Unibiker breaks one hour!

[unibiker]

Dan,

Here’s another time for the TT records. During today’s 25k ride, the 15-mile point went by at 59:48. 25k time was 1:02:02. This was from a standing start. Of course, I have to admit to cheating. At about the 5-mile point, I tossed the helmet when a wasp flew in and started buzzing around. You may have to penalize my time due to the advantage of less wind resistance.

Outstanding!

Could you give us more details?

What size rim & tires? What length cranks?

On Sat, 12 Oct 2002 20:47:10 -0500, unibiker
<unibiker.cfvdy@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>Here’s another time for the TT records. During today’s 25k ride, the
>15-mile point went by at 59:48. 25k time was 1:02:02. This was from a
>standing start. Of course, I have to admit to cheating. At about the
>5-mile point, I tossed the helmet when a wasp flew in and started
>buzzing around. You may have to penalize my time due to the advantage of
>less wind resistance.
>
>Jeff Baker
>unibiker@unicyclist.com

[john_childs]

Originally posted by hbaker1@pipeline.com
Could you give us more details?

Yah, like did you go back to get your helmet.
Congratulations on the ride.

[unibiker]

Originally posted by hbaker1@pipeline.com
Outstanding!

Could you give us more details?

What size rim & tires? What length cranks?

This was done on my 27 speed contraption (which I failed to specify because Dan is familiar with what I'm riding. He's placing my times in the Open Category to prevent confusion with the Cokers), so this info may not be helpful unless you’re riding a geared uni. I’m using a 26” wheel, 26 x 2.0 road tire, 170mm cranks, and usually run a gear ratio of about 2.2:1 (I’m still experimenting) after I spend about 30 seconds shifting up to the necessary gear. Dan just got me interested in this process a couple of months ago, and my legs are still improving, which continues to change the optimum gearing. Here is a link to some pictures of this thing – http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albun01

Originally posted by john_childs

Yah, like did you go back to get your helmet.

I passed the helmet every lap and was surprised to see it still there and undamaged at the end of the ride. I flipped it off in a panic and it landed in the middle of the road. But I didn’t get stung! I seem to remember a thread about hair nets to keep the bugs out. Couldn't look any worse than the headband that keeps the sweat off of my glasses. I missed that more than the helmet.

Very cool! Are the gears/freewheel stock, or have you done something
to kill the freewheel? Or do you use the brakes to help balance ?

I've seen freestyle BMX types ride like this, but I think that they
were using a fixed gear with no freewheel (but I could be wrong
about this detail).

On Sat, 12 Oct 2002 23:35:28 -0500, unibiker
<unibiker.cg39b@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>This was done on my 27 speed contraption (which I failed to specify
>because Dan is familiar with what I'm riding. He's placing my times in
>the Open Category to prevent confusion with the Cokers), so this info
>may not be helpful unless you’re riding a geared uni. I’m using a 26”
>wheel, 26 x 2.0 road tire, 170mm cranks, and usually run a gear ratio of
>about 2.2:1 (I’m still experimenting) after I spend about 30 seconds
>shifting up to the necessary gear. Dan just got me interested in this
>process a couple of months ago, and my legs are still improving, which
>continues to change the optimum gearing. Here is a link to some pictures
>of this thing – http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albun01

[unibiker]

The hub is freewheeling; gears are changed to give me one-tooth increments. I don’t think anyone has figured out how to make a locked hub shift-able (but they’re trying). I think Michael Grant built a freewheeling/shift-able giraffe, but I don’t think he had much luck riding it, until he locked the hub. I’m using the brakes to tip forward when necessary. A search for ‘unibike*’ will produce some past threads on this project. Also, check this link for discussions on gearing - http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...ght=unibike%2A

What a weekend! Calm enough for unibiking yesterday, windy enough for windsurfing today, and a holiday for MUni-ing tomorrow! Yahoo! I'd better find my crutches to get me through the work week!

Have fun

Thanks very much for the info. At some point, I'll have to convert
my bike to see if I can ride it the same way. I guess I should start
with a track bike first, though, before attempting the freewheel.

On Sun, 13 Oct 2002 13:36:09 -0500, unibiker
<unibiker.ch65b@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>The hub is freewheeling; gears are changed to give me one-tooth
>increments. I don’t think anyone has figured out how to make a locked
>hub shift-able (but they’re trying). I think Michael Grant built a
>freewheeling/shift-able giraffe, but I don’t think he had much luck
>riding it, until he locked the hub. I’m using the brakes to tip forward
>when necessary. A search for ‘unibike*’ will produce some past threads
>on this project. Also, check this link for discussions on gearing -
>http://tinyurl.com/1ygj

[Unicyco]

It seems to that you start by getting good at ding wheelies on a normal bike, and work your way up to harder things...

