I have been wondering how I am going to spend my very long winter in Alaska and thought perhaps I would build myself a MUni. It would make for a nice winter project.
The item of most concern is the wheel. Rather than purchase a pre-built wheel set I thought I would try to spoke my own wheel, and I have zero experience with such a thing. I am wondering how difficult it is? I thought perhaps I would try and find a book on the subject- any recommendations?
Also, is there a massive difference in the frames? It seems odd that the Yuni-Cycle MUni frame (Nimbus?) is only $40.00 USD while the Hunter frames are $325.00+ USD. I have to admit the Hunter frames look quite snazzy, and are the cheapest of the ‘high-end’ frames, but what do you get when you purchase a high end frame? Do people break frames often? It seems like cranks and wheels are most important? One of my only prerequisites besides strength is a frame that can accommidate a nice wide tire.
Any suggestions on parts and accessories? I would like to build a MUni for about $500-$600+/- USD.
You are absolutely correct that people rarely break frames (aside from lollipop bearing frames, etc.)
What comes with a high-end frame is the recognition, the quality, sometimes light weight, brake bosses if desired, and the satisfaction that your frame wasnt produced in a bundle of a 1000+.
However, I feel that the Nimbus II frame is an adequate frame for MUni riding. A 26" NII frame seems to fit a 24x3 Gazz very nicely with enough clearance. Given your price range might I suggest this setup:
$044 - NII frame in 24"
$315 - Profile cranks/hub, 170mm black (includes bearings)
$064 - Nokian Gazz 24x3 with downhill tube
$039 - Alex DX32 24" rim in black
$018 - 36 14ga Marwhi black spokes
$028 - Snafu pedals
$134 - Carbon Fiber/Air Miyata with Roach cover (you assemble)
$642 - built MUni + shipping
And you do the assembling.
Make sure the frame is compatible with the bearings/ hub you’re going to use. Accord NSX included the Yuni frame with the Profile hub. I went to the pictures of the Yuni frame at unicycle.com and it shows it with what look like main cap bearing holders. I don’t think the main cap bearing holders are compatible with the Profile hub. Therefore, the profile hub won’t work with the Yuni frame.
Accord Nsx has real good advice, but I recommend double checking that. Of course, I could be wrong.
“jason” <jason.9ny5y@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message news:jason.9ny5y@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
> The item of most concern is the wheel. Rather than purchase a pre-built
> wheel set I thought I would try to spoke my own wheel, and I have zero
> experience with such a thing. I am wondering how difficult it is? I
> thought perhaps I would try and find a book on the subject- any
> recommendations?
Either build a wheel using the instructions at
which isn’t too hard and will get you a good wheel if you’re careful.
or get “The Bicycle Wheel” by Jobst Brandt if you want a book that tells you
absolutely everything about building wheels.
You can use the unicycle frame as a truing stand if you don’t want to buy
one.
As far as the frames go, I’d go for the Yuni frame or one of the other cheap
ones cos even if you break it and want to upgrade you’ve only lost a little
bit of money and you probably won’t break it.
If you were thinking of going for a 26" wheel you could get a nokian studded
tyre for winter riding.
I’ve built a couple wheels with the help of Sheldon Brown’s web pages. These were bicycle wheels, and I just used the frame for a truing stand. It’s a really great feeling of acomplishment when you build a wheel. I felt like a Jedi Master;) I’m going to build a unicycle wheel one of these days.
cheers…Joe in Iowa
It’s hard to say. I’m assuming your using the Yuni sticker to signify the front of the unicycle? However, the Nokian Gazz tire seems to be going along with the seat. It’s possible that the frame was flipped around, but the seat post clamp is also going with the seat.
hmmm,
never looked at it like that. i was referin’ more to the fact the pedals seem to be goin’ north, while the rest o’ the {y}uni seems to be goin south…
i thought the gazz looked correct with regards to the seat, but 'tis a little early on this coast…
thanks
doc
It’s hard to say. I’m assuming your using the Yuni sticker to signify the front of the unicycle? However, the Nokian Gazz tire seems to be going along with the seat. It’s possible that the frame was flipped around, but the seat post clamp is also going with the seat.
