Extremely advanced Coker

[bronson]

Originally posted by yoopers
You know, it sure looks to me that the rim is the new Airfoil. Is the Airfoil rim now considered a stock Coker Deluxe item?

By the way, was the new Coker Airfoil rim built specifically for the Coker unicycle?

Bruce

Yes

[bronson]

Originally posted by David Stone
bronson.d2eqb@timelimit.unicyclist.com writes:
>
>I did not have this cycle created to be shipped around, but rather to
>personally ride many miles on. If I had an extra copy I would glady
>"Harper" it around.
When I suggested that to Harper, I was only kidding. But he took me up on
it!

In this case, I was only kidding again. I can't imagine anyone wanting to
send that baby around, and you can do all the testing on it that you need
to. But bring it to the Nat'ls!

> If you are interested in riding it just visit me in
>San Jose (Campbell to be exact) and let's go for a ride. Better yet,
>give Ed a call and have one made to your specifications.
I already ordered 3 for holiday presents.

Kidding again. I wish!
>
>-Bronson
Yeah, not Benson, as I wrote in a recent post. Sorry! Great pix, btw!

David
Co-founder, Unatics of NY

I didn't want to set any false expectations.

-Bronson (he)

[Cokerhead]

Originally posted by bronson


I haven't had any UPD's at 15mph. I have had a few UPD's at maybe 10mph and simply ran forward while the nose went between my legs. I don't think the handle is as dangerous as you would think. The level of control during the UPD is far more important. If you are totally out of control at 15mph you are going to have a rough time with a handle or not.

-Bronson

Bronson & Ed,
Very cool looking uni.
Are you saying that you think getting hung on the handle is a low risk or virtually none at all?
Also a couple of generic questions to anyone using handlebars .
Have you ever been tangled in the bars(handles)?
What percentage of the time during a long ride are they used?
Thanks
-Mark

[BigWheelTex]

Hi Mark,
I used to have the Wyganowski handle and I used it 90% of the time on long rides. Very helpful and everytime I fell or ran out of a fall I never got tangled up in the handle. I now have the gbhandle. Took a while to get used to but is a wonderful handle. I use it just as much as the Wyganowski handle and again, I never get tangled up in it. Later, gator.

Aj

[bronson]

Originally posted by Cokerhead


Bronson & Ed,
Very cool looking uni.
Are you saying that you think getting hung on the handle is a low risk or virtually none at all?
Also a couple of generic questions to anyone using handlebars .
Have you ever been tangled in the bars(handles)?
What percentage of the time during a long ride are they used?
Thanks
-Mark

The worst I have been hurt using any type of handle is having the side of the handle bruise my thigh during a UPD. Just today I had another UPD and the cycle just went nose down while I ran forward.

I have never had any bad experience using handles (being tangled or otherwise).

I use my handle about 95% of the ride. I like having a few different handle positions to mix it up. I like to put some of my weight forward onto the handles to help reduce the amount of pressure in my crotch also (I still want to have kids).

-Bronson

[bronson]

Here is a link to more more detailed pictures of the unicycle:

http://community.webshots.com/album/53455673IEXgQD

There are some great close-ups of the awesome workmanship and creative design Ed put into this creation.

Thanks Ed.

-Bronson

[ekimstorm]

I liked the guard rail thingy for when you rest the unicycle down. Quite ingenious.

-Mike

[jagur]

i noticed you have a grip shifter on there,ingenious I say..

[Max_Dingemans]

Wait, you using an indexed grip shift for a drag brake? Whatwever works i guess...

[rhysling]

Originally posted by Max_Dingemans
Wait, you using an indexed grip shift for a drag brake? Whatwever works i guess...

I believe this is ideal- you can dial in the amount of braking you need for the incline, then leave it there for the durration.

-Christopher

[Max_Dingemans]

but with an indexed shifter you cant choose a setting between each "gear" on the shifter.

[bronson]

Originally posted by Max_Dingemans
but with an indexed shifter you cant choose a setting between each "gear" on the shifter.

