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22 mph on my guni

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rec.sport.unicycling
Published
19 April 2006
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20 April 2006
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David_Stone
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  1. Last night, I hit 22 mph on my guni, according to my very reliable cycle
    computer. My GPS watch only showed a top speed of 20.4, but it tends to
    miss those small bursts of speed that the cyclo catches. The 20.4 made
    me happy because it means that I was able to maintain that speed for a
    short while.

    I rode around Prospect Park in record time: 13.20 or so for the 3.35
    miles of the course, averaging 14.8 mph for the hilly ride. I kept the
    uni in high gear even for the heavy-duty uphill part (I think that
    downshifting would have slowed me considerably) and could not have gone
    much faster, but I'm sure I can get the time under 13 minutes. I'll
    give it another try this evening.

    I can tell you one thing: That ride wore me out! When it was over, I
    went for another 3.5 miles over a different route, and most of that
    time I could barely manage 10 mph. My watch is programmed to chirp if
    my speed goes below 10, so after my super fast ride, the rest of my
    exercise was punctuated by the unpleasant reminder of my own
    exhaustion. My watch is also programmed to alert me if I ever exceed 20
    mph, but I didn't hear it due to the volume of my iPod combined with
    the rush of the wind. Bummer. I did want to hear that sound. I'll have
    to try for that one again today!

    --
    David_Stone

    Dictator for Life,
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  2. David_Stone said:

    My watch is programmed to chirp if my speed goes below 10,

    I used to have a wife like that, now I have a boss who's just the
    same.

    Have you had a UPD at these warp speeds yet? Sounds risky to me.:eek:

    --
    Mikefule

    Could you tell a wise man by the way he speaks or spells?
    Is this more important than the stories that he tells,
    And call a man a fool, if for wealth he doesn't strive?
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  3. Holy [censored] man. That is haulin! I start to get scared of a situation
    that I can't run out of if I get over about 12:o

    Hat's off to you.

    --
    underdog

    'I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody
    tell you different' - Kurt Vonnegut
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  4. Mikefule said:

    I used to have a wife like that, now I have a boss who's just the same.

    LOL!

    Quoted message said:

    Have you had a UPD at these warp speeds yet? Sounds risky to
    me.:eek:

    No, but Ken Looi has! It -is- risky, but I know the road well
    and am actually holding back a bit (in case I need to correct my
    pitch). So far, 20.4 (the speed I actually kept at for a second or two)
    is the fastest I've felt comfortable maintaining, but I believe I'm
    capable of hitting a speed slightly higher still -- the only problem
    being that if I need to speed up a bit BUT CAN'T, they'll be cleaning
    me up for weeks.😄

    --
    David_Stone

    Dictator for Life,
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  5. David_Stone said:

    Last night, I hit 22 mph on my guni, according to my very reliable cycle
    computer.

    That's nearly TWICE the running speed of a world-class kenyan
    marathoner! I can't do that speed on my bike! Hmmmm, ok. I do have an
    electric "Xkate" skatebaord (cost $1,200!!) that has a 1 HP motor that
    will do just about 20 mph, (on smooth, level ground) and that's
    SMOKIN'! That's nearly 3X the posted speed limit (8mph) on the beach
    bike path! I don't think I could get even close to that speed on my
    coker, goin down hill, all out!

    --
    terrybigwheel

    Impotence: Nature's Way Of Saying "No Hard Feelings".

    Uni is just a cycle I'm going through. 😎

    You -can- "Tune a fish". You simply adjust their "scales"! 😄
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  6. terrybigwheel said:

    That's nearly TWICE the running speed of a world-class kenyan
    marathoner! I can't do that speed on my bike! Hmmmm, ok. I do have an
    electric "Xkate" skatebaord (cost $1,200!!) that has a 1 HP motor that
    will do just about 20 mph, (on smooth, level ground) and that's
    SMOKIN'! That's nearly 3X the posted speed limit (8mph) on the beach
    bike path! I don't think I could get even close to that speed on my
    coker, goin down hill, all out!

    right, but he's a marathoner and he's trying to maintain that speed to
    pace himself. david_stone says 22 mph is his top speed.

    good job!! if i went 22 mph on a guni, they'd be scraping me off the
    road with a spatula 😉

    --
    unitoon

    Unicycling -- the great gender equalizer. - Bmemike
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  7. 22 mph:eek: thats verry verry fast.
    My top speed is around 10 mph i think on a 20''

    --
    Job

    😎 😄 'My Unicycle Gallery' (http://tinyurl.com/ndro5)😎 😄
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  8. unitoon said:

    right, but he's a marathoner and he's trying to maintain that speed to
    pace himself. david_stone says 22 mph is his top speed.

    good job!! if i went 22 mph on a guni, they'd be scraping me off the
    road with a spatula 😉

    What's the wheel size of this "Guni?"

