Lightening up a unicycle

[Unisammie]

I have a Koxx one Alien Backflip, and it is too heavy for me...........are there any tips for lightening it up.........i don't want to buy to much stuff and don't want to really do anything that will weaken the unicycle.:confused::confused::eek::cool::D;):p:(:confused:

[knoxuni]

Ti hardwear:20-100$
Drilling bumper and handle: free
Cut down seat foam:free
Shaving tire (try-all is best for shaving) : free
Cut off extra seat post:free
Plastic pedals:9-20$
Lighter cranks:10-90$
Single bolt clamp:free-20$
These are all the cheap to free ways to do this
If ya got a little bit of money try these
Stainless steel spokes or ti spokes and nipples
Single wall rim
CF base
Mad4one hub or KH Ti
Carbon fibre frame
CF handle or bumper
Light pedals echo tr

[Unisammie]

thanks....im gnna do the drilling of the bumpers and cut the seatpost,............im also gnna buy some plastic pedals

[knoxuni]

or try a light weight tube if you are not fat like me :) another good thing is drilling the seat clamp if you want serious weight loss

[Dane M]

People have also drilled their moments, and no reports of that causing problems yet, so that may be a route to take.

Does drilling the bumpers really do that much?

[knoxuni]

i dont know. but i think they have the same koxx cranks as you

[Dane M]

Yeha if they're the tubular K1 cranks I would be hesitant about drilling em, I don't think they're solid.

[knoxuni]

They are not solid

[Dane M]

They are not solid

which doesn't mean that they are un-drillable, I just don't know of anyone who has done it.

[tinman]

why would you lighten up a uni when you need all the strength you can get, unless you're 100 lbs the risk of breaking things is too much to justify the gram counting and I'm 210 lbs and ride a handbuilt frame with kh moments hub and crank

[Dane M]

why would you lighten up a uni when you need all the strength you can get, unless you're 100 lbs the risk of breaking things is too much to justify the gram counting and I'm 210 lbs and ride a handbuilt frame with kh moments hub and crank

If you can lose weight without weakening the uni, why not do it?

[knoxuni]

i am 220 also

[maestro8]

This question has been asked since the beginning of time.

Years ago, I have written the definitive thread on lightening one's unicycle. It covers the modification of all materials from metal to carbon fiber.

You would have found the thread if you searched for it... "I want my unicycle as light as possible" (http://unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46018)

Does drilling the bumpers really do that much?

Dane, you're so busy asking questions, you're not taking any time to think about the answers!

How much does a whole bumper weigh? 100 grams maybe? Say, one percent of the unicycle's total weight?

Give yourself the Pepsi challenge... do you think you could tell the difference in weight between a unicycle with and without the bumper?

After that challenge, remember that you're only drilling out 20-30% of the bumper's mass...

[knoxuni]

I barly have a bumper it weighs like 25% of what is used to:)

[Dane M]

Dane, you're so busy asking questions, you're not taking any time to think about the answers!


To be honest it was really more of a rhetorical question, and should have been worded more in that manner.

I don't see much of a point in drilling a bumper or handle, it's like losing a few pennies... but lose 100 pennies and you have lost a dollar. So if you're going to drill a bumper, you might as well go full out with CF and every other weight savings possible, otherwise it's rather pointless.

[knoxuni]

Ya but if you want FREE weight savings that is a good way to do it.

[Dane M]

Ya but if you want FREE weight savings that is a good way to do it.

Yes but it's free to remove the bumper completely as well, just don't drop it on the back of the seat! :p

[knoxuni]

Ok I only have the sides of mine and a little middle part so ya its light