I would also love to get the Muniac/Wiler handle, but the cost is too much for me. Also, I would love to have a rear bumper to match (maybe I’m too over-concerned with color schemes). I think Steve Howard is also working on matching rear bumpers.
There’s a lot of anger surrounding the price of the Muniac/Wilder handle (settle down, guys, its UNICYCLING). Anyway, I think Muniac researched, planned, and designed intricate CAD plans for the handle, which he turned over to a professional CNC machinist (high priced skills, I think) to have them each cut from a fairly expensive block of specialty plastic. Each handle, I believe, is identical and matches the CAD plans exactly.
Steve Howard, on the other hand, I gather to be just a chill guy playing around and researching what can be done with the handles and CNC. He has some experience with the stuff through work, but I don’t think he does it all the time. His stuff is in the prototype stages, I don’t think he’s doing CAD plans, and he’s cutting each one in a trial and error sort of way. He told me himself he isn’t completely satisfied with the product yet, and he seems to me to be a guy researching, playing, and doing the whole labor of love thing - and he’s definitely not ready to sell them yet. He may end up with a product just as righteous as the Muniac handle, but he’s just getting started.
I apologize if I’ve gotten any facts wrong, but I think you guys can see why the prices are so different. I think Muniac has done a boss job with this handle, and if it costs $75, I’ve got no reason to disagree with him. After I tinker around more with my saddle plans (and probably after I try the KH saddle), I might decide to spring for the Muniac handle. It would be sweet of him to offer a rear bumper to go along with it, though.
Looks like a good place for me to jump in with an update on my CNC handles…
I have indeed built several sets of black and white handles and bumpers. I sent Harper 5 sets to distribute, as he mentioned, and I have two sets myself but other than that there are no others and I haven’t sent any to unicycle.com.
I’m open to the idea of getting some to unicycle.com for resale but only after they’ve been proven. My problem with testing stuff is that I’m not skilled enough to REALLY give it a workout, so I need other people to help with the abuse! I did screw a handle on the end of a board and whacked the daylights out of it on a rock. Didn’t break.
The material I’m using is UHMW which is very impact resistant, inexpensive (relatively) and light but it’s kind of tough to machine and end up with a nice finish. I’m not happy with the way the bumpers turned out finish wise. They’re flimsy and hard to hold on to so there’s some tool chatter. I think I can improve though.
Anyway … at this point in time I’m so busy with my “real” work that I haven’t done much with the handle/bumper project. I’d also like to get some feedback on the handles and bumpers that are already out there before I make another batch.
obviously, a lot of you guys are visiting and lurking at MUniac.com.
That’s GOOD!
For those who haven’t, I encourage you to check it out, sometimes there is some very usefull stuff on the bulletin board and the info in the tips section is superb.
The site visitation is growing and hopefully the Bulletin board will also grow over time as well.
Again with the anger, and this time I can’t tell if your yelling at me or trying to take my side. I don’t even have a side. I’m just here for the unicycling, man.
I’m just saying a matching rear bumper would be cool. But I’m the first one to admit that that’s silly and unnecessary. Oh, and I’m not saying I’d only buy it if the rear bumper was included in the $75…clearly, that would be a seperate piece with a seperate price. At least the rear bumper wouldn’t have very complicated design plans.
Anyway, I dig the R&D everybody is doing. Right on.
I was a little bit blown away at the price originally. I wish I was able to ride so I could ultimately decide if I like the Miyata style handle or my Reeder. I think I’ll find myself waiting around for the KH Velo seats to come out. I’ll most likely order one of those to try out, and depending on my review of that decide to go with the new Wilder Lift handle, or the Steve Howard version.
Anybody here own one of these? Were you able to install it? Was that on a CF sadle base, or a stock Miyata? I’m sure each handle is just about identical- but the Miyata sadle bases may not be; I’m thinking this might explain why the bow for the sandle edge might not fit.
> I personally own two cars which permanantly keeps one off the
> road does that equate to owning no car ?
Not really, but you’re helping the economy by buying one and not driving it
Would griping at Exxon lower the price of gas? I think it will remain a
seller’s market as long as people can’t live without it. Some of us can
live without it (more power to ya), but most of us are stuck with the need
to drive.
On that note, I just rode my unicycle to work today, for the first time
since I’ve been working at Anderson Solone (www.asinet.com). More about that
on a separate thread…
> I don’t agree with, “Design and make something better and/or cheaper
> … or shut up.” I think we are all entitled to discuss and or
> complain about parts. It is what motivates improvement.
For what it’s worth, I never broke one of the old (Japanese) handles. The
last time I had a broken Miyata handle was way back before they had
“handles” on the front. And those breaks were usually associated with winter
cold.
I will try to develop some unicycle handle systems that do not rely on the
strength of the seat base to hold them together. This is because all my
Miyata seats over the years used to eventually break around the front of the
seat post, or broke the plate at the top of the post instead. So take the
stress off the seat. If you have a handle out front, that’s attached to the
seat post, you can eliminate the Miyata bumper entirely.
But these new handles look like the ultimate solution for people who just
need a simple handle, and want it to never break.
“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
I was fortunate to snag an old Miyata saddle from Tommy back in the “Help, I can’t find a Miyata seat anywhere” times. That one never gave me any trouble, and it’s a shame the new ones came out the way they did. I guess that’s what we get for complaining about the sea foam green color.
“John Foss” <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote in message news:mailman.1028846355.10983.rsu@unicycling.org…
> I will try to develop some unicycle handle systems that do not rely on the
> strength of the seat base to hold them together. This is because all my
> Miyata seats over the years used to eventually break around the front of
the
> seat post, or broke the plate at the top of the post instead. So take the
> stress off the seat. If you have a handle out front, that’s attached to
the
> seat post, you can eliminate the Miyata bumper entirely.
>
> But these new handles look like the ultimate solution for people who just
> need a simple handle, and want it to never break.
I think Dave Mariner sold a seatpost attached handle prototype at the BUC, I
don’t know if he’s doing them as standard yet though. Looked like a Reeder
handle, but I think it attached to the post like a bar end does. I didn’t
look too carefully cos I was avoiding having to make myself buy stuff at
that point.
> I think Dave Mariner sold a seatpost attached handle prototype at the BUC,
I
> don’t know if he’s doing them as standard yet though. Looked like a Reeder
> handle, but I think it attached to the post like a bar end does. I didn’t
> look too carefully cos I was avoiding having to make myself buy stuff at
> that point.
Dave kindly gave me a handle he’d made similar to the Reeder one. It was
attached
in the same way, not to the seat post, and made from two curved sections
rather than
three straight ones. Only two holes on the base though, on a diameter, so
the handle
might wobble a bit when fitted. Didn’t get the chance to test that, and the
handle
didn’t fit onto my existing DM seats - front bolt holes too close together -
but I believe it
is fine on his newer model.
I’m sure I gave it to someone who might do a good job of reviewing it, but
can’t
remember who. Anyone?
I will speak to Roger Davies of unicycle.uk.com he might able to help me,
They are far from indistructable because the part where the bolts attach have hardly any plastic to suport the handle and mine has cracked through, they are still easy to break but they are by far better than the standard myata.
What seat base did you have it mounted on? Was it a carbon fiber base, Miyata plastic base, Miyata base with some added stiffener and reinforcement, or something else?
