You Know!
Hey Turtle, Very nice, I can appreciate both of your new frames. I think little-Peter is either very short or not thinking of where the Center of Gravity will be, but I know he will catch on.
Liddle-Peter, Thanks for reviving this thread.
We’ve all got our own personal riding styles and favorite positions, so I wouldn’t dare to tell anyone what would be best for them. But as the lucky owner of Florian Green I can tell you what I like about it and what I think could be better. Hopefully this will help other people make better frames.
Florian Green is made from a reconfigured Nimbus frame (if you want specific details I can provide them) which is inherently soft, so it has a fair amount of flex in it. Enough flex that, when coupled with a Schlumpf, the tire can rub against the frame a tiny bit when under stress. This is not a big deal at all, but it could be better. Starting with a couple of KH frames like Turtle did would make for a stiffer frame.
With the handlebar set up I have now, I can imagine wanting to stretch out a little bit farther. A wider angled “V” would allow that, but the problem with a wider angle is that if the handlebars are too far forward then there is nothing close to the seat to grab onto. (Turtle addressed this problem by mounting a small handle directly on the seat post.) The arrangement that I have allows for a fairly wide range of riding postures and handlebar grip positions. I can sit upright with a close grab on the handlebar when climbing hills and still stretch out when I’m in high gear on the flats. Having aero bars really allows for a diversity of grip positions. I highly recommend them.
Unicycle frames are becoming more and more specialized. The “V” frames are a great example. Even within the “V” frame class there is plenty of room for specialization. A wider V would make for a better smooth terrain speed machine. Think of Ken Looi breaking the hour speed record. (He didn’t use a “V” frame, but that would be a perfect application for a wide-angle “V” frame.) There would be no need for a handle close to the seat. The rider would stay stretched out and fast.
If you want a unicycle that is more versatile, then you would want to allow for a closer range of grip points. This is what I have now. The angle of my “V” is about 27 degrees. It’s good for single track trail riding and flat out fast riding. My top speed so far is 35.0 kmh. I have no doubt that a wider angle with a farther reach of the handlebars would help in higher speeds.
One minor issue to keep in mind when designing a “V” frame is that when the rider is stretched out in front, the seat will need to be tilted a bit more forward. When the rider returns to the more upright position, the seat is better tilted a little bit back. Without having a seat angle that can be adjusted on the fly this may seem awkward or uncomfortable. When I look at your quick and dirty sketch it seems that your frame would be difficult to ride with an upright posture lest you slide off the front of the seat. (I’m not saying that it’s a bad design, it’s just that that arrangement would be great for time trials but not great for riding that required an upright posture.)
There is a lot more written about these topics, as well as pics of other “V” frames, in the “Road Unicycle Set-Up and T7 Handle Modification” thread that was started by Ken. I did a quick search and saw that V frames were discussed around entry #430. It’s a really long thread, I’m sure the topic came up numerous times. Here’s a link to the page with entry #430: Road Unicycle Set-Up and T7 Handle Modification - #436 by naturequack
I’m glad to see that more people art still scratching their heads on this issue. Keep the new ideas coming.
Geoff
I see V-frames for unicycles sort of being like trailers for Motorcycles. At some point a motorcycle with stereo and huge windshield, bags and a trailer becomes a two wheeled car.
At some point a unicycle becomes a one wheeled bicycle. Fine for those who want it, but most likely to remain a niche product. Like tandem bicycles, useful for those who like that sort of thing, but not mainstream
Just my .02
Maestro, every now and then you knock it out of the park!
Am I the only one wasting my money on dye penetrating crack testing before going out riding?
a cycle with one wheel (without a motor) will ever be a unicycle, and have you ever tried to ride a v-frame? i’ll tell you: it’s much harder then to ride a bike or even a “normal” uni (at least as long as you’re not used to)
iv’e spoken to a guy and he showed me this thread, it’s exactly what i had in mine, however mind would be made of tubing 
i’m glad you came back with different points of view as it’s given me things to think about that would not otherwise have any importance!
iv’e spoken to a guy and he showed me this thread, it’s exactly what i had in mind, however mine would be made of tubing i’m glad you came back with different points of view as it’s given me things to think about that would not otherwise have any importance!