This is true. It seems to work fine with the 8 or so indexed positions. I have used friction shifter levers and like the grip shifter better. There is also an on/off brake that can be used in tandem to give just a hair more pressure if needed.

How much have downhill have you done on Coker with a brake?

-Bronson

[bronson]

What types of brakes are you using?

Is anyone using a shock seatpost or anything else to relieve pressure during long rides?

Does anyone use some form of adjustable cranks?

Does anyone else use a handlebar (besides Scot Cooper)?

I would think that anyone who is serious about doing distance would be excited about the possibilities that this custom 36 inch cycle offers?

Does anyone have any comments on performance rather than how it looks?

-Bronson

[john_childs]

Originally posted by bronson
Does anyone have any comments on performance rather than how it looks?

I'm curious about how well the suspension performs.

How well does it dampen on the rebound after a hit? Does it continue bouncing up and down for a few cycles or does it immediately dampen and stop?

Does the suspension develop any kind of harmonic cycle with your pedaling? Do you end up bouncing up and down with your pedaling on the flat? On uphills? On downhills? If you do get any harmonic cycles in the suspension is it only at a specific pedaling cadence?

[U-Turn]

Originally posted by bronson
What types of brakes are you using?

Is anyone using a shock seatpost or anything else to relieve pressure during long rides?

Does anyone use some form of adjustable cranks?

Does anyone else use a handlebar (besides Scot Cooper)?

I would think that anyone who is serious about doing distance would be excited about the possibilities that this custom 36 inch cycle offers?

Does anyone have any comments on performance rather than how it looks?

-Bronson

I'm not really a certified Cokerhead (yet) but I have a couple of replies to your questions.

I have a Magura on mine with the typical cut-off handlebar extension. For a while I didn't like it but now I have it positioned better and think it works great, at least on the stock wheel. When I rebuild the wheel with the Aero rim I'll have more to say. The brake doesn't have drag capability yet but I'm thinking that out.

So far I adjust the cranks by changing them which works fine. So far I've used 150mm on the road and 150 and 170mm off-road. The 170mm cranks were much easier to work with off-road for climbing hills in sand and mounting in the rocks. For a really long trip you are probably going to have support like Lars did this summer; he changed cranks at times. So it seems like a minor convenience in that situation. But it seems like your capability could be quite useful for rapidly changing terrain, especially unsupported day trips.

Right now I have just the Miyata seat handle but I'm working on a variation of the GB handle that will accommodate the brake lever. My Reeder handle is very useful on the Pashley.

I don't see how in the heck suspension is going to help seat comfort in the slightest, either on or off-road. If one is riding on-road, there is very little, if any, need for the shock. If one is off-road it's your legs that have to do the work anyway so the suspension is extraneous. I have an air seat so perhaps that affects my perception. The main problem with riding comfort is the saddle and how it handles weight placement and repetitive motion. The small variations in those entities that a shock might transform are insignificant, in my view, compared with the simple saddle design. John Child's questions about resonance are important - perhaps the suspension will cause more problems than it solves. This resonance problem is also possible with an air seat; in my riding so far that hasn't been a problem but again, I don't have the hundreds of miles on the Coker yet to focus in on that in practice. I don't, however, think that a suspension is going to "relieve pressure". Perhaps your different saddle design does that; but if so I'm still not sure that the suspension is really necessary for road riding.

As far as commenting on performance, only someone who regularly does long distance and can try your cycle can truly make insightful comments based on experience. When enough people have done that, then perhaps we'll know whether this great-looking new machine is a breakthrough in long-distance unicycling.

You may be wary of "doing a Harper" with a $2500 cycle - I know I would! Why not pick a few individuals notable for their distance riding and loan it to each for a couple of weeks, with the understanding that their comments would be public and detailed? I'm sure that Scot Cooper, Andy Cotter, Gilby, David and John Stone, and a few others would love to try it out and I know from experience that their comments would be detailed and meaningful.