Seeking advice on new (June 2012) KH29 build

[DavidHood]

When they become available, I'm going to order (from UDC USA) a new KH29 MUni complete with Spirit (150/127) cranks and a 160mm disc brake (hopefully pre-installed). This will be my first 29er (rounding out my stable: see auto sig) so I wanted to ask the community if there is anything that you would change about the "stock" set-up. Also, if there is anything that I should tell Josh before he builds and ships my new unicycle so that I avoid the dreaded buyers remorse wishing I had tweaked my design slightly one way or another.

Seat Post:
I know that I definitely want the newer (one-piece forged not pinned) type of KH Adjustable "Rail-Less" Seat Post like the one Kris mentioned here instead of one of the older "pinned" models.

Saddle Cover:
I know that I definitely want the new and improved KH Fusion Freeride saddle cover with the velcro tab instead of a drawstring. The new saddles also have the smooth synthetic leather mentioned here.

Brake Lever:
I will be getting two Starfighter brake lever extensions. One for my new KH29 (assuming I can't get a real Spooner paddle) and one for my old 26" Oracle. I really like the Spooner lever operating the Magura rim brake on my geared 36er.

Handlebar:
I want the new brake attachment bracket that is angled at 6 degrees to move the brake lever slightly closer to the handle as I will probably be going handleless on my initial set up perhaps installing my NurseBen custom grab handle down the road. Who am I kidding, I hate riding without a handle! It's more likely I will be putting the NB handle on my 26er and sourcing that (narrowed and shortened) KH T-bar handle for my new 29er. That makes more sense since my 26er will be for the really technical downhill and my 29er will be set up for XC MUni (not for the road, got a 36er for that).

Rim:
I can't say I'm a huge fan of the rims with drilled holes. I had one on my Impulse and it was not long before the tube bubbled thru. The heavy weight tube tape I had to use no doubt negated any weight savings from the drilled holes. I like my Nimbus Stealth 2 rim much better.

There. I think I covered everything. Is there anything else that anyone can think of? Your input is, as always, welcome. Thank you!

[Nurse Ben]

Any color but blue...

KH Forged post is awesome.

Order a Hope QR seat post clamp, Chain Reaction Cycles has them.

New KH seat, yeah, let us know how you like it.

It'll cost more to have Josh build you a custom wheel, but if you go that route, you might as well get db spokes, etc...the Stealth 2 is 5mm narrower. Maybe a prebuilt Nimbus 29er wheel is available, then just add parts as you go.

Why not wait for an Oracle 29? It can't be that far out, maybe November.

You could also just order a Drak, add a D Brake, Spirit cranks, etc...

[napalm]

Better pedals- A good value option is the Welgo MG-1. Very light with lots of pins for grip. Never liked the look or feel of the plastic things they are putting Uni's as stock for the last while. Add some mud to the bottom of your shoes and you may as well make your own out of lego! There are also a bunch of light, low profile CNC alu metal pinned pedals out there at the moment which I prefer to the MG1s- Less pedal flip when climbing hard.

If you are going with disc brake I'd possibly consider going with a narrower/lighter MTB 29er UST rim so you can run your tyre tubeless to save a bunch of rotational weight and improve the ride characteristics. I don't know much about the 29er bike parts scene though so you'd have to do some research yourself on that one. Even with a KH or nimbus rim- the first thing i'd do is convert it to tubeless. It makes a huge difference to the ride quality of your uni even though the weight savings seem marginal.

Apart from that- sounds like you've got it sorted.


Mark

[aarons]

Originally Posted by DavidHood

...One for my new KH29 (assuming I can't get a real Spooner paddle) and one for my old 26" Oracle...

26" Oracle is old already? You like to play on the cutting edge.

[DavidHood]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Why not wait for an Oracle 29? It can't be that far out, maybe November.

That was the plan. I'm having a blast on my 26" Oracle. Just a touch more speed (hence my desire for a 29er) should get me to the top of that next mogul that I've been coming up short on. Were a 29" Oracle on the market today, there is no doubt I'd have one.

Originally Posted by napalm

Better pedals- A good value option is the Welgo MG-1. Very light with lots of pins for grip.