    --
    terrybigwheel

    Impotence: Nature's Way Of Saying "No Hard Feelings".

    Uni is just a cycle I'm going through. 😎

    You -can- "Tune a fish". You simply adjust their "scales"! 😄
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  9. terrybigwheel said:

    That's nearly TWICE the running speed of a world-class kenyan
    marathoner! I can't do that speed on my bike!

    You need to get a good road racing bicycle. 22 mph is cruising speed
    for a good and fit road cyclist. 35 mph plus is sprinting speed or van
    drafting speed. 45 mph plus is downhill speed. Road bikes and human
    powered speed (with gravity assist at times) are a fun combination.

    Bursts of 20 mph and better on a unicycle is impressive. What's also
    going to be impressive is seeing 17 mph plus average speeds for the one
    hour time trial on a unicycle. It's gonna happen.

    --
    john_childs

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  10. I don't think Ken was going quite 22. Still, I don't think he would have
    been quite as injured if he had a simple UPD as opposed to the
    unpredictable hub failure.

    I think other riders (Zack and Ryan come to mind) have UPDed at these
    speeds without serious injury. Then again, they're still young enough
    to "bounce"

    David_Stone said:

    LOL!

    No, but Ken Looi has! It -is- risky, but I know the road well
    and am actually holding back a bit (in case I need to correct my
    pitch). So far, 20.4 (the speed I actually kept at for a second or two)
    is the fastest I've felt comfortable maintaining, but I believe I'm
    capable of hitting a speed slightly higher still -- the only problem
    being that if I need to speed up a bit BUT CAN'T, they'll be cleaning
    me up for weeks.😄

    --
    mscalisi
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  11. terrybigwheel said:

    That's nearly TWICE the running speed of a world-class marathoner! I
    can't do that speed on my bike!... I don't think I could get even close
    to that speed on my coker, goin down hill, all out!

    Well, as pointed out already, marathoners run a quick pace for a LONG
    time; they're not sprinting. Actually, I believe that when they -do-
    sprint, they can easily reach 15 mph.

    As for your Coker, you are probably right when you say that you
    couldn't hit that on your Coker. I have hit 21 mph on mine, but I was
    using the very unpopular 110mm cranks at the time, which are great for
    speed but unideal for sidewalk riding -- they're way too short for most
    people to feel comfortable on (including me, as it turns out). 20 mph
    on a Coker involves really high cadence -- like 200 or 240 revs/minute?
    I can't remember -- and most people have a hard time pedaling that fast
    to begin with, not to mention the fear factor from falling (to be
    alliterative), which goes up exponentially with your speed!

    --
    David_Stone

    Dictator for Life,
    NYUC

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  12. john_childs said:

    You need to get a good road racing bicycle. 22 mph is cruising speed
    for a good and fit road cyclist. 35 mph plus is sprinting speed or van
    drafting speed. 45 mph plus is downhill speed. Road bikes and human
    powered speed (with gravity assist at times) are a fun combination.

    Oh, yeah. I meant to address that, John. Absolutely. 20mph on a bike is
    cake. It's not so easy on a flat (depending on the bike), but downhill,
    you can easily achieve that speed without even pedaling, if the hill is
    long enough.

    Quoted message said:

    Bursts of 20 mph and better on a unicycle is impressive. What's also
    going to be impressive is seeing 17 mph plus average speeds for the one
    hour time trial on a unicycle. It's gonna happen.

    I agree, but I know I'll never be the one to do it. It's barely possible
    for me to maintain 15 or 16 for even a short time now (like 4-5
    minutes). I don't think I'll ever be in shape for a 60 minute ride at
    top speed.🙁

    terrybigwheel said:

    What's the wheel size of this "Guni?"

    It's the 29" Schwalbe tire. Apparently it's a very 'tall' tire, so in
    high gear (with the 1.55:1 ratio), it rides like a 45-46" wheel. I
    guess that means that I was in the cadence area of about 170
    revs/minute, or nearly 3/second. I should test that.

