Road Unicycle Set-Up and T7 Handle Modification

[saskatchewanian]

Good stuff Ken. I did a bit of experimenting with a bike seat this fall and will definitely have a bike seat and long handle on my next 36er.

Here is a bit more discussion on bike seats on 36ers.

[GizmoDuck]

Originally Posted by saskatchewanian

Good stuff Ken. I did a bit of experimenting with a bike seat this fall and will definitely have a bike seat and long handle on my next 36er.

Here is a bit more discussion on bike seats on 36ers.

Cool....looks like you have a similar idea with your set-up. I'm not the only one who thinks the T7 is too upright!

You could extend the reach without getting a super long handle by sticking out another post from the back also, and mounting the seat on it. Much like what I've done with the T7.

[turtle]

i'm not really a road rider... i prefer muni...but today i was bored and i still have my 29" schlumpf...and i thought your idea is worth to try it... it feels good, there is way less weight on my bottom...but it is still a little to short and the angles could be better... and i need shorter cranks ;-) .. i could only ride it for a short distance...hope i can try it really soon. thanks for the great idea!!

[CoreTechs]

That's a neat idea, but I don't think the T7 seems strong enough... Looks like it would bend at the rails pretty soon. I don't think I'd try it.

[unijuul]

Ken!

This is probably the most interesting post this year. In the beginning of January!!!

[turtle]

Originally Posted by CoreTechs

That's a neat idea, but I don't think the T7 seems strong enough... Looks like it would bend at the rails pretty soon. I don't think I'd try it.

i'll see...the other idea is, also for a better angle, turn the T7 upsidedown and weld it on a steal seatpost....

[BoojiBoy]

Originally Posted by GizmoDuck

Boojiboy: I've attached another photo of me riding with a short seat extension (GB4). Notice how my elbow is almost locked at 90degrees. I have very little leverage and it's very uncomfortable to take any weight on my arms. Now just imagine the same position, but instead of my arms being locked in a flexed position, that they are placed out the front on a handlebar, with my the elbows only slightly flexed (ie like a bike). I think forwards/backwards balance isn't going to change how much, but it will be a lot more comfortable.

I'm sure it would be more comfortable. During the RTL time trial I wanted to practically lay down on my T7, but just putting a little extra weight on the front and I would have to pull back to correct. Actually, I never thought about it much before, but when I ride, I'm holding on to the very end of the handles, with my palms on the last inch of handle. It seems that I would probably benefit from a longer reach like that. I think putting your main body weight behind that center line will definitely allow you to distribute more weight to the front for an easier ride in the seat. I just have very little faith in those t7 rails. It's almost painful for my brain to see your mod pictures because it's putting more leverage on an already weak point in the t7 design.
But as a prototype for a new way of riding long distances, I think you're on to something. if that T7 had a straight tube instead of those rails, I think my brain would hurt less.

[legtod2]

After seeing the modified T7 with seat in rear I ask myself :

What does this do to center of gravity?
How am I effected for freemounting and riding without hands on handlebar?
How am I effected for idling?

Giving thought to mechanical advantage, what strain am I putting on T7 bar by moving seat to rear. It just like a crowbar prying seat post.

This is a very interesting topic/post. I'm curious to what KH is upto for his development for a handle.

[GizmoDuck]

Thanks everyone for your input.

I've modified the article on Adventure Unicyclist. It reads alot better than my first post on this thread: http://www.adventureunicyclist.com/?page_id=263

turtle: I ride XC Muni alot too, and I'm wondering if it would be practical for a MUni. After all, mountainbikes aren't all that different from road bikes. Maybe slightly more upright. I'm also toying with the idea of having a suspension shock on the front bar, or if it was a V-frame, on the front fork.

CoreTechs: The T7 is not the best design for this...I've never been a fan of rails. But the principle can be applied to other designs. Instead of a superlong front pole, use two shorter ones...front and back. It will be stronger. That said, I'm pretty light, so hopefully it will hold up ok.

unijuul: thanks. I've been talking about this for ages, but only just got around to putting it all together.

turtle (re your second post). I think that would work. You could flip it upside down and somehow bolt the seatpost onto the seatplate (it's curved the wrong way, but nothing a bit of creativity can't fix), rather than clamping it onto the rails. I actually wanted to clamp the new KH seatpost onto the T7 seatplate, but Tony Melton told me it wouldn't fit in between the rails.

Boojiboy: That was the whole point in demonstrating this concept. If you were designing this from scratch you would get rid of the complicated rail and seatplate system, and just use a seatplate and weld the front/back poles onto it.

legtod2:
What does this do to center of gravity?
Nothing. It's more about hand/arm positioning than body positioning. Some people ride with quite upright postures. This setup might not suit them.
How am I effected for freemounting and riding without hands on handlebar?
I never ever ride my unicycle without my hands on the handle. It's like riding a bike with no handlebar. Fun for a while, but not very efficient or comfortable. Freemounting is a bit weird at first, but you get used to it.
How am I effected for idling?
I dont' know, I haven't tried idling it yet.

[unisk8r]

Just logged on after a while away, and this thread is great! The "T" frame has now been invented as a cheaper alternative to making a "V" frame, using a traditional single-leg frame.

Design-wise, as folks have rightly pointed out, that's alot of stress at the center of the "T" (i.e. at the top of the seat tube). Nonetheless, we can envision a production "T" mount with many adjustable saddle & grip positions. It would have the seatpost built into the center section to eliminate the rails, and that's all you'd need for basic height adjustment. It could still have a tilt adjustment just like the U-clamp saddle mount.

Another great mod, Ken! Thanks for the pics - as always, worth 1000 words.

[Klaas Bil]

Originally Posted by GizmoDuck

I've modified the article on Adventure Unicyclist. It reads alot better than my first post

Maybe, but there is room for improvement, see partial screenshot.

Other than that nitpicking, you're onto something! I like the name unisk8r came up with: the T frame.

[MuniSano]

This may be a dumb question, but couldn't one substitute a T7 for a simular length of alloy or steel pipe? That way you could still attach the seat to the "pipe" a the back, clamp the seat post to the center of the pipe (possibly with some modification or block shim) and then you have the whole front end of the pipe to work with, vary the length as appropriate and then attach/weld bike components such as bike stems, bar ends, aero bars etc... Just a thought? If I had any metal working skills I'd give this a shot. Just use a length of tubing/pipe that would fit regular bike components....hmmmm

[GizmoDuck]

Originally Posted by Klaas Bil

Maybe, but there is room for improvement, see partial screenshot.

Other than that nitpicking, you're onto something! I like the name unisk8r came up with: the T frame.

Yeah, I like the T-frame too...the poor mans V-frame. But anything beats the 7-frame or worse still, the I-frame.

I don't know what browser you're using Klaas, or why my website looks screwy on it

[Klaas Bil]

Originally Posted by gizmoduck

i don't know what browser you're using klaas, or why my website looks screwy on it

IE6. For the 6 or 8 tutorial pages I just checked, only this one gives this problem.

[GizmoDuck]

Originally Posted by MuniSano

This may be a dumb question, but couldn't one substitute a T7 for a simular length of alloy or steel pipe? That way you could still attach the seat to the "pipe" a the back, clamp the seat post to the center of the pipe (possibly with some modification or block shim) and then you have the whole front end of the pipe to work with, vary the length as appropriate and then attach/weld bike components such as bike stems, bar ends, aero bars etc... Just a thought? If I had any metal working skills I'd give this a shot. Just use a length of tubing/pipe that would fit regular bike components....hmmmm

Yep, that's the whole point of what I was doing. But I happened to have a T7 handy, and all the backets to attach the seat out the back.