[unibiker]

Originally posted by hbaker1@pipeline.com
Thanks very much for the info. At some point, I'll have to convert
my bike to see if I can ride it the same way. I guess I should start
with a track bike first, though, before attempting the freewheel.

Does a track bike have a locked hub? This is probably a better way to start, with the front wheel in place for safety!

Originally posted by Unicyco
It seems that you start by getting good at doing wheelies on a normal bike, and work your way up to harder things...

Yes, I would recommend a bunch of practice before considering removal of the front wheel.

In fact, I would recommend NEVER removing the front wheel. Falling forward will have to be painful, since the bars will prevent you from stepping off as with a unicycle UPD. Face plants are not good!

Yes, a track bike has a single speed & a locked up. Sort of
like a giraffe with an extra wheel that doesn't touch the ground :-).
There are also trick bikes which are set up the same way, and
have extra footrests at various places around the bike.

I saw a performer in Paris riding such a bike normally, then flip the
bike over and hold onto the front wheel and ride it upside down,
and then sit on the front of the bike and ride it like a unicycle.
He was very good. He also had a giraffe and did lots of juggling,
though I can't recall whether he juggled and uni'ed at the same
time or not.

On Sun, 13 Oct 2002 23:33:50 -0500, unibiker
<unibiker.chxxb@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>hbaker1@pipeline.com wrote:
>> *Thanks very much for the info. At some point, I'll have to convert
>> my bike to see if I can ride it the same way. I guess I should
>> start
>> with a track bike first, though, before attempting the freewheel.
>
>Does a track bike have a locked hub? This is probably a better way to
>start, with the front wheel in place for safety!

By the way, I don't understand why
a unicycle with the proper _fixed_ gear
ratio couldn't beat or equal your unibike
in an allout time trial race. Perhaps your
setup is more aerodynamic?

[Scott Stephens]

Track bike? I dont think i understand. Do you have any links?

[teachndad]

I posted her bymistake, never mind couldn't delete.

[unibiker]

Originally posted by hbaker1@pipeline.com
By the way, I don't understand why
a unicycle with the proper _fixed_ gear
ratio couldn't beat or equal your unibike
in an allout time trial race. Perhaps your
setup is more aerodynamic?

Actually, less aerodynamic. Headwinds and tailwinds are no problem, but crosswinds are difficult to deal with, although not as bad as with a front wheel (the main reason I removed it). I have no problem with wind on a uni. I might be a Harper customer myself at some point, but I'm kind of addicted to riding this thing.

I think a properly geared uni will be faster. The problem is the major design change every time your legs get strong enough to handle a slightly higher gear. I haven't seen any times posted, but I expect the geared unis to have better times in the long run. And they are probably safer. The only advantage I have is being able to change gears easily.

In a time trial race, the start would be interesting. I don't know which would have the advantage; starting in a low gear and shifting up or starting in a high fixed gear which would have very little power at the start. Maybe a Coker rider can give us a clue? It takes me about 30 seconds to reach 15mph from a standing start. Mounting is more difficult than a uni, and at this point I have much more success starting in a low gear.

Are you involved in this 25k stuff? We need more participants to keep it interesting. I'm challenged by the possibility of a 1-hour 25k, but if I ever reach it, I'll need some competition to keep me interested.

30 seconds out of a 1 hour race is < 1% of the total, and the start is
not subject to wind resistance. I would think that the start is
not going to be much of an issue.

I would be interested in TTuni (or is it uniTT?), but my first problem
is getting out of the 10% hills around my house. I've almost
conquered all of them, and would then be ready to move to
the flats. I also don't have a Coker, which appears to be the
best way to go after a good TT time (with the proper selection
of crank lengths).

From what I understand from this newsgroup, the Japanese
use very small cranks and very high cadences for their
races (150 rpm's?), which is probably a good way to go
after a TT.

But over the longer term, the big problem for unis will be
aerodynamics -- a good TT time may will require some
sort of a fairing to make up for the inability lean over for
an hour w/o handlebars. Or perhaps a TT uni will
require some kind of handlebars to be able to hold
an aerodynamic position.

On Mon, 14 Oct 2002 01:04:29 -0500, unibiker
<unibiker.ci23d@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
>In a time trial race, the start would be interesting. I don't know which
>would have the advantage; starting in a low gear and shifting up or
>starting in a high fixed gear which would have very little power at the
>start. Maybe a Coker rider can give us a clue? It takes me about 30
>seconds to reach 15mph from a standing start. Mounting is more difficult
>than a uni, and at this point I have much more success starting in a low
>gear.
>
>Are you involved in this 25k stuff? We need more participants to keep it
>interesting. I'm challenged by the possibility of a 1-hour 25k, but if I
>ever reach it, I'll need some competition to keep me interested.