The Missing Link: A 32" unicycle, a' la Walmart and UDC

[Alice_Arctan]

American Science & Surplus has 30’ rolls for $9.50, but they’re burnt orange.

@LanceB

[T]he red ring around the hub is a 36-to-48 hole adapter. That’s one way of dealing with the spoke number mis-match. Others have simply laced up the wheel while skipping every third spoke hole in the wheel.

Fourth.

[Killian]

I just bought a 10 foot roll off ebay for 9 bucks that looks like a bit brighter orange. Hopefully it’s long enough…

[LanceB]

One roll was plenty for what I did. I probably have half the roll left over. My assembly was put together, but off the frame when I did it. (The lines were attached to the lever and the cylinders.) It’s a little tricky to get even, you have to overlap it for it to stick, and I tried to make it an even overlap, If you look at the close-up you can see I was more successful in some places than in others. It can probably be done on the frame, but easier if you take it off. I hung it up so the lines would be reasonably straight while I did it. That makes it a little easier.

(edit) You also need to stretch it in order for it to stick to itself. That’s what makes getting it even a little tricky. But I’m sure you’ll do fine. You might want to practice on something first.

[Killian]

Yeah, I think I’ll just take them off to do it. The half hour of setting them back up will be worth the effort. Thanks for all the info Lance.

Apologies for thread jacking.

[LanceB]

@Alice Arctan

Fourth.

Oops, you’re right. :o Thanks for the correction.

[LanceB]

mounting block model

Here are pics of the 3D model of the mounting block. The detail is clearer than the photo.

[Shmolagin]

@LanceB

Here are pics of the 3D model of the mounting block. The detail is clearer than the photo.

I must have missed something earlier in the thread, what exactly is this for?

[saam]

@Shmolagin

I must have missed something earlier in the thread, what exactly is this for?

Yes, please reexplain this from the beginning for those of us who’s time is far too precious to simply click back one page to see the photo.

[Alice_Arctan]

@Shmolagin

I must have missed something earlier in the thread, what exactly is this for?

Lowering the brakes.

[LanceB]

@LanceB

Now they fit fine, grip tight, and have room to be adjusted in and out. (I’ll post a picture of the 3D model when I get back to my work computer tomorrow. That shows the detail much better.)

Sorry, I should have quoted the original post for continuity. This relates to my post from yesterday about adapter blocks for mounting Magura brakes onto a KH36 frame, but made to fit a 32" Kent wheel.
3D model posted to show additional detail not obvious in the photo.

[timoteusmunk]

excellent job, LanceB

What a beautiful ride you have created. Love it to bits. The brake adapter design looks really good. Is it heavy, or did you hollow it out in places?

[LanceB]

Thanks much for the positive comments.
The blocks aren’t hollow, but they’re aluminum, so pretty light.
Overall, I’m impressed by the light feel of the whole thing. It feels about the same as my 26" (which is a heavy Nimbus). I’ll see if I can get a reasonably accurate weight and post it.
There’s a long, steep hill right where I work that I ride over and back at noon most days. It started out being difficult a few months ago (on my 26"), and gradually got easier. Today I did it on the 32", and it felt like the first time on the 26 again. But it’s surprisingly nimble. I think that’s due to the narrow street tire and the 150 cranks.
I’ll ride this one at the CicLAvia in April. It will handle the distance and crowds very well, I think.

[Alucard]

LanceB That is such a neat unicycle
I think I’d quite like a geared 32’’ as well. I’d probably make it my only unicycle. (maybe)

[Byc]

It’s a real beauty!
Congrats LanceB, you’ve built yourself one very nice unicycle.

@LanceB

Here’s a photo. Disclaimer: I’m not a machinist, and my apologies to any on the forum that are. This would look a lot better if done by someone who was good at it. I will disassemble them this week and paint them black, I think that will make them look OK. I would have done that already, but I wanted to test the fit and functionality first. As a point of interest (and for the benefit of anyone thinking about doing something similar), this is the second version of the design. The first one fit OK, but I realized when I installed them that I should have compensated for the width of the wheel. This wheel is narrower than the wheel the frame was designed for (I’m not sure exactly what that width is, but I think muni wheels tend to be wider than road wheels). When I first made the adapters, I lined up the new mounting holes directly beneath the original locations. The result was that the brake pad, when extended, barely reached the wheel’s braking surface. So I went back and put in an offset. (This means there’s a right and a left, which is slightly less desirable than one that works for either side, but that’s life.) Now they fit fine, grip tight, and have room to be adjusted in and out. (I’ll post a picture of the 3D model when I get back to my work computer tomorrow. That shows the detail much better.)
Here’s a view of the whole thing, too. I posted it earlier (before I finished the brake adapters), but I just wanted to point out that the red ring around the hub is a 36-to-48 hole adapter. That’s one way of dealing with the spoke number mis-match. Others have simply laced up the wheel while skipping every third spoke hole in the wheel. I’m sure it works fine, but I’m the obsessive/compulsive type.

[LanceB]

@LanceB

Overall, I’m impressed by the light feel of the whole thing. It feels about the same as my 26" (which is a heavy Nimbus). I’ll see if I can get a reasonably accurate weight and post it.

We have a fairly accurate scale at work and I weighed them both this morning. The 26" Nimbus is 15.6 pounds (7.09 kilos) and the 32" is 19.5 pounds (8.86 kilos). I guess it’s heavier than I thought. The hub is pretty heavy, and the adapter rings are stainless. The handle adds a little weight. I think my supposition that the narrower tire and 150mm cranks helping to give it a light feeling is probably correct.

[timoteusmunk]

cicLAvia

Let’s team up in April.

[Alan_Hogan]

Sunshine

There was blue sky’s and plenty of sunshine here in the Highlands today so I got the G32 out for a 39K run in training for the Dusseldorf marathon in April … I love my G32!!!

[LanceB]

@Alan Hogan

There was blue sky’s and plenty of sunshine here in the Highlands today so I got the G32 out for a 39K run in training for the Dusseldorf marathon in April … I love my G32!!!

That’s great, Alan. I really like mine as well, although I’m still getting used to the overdrive. 32" seems like a great size – big enough to ride distance, but maneuverable enough to go anywhere you like. At least that’s how it seems to me. It also makes for interesting conversations with other riders – it’s new to most folks.
Big thanks to Nurse Ben for starting this thread!

[Alan_Hogan]

@LanceB

That’s great, Alan. I really like mine as well, although I’m still getting used to the overdrive. 32" seems like a great size – big enough to ride distance, but maneuverable enough to go anywhere you like. At least that’s how it seems to me. It also makes for interesting conversations with other riders – it’s new to most folks.
Big thanks to Nurse Ben for starting this thread!

I actually find it more manoeuvrable than my G29… the tyre seems to suit unicycles, good job as there isn’t any choice

[HudsonAktau]

@Alan Hogan

I actually find it more manoeuvrable than my G29… the tyre seems to suit unicycles, good job as there isn’t any choice

Hm… Now I want to try G32…