700cc questions

That race was hard (super hot and humid). I was on a Coker with 125mm
cranks - way too long for the course. 110 or 102 would be my preferred
length. But it was a borrowed cycle thanks to Jack Halpern and I am not
complaining.

It sure was amazing at the start following a group of young Japanese
girls on 24" wheels with super-short cranks. I was waiting and waiting
for them to slow down so I could just pass. They never did! And we were
going 16.5mph consistently for the first couple of km. On the first
"downhill", very gentle, maybe 25' of descent, I managed to get up to
18mph or so and pass them. But spinning that big heavy stock wheel,
sweating like a pig, I was not able to hold them all off for the rest of
the way.

Anyway, lighter is better, and a lightened Coker wheel (lighter spokes
and tube) helps with speed. I am not much interested in how to make a 24
or 29 inch cycle go faster...

---Nathan


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Oh I missed this thread as well...

The UNICON race was interesting. I am always slow starting and with the
way the Japanise had set the race by putting all of there Japanise
riders at the front in stead of seeding them which may have been
sensible for a race like this caused a few problems. (something for the
rules committee possibly?) Both me and Ken were about 20m back from the
front, so it took a bit of time to get past everyone to the front.
Actually I don't know how ken got there so fast.... I guess age helps
here. I do seam to take a long time go get up to my cruising speed.


One of the interesting things was at the end of the course at the turn
around point was a slight hill. I gained about 20m on everyone at that
point and took the lead. The short crank 28" just did not seam to climb
well. I then kept the lead all the way to near the end of the last lap
where I miss understood the finishing point (as ken did - I think this
was a language thing).

The 28's had one advantage over me (and the other Cokerheads), they had
a big body to slipstream behind, definately an advantage in a race were
you are riding close to same speed and tactics can make the difference -
what I don't think has been mentioned about that day was the horrendious
wind!

It was also interesting the condition of the 28" riders, they were
really spent at the end of the race. I was tired, but within a few
minutes I was ready to go again (and did). Makes me think that it is
probably harder keeping that speed up on the lighter wheels.

Hmmm was fun day though. Sort of wish I had gone all out in the second
race, but was being a gentleman and helping my friend around the
course.

Roger


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Many good points have been made here about fast unicycles.


Then I thought that having a super fast 28 wouldn't be as much fun as my
coker. I like being high up and the 'limo effect' of the big wheel
flying over the bumps. Different folks different strokes..


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Bob22b wrote:
*Many good points have been made here about fast unicycles.

Then I thought that having a super fast 28 wouldn't be as much fun as
my coker. I like being high up and the 'limo effect' of the big wheel
flying over the bumps. Different folks different strokes.. *

Yeah. . . I have "M-uni" blinders . . .
In other words, I don't think anything of having to work "too hard" to
get from point A to point B. Usually, the more "uncomfortable" I am the
better the trail.


/just rode 10 paved miles on a 24"


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There's plenty o' things you can do to make a coker ride pretty
uncomfortable. Remember those trails that were hard when you first
started? Think they're easy now? All you have to do to relive that
initial thrill is to do it on a 36"er. 10 miles on a 24"? Try 60 on a
36".

Going 17+ MPH isn't quite comfortable. ....riding stairs. Doing drops?
BMX parks.

It's only a limo if you treat it like one.


ChangingLINKS.com wrote:
*Yeah. . . I have "M-uni" blinders . . .
In other words, I don't think anything of having to work "too hard" to
get from point A to point B. Usually, the more "uncomfortable" I am
the better the trail.


/just rode 10 paved miles on a 24" *



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There's plenty o' things you can do to make a coker ride pretty
uncomfortable. Remember those trails that were hard when you first
started? Think they're easy now? All you have to do to relive that
initial thrill is to do it on a 36"er. 10 miles on a 24"? Try 60 on a
36".

Going 17+ MPH isn't quite comfortable. ....riding stairs. Doing drops?
BMX parks.

It's only a limo if you treat it like one.


ChangingLINKS.com wrote:
*Yeah. . . I have "M-uni" blinders . . .
In other words, I don't think anything of having to work "too hard" to
get from point A to point B. Usually, the more "uncomfortable" I am
the better the trail.


/just rode 10 paved miles on a 24" *



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mscalisi wrote:
There's plenty o' things you can do to make a coker ride pretty
uncomfortable. Remember those trails that were hard when you first
started? Think they're easy now? All you have to do to relive that
initial thrill is to do it on a 36"er. 10 miles on a 24"? Try 60 on a
36".

Going 17+ MPH isn't quite comfortable. ....riding stairs. Doing drops?
BMX parks.

It's only a limo if you treat it like one. [/b]

Great points!

I am still bedazzled . . ..

Here in Texas, anyone (like myself) who can ride a Coker, will "leave"
anyone who can ride a 24" within a 1/2 mile!

Outside of this thread (and that race) no one would argue that a 24"
would do so well.
Similarly, I find it amazing that the 20" beat 24" in the uphill,
downhill and crosscountry races!
Outside of this thread, we'd hear about "pedal strikes" and how a 20"
M-uni "stands still."

I'm amazed because the facts are incredibly ironic.

It would be like a Coker beating GB4's geared uni . . . . without both
chains falling and Cokers "slipstreaming."

"It's illogical, Captain."

There are plenty of reasons to like Cokers . . . but now there are even
more reasons to like the other wheel sizes!


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