in unicycling.
A direct comparison between Uni.5, as it is today, and the 36" Coker, is almost too close to call. I think an equal number of riders would choose one over the other for their own individual reasons. But, if a hub like Greg’s was available like any other component, I think it would be commonplace to see myriad unicycles of varying design sharing the same technology at heart. Most of the riders, however, would still be geeks and nerds.
Pictured below, world-record holder John Foss puts Uni.5 through it’s paces on the obstacle course.
Pictured below, world-record holder John Foss puts Uni.5 through it’s paces on the obstacle course.