I love the oversized platform of the Speedplay Drillium pedals for riding MUni. Especially when I'm wearing FiveTen shoes with "Stealth" rubber soles which really stick to those pedals for that "clipped-in" feeling. The pedals are heavy (548g) but so are the shoes. Neither is the value option but I'm more likely to follow Ben's advice telling Josh the same thing I told Bronson which is "Money is no object so I want the best of everything".

I have Wellgo (clear polycarbonate with blue anodized steel pins and spindle) on my KH36 where a little bit of slippage is a good thing so that I can readjust my feet to reach Mr. Schlumpf's shifting button using 150mm Moment cranks. I still end up riding on my toes all too often and am ordering a set of 137mm Spirit (designed for shifting) cranks for that very reason.

Originally Posted by aarons

26" Oracle is old already? You like to play on the cutting edge.

Old was a poor choice of words. It has seen a lot of use which might be why my wife rarely complains about my desire to stay on the cutting edge. Her complaints are more about "How much longer you going to be riding?". The kids will be grown enough to "take with" soon so she will have nothing to complain about. Well, I'm sure she'll think of something.

[Nurse Ben]

Pedals: If you order a Hope QR from from Chain Reaction Cycles, you could also get some Nuke Proof Electrons ($45)they are just as big as Drilliums, but weigh 300gm. You could go even lighter if you stepped up to their more expensive mag/ti pedals

Frame: Ask UDC to have it powder coated for you, it's cheaper and probably just as fast. One color with a clear coat is the least expensive, starting adding metallics or candy colors and it gets pricey.

Seat: I tried out a KH street with the thinner foam and the center channel, it was too firm for me, so I'd stick with the KH Freeride

Post: KH Forged rules

Hub: Nimbus has been good to me, no creaking issues

Rim: Stealth 2 or KH FR, either is fine, KH is wider and more expensive.

Tire: Claude and I have been really impressed with the Schwalbe Hans Dampf, otherwise the Ardent 2.4 is a good tire.

Tube: Maxxis Freeride, light and durable.

Brakes: Well, you're gonna get a mixed bag when you ask around, but I currently have four different hydraulic brakes in my household: Avid Juicy (dot), Bengal Helix 3 (dot), Shimano DX m535 (mineral oil), and Tektro Auriga Comps (mineral oil).

The Avids work fine, they are on a bike, I try not to mess with them, but in the past I have had nothing but problems with Juicys, they squeal like stuck pigs no matter what pads I used. The Bengals work fine, but when I leave it in my hot car the fluid expands and makes the brake hard. This is wierd, it only happens to the Bengal, and it is not in need of a bleed, so I kinda wonder if it's just an inexpensive brake issue. The Shimano is a good brake, no issues, easy bleed, only problem I ever had was with the C clip that hold the plunger coming out. I reset the C clip and it's been fine since. The Tektros have been squealers, so I'm retiring them.

Personally, I find dot fluid to be nasty! It is corrosive to painted surfaces, bad for your health, and if you get it on the brake pads then the pads are messed up. Shimano makes some great brakes, the new XTR is top shelf and expensive. Your best price for brakes is off Ebay, get a set and you get a better deal, you can also get bigger rotors or a combo of big and bigger.

I just ordered a set of Magura MT 2 180/203, these are the basic Magura brakes for 2012, they also sell a 4, 6, 8 series. The 2011 Marta SL is a good brake, but all the Martas were discontinued, so you're probably better off getting an MT series. Maguras are easy to bleed. Look for reviews, more expensive is not always better, but the MT 4 has an adjustable line angle, the MT 6/8 have a one piece caliper.

Rotor size..., well, as Kris and others have said, it's not the size of the rotor that makes the brake, it's the quality and power of the brake itself. I'm running 160-180 rotors on four unis and I find that the Shimano and Bengal have the most power, while the Tektros have the least. A 160 rotor is going to lighter and more easilly protected, but a 180-185 is not that much bigger. I wouldn't run a 200-205 on an external crank based system, esp on a 29er as you are gonna bend it more often.

If you don't care about fluid, then get any brake you want.