OK, so I have a 20 inch Nimbus trials, a KH 36, a giraffe, and a nice 26 inch muni wheel set. I sold the Nimbus 29″ frame that was on my muni a few months ago as it was much too flexible for my needs.

Having such a useful muni wheel without any real trails to ride it on is killing me slowly. So, to remedy this I have decided to ditch the 3.0 x 26 inch Duro tire in favor of a unicycle set-up that will be more suited to a street / around town functionality.

The main decision I need to make here is what tire to put on the 47mm wide Sun Doublewide rim. I’ve been struggling with this for a while. Here are a few of my options.

So far, I am leaning heavily toward to Hookworm.

Another option is the Schwable Fat Frank

And I’ve also considered the DMR Transition

Of course, the frame will be a KH 26 inch if I can find one for sale in Canada.

When all is said and done I should have a nice unicycle for when the 36er is too much of a hassle, and the 20 inch is just too slow. And if I ever decide to ride muni on one of the few decent trails in Toronto, it’s just a matter of a simple tire switch.

Hey, so RE: my previous post about my 26er I am re-vamping, I have ordered the 26″ Hookworm from Peter at Municycle.ca, along with a 26 inch Nimbus frame. This should be a great uni to carry around in the boot of my car for when I have time to kill.

I wanted to post a little about juggling, though, as it is one of my other hobbies. I have been juggling for roughly the same amount of time I have been unicycling- 3-4 years.

One of the strangest things about learning to juggle is how the learning curve changes as you progress. I once heard Vova Galchenko say that though he was an incredibly skilled juggler, training was frustrating for him because at his level he progresses so slowly.

This becomes apparent to every juggler that continues past the standard 3 ball cascade stage of learning.

At some point you hit a brick wall and your progress becomes so slow it is almost unnoticeable. Perhaps this is the point at which many learners call it quits, but I’ve found that if you continue you can track progress by recording yourself along the way. The other day I went through some of my old footage and it inspired me to do two things.

1. Make this forum post about juggling

2. Make a second juggling video and post it on YouTube. My first video was good, but I feel like it no longer accurately showcases where my skills are now. This was the first video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-q-VOaDB7M

So it looks like it’s time to set out finding the all important song for the video. A song that has the right tempo and beat for a reasonably quick paced juggle.

My goal is to one day become as skilled as the guy in this unbelievable juggling video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfl0KROEI8M&feature=related
That may be a long way off…

Sometimes it’s amazing what you can find on Craigslist. During my usual rounds, looking through all the new bikes posted last week, I came across an ad that read “Unicycle – $100″

It was actually two unicycles for 100 dollars each; one Norco 20 inch and one Torker Giraffe. Having sold a couple bikes on Craigslist, I know lowballers are annoying and frustrating, but I emailed the lady offering $50 for the giraffe only.

Thursday of the same week I went to pick it up. Just another addition to a growing unicycle family.


The plastic pedals and Torker seat it came with are pretty sub-par so I threw on my extra KH Freeride seat and Odyssey pedals.

I’ve actually never ridden a giraffe and at first it was a bit scary. Certainly quite a bit higher than anything I would be used to on a coker. With your center of gravity so high off the ground it makes it harder to bring the wheel back under you when it falls behind or moves ahead.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to learning to freemount this thing and possibly switching one of the cogs for a smaller one to get some speed.

Oh, and I wanted to mention how flat out impressed I am with Justin Kohse’s new video. This is what I will be showing people as visual reference from now on when they ask, “why unicycle?”

It is posted on his section of the blog as well as on unicyclist.com. http://www.vimeo.com/5943355

Check it out! You won’t regret it.

Also stay posted for a video I am going to be producing in the next few months. At this stage it will only be a tracking test to see if a certain method of filming is compatible with city cokering.

Phew!

It’s been a while since I posted and I’m now back from my awesome tour with my Dad.

I have had some time to rest and I’m ready to get back into regular riding. Like I said before, I should really do a review and overview of my current road-riding set-up now that I’ve put around 800 kms on it.

So, the current unicycle I use for long distance, commuting, and general road riding is as follows.

A KH 36, mostly stock.

- KH 36 frame
- KH adjustable seatpost
- New 09 KH freeride seat
- New 09 KH touring bar
- Dual hole 110/125mm KH Moment cranks
- Nimbus Stealth Rim
- Oddysey Twisted Plastic Pedals
- KH HS22 Magura Hydraulic Brake

This set-up has been leaps and bounds ahead of the Nimbus 36 set-up I previously rode.

I used the Nimbus for Ride The Lobster and am now realizing what a difference a stiff, aluminum frame can make.

The first thing I noticed, even before I first rode the uni, was how much lighter the whole thing was. Even with the handle, the unicycle felt considerably lighter when lifted. This is with the handle and brake installed. Because of this, I had no worries mounting a few saddle and handlebar bags to carry some of the touring essentials. Having the seatpost mounted bag and the handlebar bag was really a thrill to put on for the first time. They worked just perfectly and seemed to balance each other out so that I could barely notice a difference in balance. I was able to be nearly self-sufficient this way so that my Dad only had to carry my second set of clothes.

The weight difference was astounding once I started to test the KH. Each pedal rotation results in more acceleration. It really makes the Nimbus 36 seem sluggish. Not only was I accelerating faster, but the stiffness of the frame allowed each pedal stroke to be more effective. Whith all the torque a big wheel puts on the frame, if the frame is not stiff, your pedaling efforts can not only be absorbed by the felxible frame, but can bend so much that the brake rubs the rim. The KH 36 aluminum frame solved all these problems in one fell swoop.

The HS22 Magura brake instead of the HS33 Magura also helped with this matter. It is supposed to have more variability than the HS33 which makes for better unicycle braking and less brake related UPDs. I can’t be sure this is true, though, since I have never used an HS33 extensively.

The seat and the handlebar are awesome.

Plain and simple, at the lowest angle, the bar is at a perfect position for me. Forget the fact that mine broke. That flaw will be fixed by KH soon, hopefully. I am also going to experiment with a few different bar ends in case there is a better option. My newest idea is to put on this pair of dense rubber bar ends that would absorb the impact in the event of a high speed UPD. Something like this:

The seat, having more dense foam, a wider base, and a wider cut-out groove, is an improvement on the old Freeride. One thing I noticed is that when my rear end does eventually start to hurt, it feels more like bike seat pain. My sit-bones start to hurt but it takes a while. Certaintly a lot longer than it used to. Think 50 kms instead of 10. This is probabaly also related to my more forward riding position. An idea that is quickly evolving on the forums. So much so that individuals are starting to experiment with T, V, and P style frames to put the rider in a more bike-like geometry.

My KH 110/125mm Moment cranks are also quite handy. Though I used the 110mm holes the entire tour, the 125′s are nice for in the city or for if I ever want to do 36er muni.

All in all, the KH 36 just feels more solid. It is a bit more money than some other 36er options, but in my opinion, rightfully so. Frame stiffness plays a larger part in road-unicycle quality than one might think.

My next purchasing goal is a geared hub. I want to usher in a ‘personal 36er revolution’ as I’ve heard the extra gear adds a whole new dimension to road riding. I can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to have one… One day… soon, hopefully.

My final word on the KH 36: If you are thinking about getting a 36er, spend the extra money and get the KH 36. It’s a really well made, solid piece of equipment, as are the other KH unicycles.