Road Unicycle Set-Up and T7 Handle Modification

lpounds;1167303 wrote:
Though I have not ever used another set-up other than the T7, I can feel
my body screaming for a more bike-like geometry when riding.

Another thing to consider is the position of the hands themselves. I
wouldn't be against trying out a handlebar that resembles road bike drop
bars. Scott Wilton from the forums has modded his T7 to include a drop
bar-esque option and they definitely didn't impede him during RTL
(especially the crit).

Of course, the bars still have to be relatively close together so that
he doesn't catch his legs during a UPD. Can anyone think of a plausible
way to give the rider a wider bar (possibly as wide as shoulder width)
without making them too much of an obstacle in the event of a UPD?





I'm craving some roadie bars...not so much for the drops, I really want
to ride the hoods on this set-up!

Another thing to consider....is there any reason for road unicyclists
to ride as if they were going to UPD all the time?

At over 20km/hr, what are your chances of running out of a UPD? Either
way, you will end up on the ground. In fact, I think one of the reasons
why unicyclists have such horrific ankle and leg injuries is to do with
the way we fall. Bicyclists tend to scrape off alot of skin when they
fall (usually to the side), or break their clavicle/wrist if they went
over the bar. Unicyclists tend to fall with their legs hitting the
ground at funny angles....I think many of you have seen my Xrays and
other Xrays on this forum.

If you are riding a bike, you are not consciously thinking about how
you are going to fall. You try not to in the first place! I think we
need to get away from the mentality that if you fall off a unicycle, you
need to be able to run it out. Especially when you are going at
25km/hr....that's just not practical.


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falling, if we had roadie bars like one of the comps shown, wouldn't
their width help protect the rider in a sideways fall? Once when I
skidded out on my road bike around a wet corner I was able to stay with
the bike, keeping my hands on the bars, and just skinned my knee a bit.
The end of the bars and pedal took the brunt. I think a wider handlebar
on a V, T or Y frame would make me feel more secure.


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munimutant
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hm... a road bar, why not, but i think the trithlonbar is more
comfortable, is it not? i flipped the T7, the problem here is, my knees
are pretty close or to close to my ellbows, it's to short... i'll go to
a welder...


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Turtle and Ken, where did you find those seat clamp things? I did a
quick google search and couldn't find anything. It would probably help
to know what they are called.

I can't wait to get a 36er again so I can try out a few ideas I have.


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saskatchewanian;1167381 wrote:
Turtle and Ken, where did you find those seat clamp things? I did a
quick google search and couldn't find anything. It would probably help
to know what they are called.

I can't wait to get a 36er again so I can try out a few ideas I have.



They're used in older style BMX seat posts....basically I think they
clamp on a tube in place of an all-in-one seat/seatpost clamp.

Wow, Turtle, that's pretty cool what you did. I still think I'd prefer
to ride it more like a roadbike though, not a Time-Trial/Trialthlon
position. How well does it steer with that setup?

I might even try a flat bar (like on a mountainbike).


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i'll try it for longer this afternoon, then i can tell how it is to
steer with it...

and i was at "my" welder, he is building me a T seatpost kind thing....
so the distance between the seat and the handlebar will be bigger, and
both are the same hight... maybe next week i can show and try it...

@saskatchewanian: like gizmo said, from old bikes (mine is not from a
bmx), things you have laying around...


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I went for another ride this evening, and I'm thinking that Turtles
flipped upside down position is even better. The T7 mod still feels too
short and too upright. That seems to be the limiting factor in
stability. When I wind it up to speed, I'm constantly wishing the bar
was 20cm longer and 20cm lower. It's either a case of sitting rather
upright (and unstable), or bending over and riding with your handlbars
close to your chest. If I hit a bump, it's hard to compensate when
upright, or if the elbows are hyperflexed. Ever tried riding grannys'
old bike with the shopping basket up the front, with handlebars in a
sit-up-and-beg upright position? That's what it felt like.

It felt pretty natural to mount now, and even doing turns and going off
small drops etc.

The bike seat is awesome. I wish I had this set-up when I did my 24hr
record. It's something you can sit on all day. The bike seat supports
your bottom and nothing else. A unicycle seat curves upwards and tries
to wedge itself into your crotch. The only reason I can see the reason
for a unicycle seat is historical. It's great if you're doing freestyle
(stops you sliding off the front), but with a handlebar on a road
unicycle, it's not necessary. In terms of control, once you get used to
using your whole body rather than your crotch to do the turning, it
works just fine.

I'm going to see if I can buy a couple of tandem stoker stems tomorrow
to try a different T-unicycle setup. Hopefully will be able to extend
the reach and lower the overall position.


--
GizmoDuck

The Induni Unicycle Tour 2009. Unicycle Tour of India. Email me for
details. www.induni.adventureunicyclist.com
The Uninam Tour 2008.....Hanoi to Saigon!!! www.uninam.net
The SINZ Unicycle Tour 2007....South Island, New Zealand
www.sinzuni.org
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I had a stoker-stem setup for my front bar before I had my "T" handle
made up. That stem is on Rolands guni now.

The problem w/you getting two is I don't think there will be room to
mount them both on your cycle.


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Here's what I just did with my Nimbus. Unfortunately I couldn't give it
a try yet cause I caught a serious cold I did sit on it in my room to
see if it could work, and I think it might be good. It lost some serious
weight without the KH seat and rail bracket


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I wonder if it'd be worth plugging your values into a road bike fit
calculator?
http://tinyurl.com/x1tz

With the output from that, you could work out a good guess at what you
want the relative positions of seat, handlebars and pedals to be.

Joe


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