    --
    David_Stone

    Dictator for Life,
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  13. Job said:

    22 mph:eek: thats verry verry fast.
    My top speed is around 10 mph i think on a 20''

    Job, that is VERY fast for a 20" wheel! I have also hit that speed on a
    small wheel, but it's really hard to do. Good job! Now get yourself a
    bigger wheel so we can hear all about your great riding! Best of
    luck!🙂

    --
    David_Stone

    Dictator for Life,
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  14. David_Stone said:

    I have hit 21 mph on mine, but I was using the very unpopular 110mm
    cranks at the time, which are great for speed but unideal for sidewalk
    riding -- they're way too short for most people to feel comfortable on
    (including me, as it turns out). 20 mph on a Coker involves really high
    cadence -- like 200 or 240 revs/minute?

    Your 21 mph on a 36" wheel coresponds to 196 rpm or essentially 200 rpm
    cadence. I have ridden BlueShift, a 43" wheel, at what I thought to be
    slightly less than 3 rps or 180 rpm downhill which is essentially 20
    mph. I UPD'd, went into a roll, and escaped uninjured. I was padded up
    with 661's, a helmet, and full fingered gloves. The hydration pack on
    back helped also.

    What kind of protective gear are you riding with at those speeds? Today
    I used skater knee pads and some soft cloth padded elbow covers, full
    fingered gloves, and a helmet. On a Coker I use no protective gear at
    all.

    --
    harper

    -Greg Harper

    B L U E S H I F T

    *jc is the only main man. there can be no other.*

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  15. Man, that is rugged. Going that fast takes balls of steel, and maybe a
    loose screw or two. Good luck with that, hope your UPD's are safe.

    --
    aspenmike
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  16. harper said:

    Your 21 mph on a 36" wheel coresponds to 196 rpm or essentially 200 rpm
    cadence. I have ridden BlueShift, a 43" wheel, at what I thought to be
    slightly less than 3 rps or 180 rpm downhill which is essentially 20
    mph. I UPD'd, went into a roll, and escaped uninjured. I was padded up
    with 661's, a helmet, and full fingered gloves. The hydration pack on
    back helped also.

    What kind of protective gear are you riding with at those speeds? Today
    I used skater knee pads and some soft cloth padded elbow covers, full
    fingered gloves, and a helmet. On a Coker I use no protective gear at
    all.

    Wow! That is a really scary UPD. I can't imagine. It's amazing that you
    came out unscathed. We've all had UPDs at much slower speeds that have
    been much worse. Generally, when I fall and am wearing wristguards, I
    actually REACH for the ground in order to lessen the severity of the
    contact.

    When I ride the guni, I always wear a helmet and wristguards. I won't
    even take them off as I approach my destination in case the gear
    disengages. When I go racing, I usually wear elbow and knee pads, but
    this last time, I left them somewhere irretrievable (we're in the
    process of moving, so they could be a number of places). I was
    concerned in case of a UPD at high speed, but I just rode carefully
    over a known track, and everything worked out fine.

    The funny thing is that as I headed home, I had an unplanned dismount
    caused by scraggy road conditions in an area known for them, so I
    wasn't going faster than 11 mph. I managed not to 'fall,' but my ankle
    was a bit sore afterwards from hitting the ground so hard. It didn't
    keep me from setting a new record today for my commute home (normally
    25 mins on the Coker, just 20:30 on the guni for 4.5 miles thru
    Brooklyn).

    Because I've hurt my ankle a few times (as I did yestreen), I've
    considered getting a new pair of Active Ankles. I wonder if they'd work
    for regular commute-style riding, and I wonder if they'd have helped
    with this little ow-ie.

    --
    David_Stone

    Dictator for Life,
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  17. HARDCORE: 1. Beyond extreme. 2. Made of Stone.

    --
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  18. David, you are a speed demon. Once you went incredibly fast on my
    cycle-computer-clad 12" unicycle but I don't remember how fast. Wasn't
    it around 8 MPH?

    --
    uni57

    -\"what's a troll?\"- - billythemountain
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  19. David_Stone said:

    guess that means that I was in the cadence area of about 170
    revs/minute, or nearly 3/second. I should test that.

    Yes, 22 mph equates to 169.5 rpm, assuming a 3% "wobble loss".

    I have a similar setup (only with longer cranks). I keep a riding log
    in a spreadsheet that also does cadence calculations and I just
    tweaked my last ride to your parameters to check.

  20. I've done around 12mph on my old 20" pashley, but you go into wiggle
    territory.

    I think the problem with uni'in is if you pedal 2 fast to the point
    where is there is no tension in the pedaling, you loose control and
    balance.

    --
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