Looks like they need to flip the wheel around in the frame, or just switch the cranks around. Good eye, by the way, I never even noticed it last night.
>>Good eye, by the way, I never even noticed it last night.
thanks! not enough caffeine when i looked. thought i was hallucinatin’ at first…
forgot to mention in the first post that accord’s uni recommendation looks like a good setup for your budget, jason. i have a Yuni 26" for my street cycle an’ i like it. it weighs half a metric ton as compared to the hunter, but you can always upgrade it next year. for $44 it’s a helluva frame…
doc
There isn’t a lot if difference in MUni frames. It’s not like bike frames where the frame geometry dominates the behavior and handling of the bike. On a unicycle the frame is just there to keep the seat above the wheel. On a MUni it is the wheel and cranks that define the ride rather than the frame.
The Yuni frame is a good muni frame. The flat crown lets you play with one foot skills. The frame fits a 3" tire. It’s all good. You would have to work hard to break a Yuni frame.
What you get with the Hunter is a knee friendly rounded crown instead of a flat crown that can jab you in the leg, but the rounded crown is no good for playing with one foot skills. The Hunter has beefier bearing holders and can fit a regular bike seatpost rather than the wimpy 22.2 unicycle seatposts.
My only wish for the Yuni frame would be for it to fit a larger seatpost size. A 25.4mm would be better cause you can get good alloy (yes, Greg, it’s aluminum alloy) seatposts in that size. The Yuni takes a 22.2 seatpost which limits you to the standard unicycle seatposts or 7/8" steel BMX seatposts. The problem with the steel BMX posts (yes, Greg, they’re steel alloy) is that they’re heavy. But keeping with the 22.2mm unicycle seatpost keeps the Yuni standard and keeps the costs down. Getting a bike seatpost and rail adapter for the seat gets spendy.
Take the money you save by getting a Yuni frame and put it towards a better wheel, better pedals, better seat, better cranks, better hub and other goodies. Splurge on the wheel, skimp on the frame.
Silly John Childs. Of course he’s being facetious here. No one knows better than him that “steel alloy” is redundant. Steel is an iron alloy.
But here I’m commiting orogeny with the portico of a burrowing insectivore. Any geologist worth his saline precipitate (Kris Holm comes to mind) could tell you that.
It says on unicycle.com that the 24-inch Yuni/NimbusII frame doesn’t have enough clearance for the 3-inch Gazz tire (so get a 26" frame), but judging by what you all have said, it sounds like it would work fine, or is that only with Arrow 3" tires?
>
>It says on unicycle.com that the 24-inch Yuni/NimbusII frame doesn’t
>have enough clearance for the 3-inch Gazz tire (so get a 26" frame), but
>judging by what you all have said, it sounds like it would work fine, or
>is that only with Arrow 3" tires?
Roger at unicycle.uk.com sells the NimbusII 24" frame with a Halo
Identiti Contra 3.0 tyre. Mine is underway.
There is a picture of a nimbusII frame on our site showing the clearance on
a 24" and 28" frame
It does depend on what you are doing with the unicycle whether you think
there is enough clearance. If you are in a muddy area or one where you will
pick up stones then too small, but otherwise it is possible. Do check with
John though that they have not changed the spec of the Yuni frames.
Hopefully he will confirm this.
Cheers
Roger
The UK’s Unicycle Source
----- Original Message -----
From: “Klaas Bil” <klaasbil_remove_the_spamkiller_@xs4all.nl>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.unicycling
To: <rsu@unicycling.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: Thinking about building a MUni
> On Wed, 21 Aug 2002 15:36:54 -0500, JonnyD
> <JonnyD.9r6da@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >It says on unicycle.com that the 24-inch Yuni/NimbusII frame doesn’t
> >have enough clearance for the 3-inch Gazz tire (so get a 26" frame), but
> >judging by what you all have said, it sounds like it would work fine, or
> >is that only with Arrow 3" tires?
> Roger at unicycle.uk.com sells the NimbusII 24" frame with a Halo
> Identiti Contra 3.0 tyre. Mine is underway.
>
> Klaas Bil
>