Coker commute query



E

Erin

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Ok I know I risk opening a can of ...well debate and endless speculation
but, well here goes anyhow. I know I've been out of the loop for a
while but it seems like its not taking too long to get back into the one
wheel groove.
Last night at our weekly jugglers and unicyclists gathering I jumped on
a friend's Coker.... trying out a uni I don't already have is always a
very dangerous experience for me....:rolleyes:
This was only my third time on a Coker and, as with the first two times,
the seat didn't go low enough for my short frame and it was, therefore,
a bit of stretch to reach the pedals. Nevertheless, the ride just felt
so smooth and utterly tantalizing.
So, naturally, for me, I began to fantasize about riding such a fine
wheel to my work place when school resumed at the end of summer. "How
would the 12 km rolling terrain feel under the rubber or a 36 inch wheel
compared to that of my 29'er?" I wondered.
What do you think....the ride takes aproximately 50 minutes, at my best,
and is a bit of a workout on the 29'er. Anyone willing to take a guess
at how much faster it might be on the Coker? As well, there are quite a
few fair sized hills on this route.... a plus or minus if riden with the
big one? Any other discussion or feedback on this topic, within reason,
would be welcome.

(Thanks, in advance, for enduring yet another somewhat 'Coker vs 29'er'
thread.)


--
Erin - Onewheeler

"Life's short, ride often."
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Do you remember you and Andrea spinning like crazy to keep up with the
Cokers going around Stanley Park when you were on your 29er's? You've
seen how much faster they are. I think everyone had 6" cranks on their
Cokers on that ride, too. You have ridden one and you know how smooth
they are at cruising speed. Get a Coker, use the 100mm seatpost, get
5.5" cranks if you need to, and let's ride in Vancouver again before
autumn.


--
harper - Statuesque

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

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Well actually, I kind of like the spinning! :D And the 29'er's are so
much lighter and more nimble feeling than the 'big bad boy'. ;)

But I was wondering how much more work a Coker would be to pedal up
hill. Yeah for sure the longer cranks would help in the uphill
department and a brake would take all the nasties out of going
downhill.

Anyways, its all theoretical right now as there isn't an inch (mm?!) of
space left in the studio to store another wheel.....sigh....hey, maybe
we need to move...!


--
Erin - Onewheeler

"Life's short, ride often."
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Erin wrote:
> * "How would the 12 km rolling terrain feel under the rubber or a 36
> inch wheel compared to that of my 29'er?" *
dont forget to ask yourself what a UPD will be like as well. Cokers are
heavier and clunkier (stock versions) and your getting a work out on
your ride, your going to be sweating more on that tank.

yeah they are smoother, but not when your luggin or packin'em.

about the speed, i'd say you would get there 2 ta 3 minutes faster...
putting out more effort though.


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jagur - #3649_all fluff i hear?

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jagur wrote:
> *about the speed, i'd say you would get there 2 ta 3 minutes faster...
> putting out more effort though. *


My experience is that less effor is required except on very steep up or
down hill sections, but I have 5" cranks. With 6" cranks, it will take a
few weeks for your legs to get used to the higher leg strength required,
but once your muscles catch up, it should be easier.

So the problem in riding a Coker for a day or two to compare with your
29'er is probably going to be leg strength, which is easier to increase
than spin rate. The best place to compare is on a flat route, as hills
take time to learn.


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iunicycle - Old back, new cricks
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My commute to work, at 13.2 kilometers (8.2 miles), is pretty flat. It
is definitely an easier ride on my Coker, though I can do it on my 29er
about 3 minutes slower.

At some point, the amount of hilliness will take away the advantage of
the Coker, but just how much is probably a personal thing. Some people
like hills more than others. The Coker definitely cruises much more
easily on the flat. I guess another factor is the amount of stuff you
have to deal with along your ride. Mine has relatively few intersections
where I have to stop, curbs to deal with, etc. The more of those, the
more you'll like a 29er.

Your best bet is to borrow one if that's possible, and see what you
think. But just one or two rides may not be eough to get a real feel for
how it's going to be, because you have to get used to it.

Another factor for me is the good handle setup I have on my Coker. With
multiple hand positions, it's a lot more comfortable than the plain old
seat-with-handle on my 29er. Only one hand position basically means only
one butt position on the seat. If you can shift around it helps a lot.

My Coker has 125s and my 29er has 102s. For a more hilly ride you might
want to go up a notch, at least 140 on the Coker, and an unknown amount
on the 29er (again depending on how much you like cranking up the
hills--and down).

Though I have a lot less mileage on the 29er, it's clear that the higher
pedaling cadence makes it more work to ride. It's a better workout
though, and I think riding it is going to make me faster on the Coker as
well.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"Beer me." -- Scot Cooper, at the end of a group ride all the way up and
all the way down Mt. Diablo (3300'), a 20 mile round trip of road and
trail.
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35 minutes +/- on the Coker depending on your psych that day. Use 125mm
cranks. The hills actually help as they alleviate boredom and you can
really move on the downhills.

My commute is 13.2km each way and I can't imagine why I would ever
consider NOT using a Coker. The route has about 150m of climbing on the
way to work and about 250m of climbing on the way home. There is a
little singletrack, but mostly roads with a nice bike lane. There are
lots of side roads with lots of extra climbing I take when I feel like
it. There are 17 stop lights but they are mostly green. Perfect for
Cokering - typical riding time oneway is 40-42 minutes. Even if I could
do it in nearly the same time on a 29er, I don't see why. I'd rather
have a 40" Coker or a geared up 36".

---Nathan


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nathan - BIG rides: Muni & Coker
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nathan wrote:
> * I'd rather have a 40" Coker or a geared up 36".
>
> ---Nathan *


Yeah, Erin. You're in exactly the right city to try a geared up Coker.


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harper - Statuesque

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
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Hey, hey! Stop egging her on, guys! I've still got to keep up on a
29er if she gets a Coker next week! Tell her a 29er is...calming and,
and...good for her...and, uh...

And Greg, we *were not* spinning like crazy! We were, uh...practicing
for the upcoming late summer grape stomp! Yeah!

(OK, so we were spinning.)

--andrea


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slugbath - Toodling...
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Why don't you borrow your friend's Coker and a shorty seatpost and try
it? Give 'em your 29er as collateral...
I have noticed that rider height and size does play a factor in
overall Coker satisfaction. You are not as tall as many of the other
athletes who frequent this forum, otherwise I would be screaming "Gedda
Coker!".
If you do opt for one, get the fancy beefed up model with the
lightweight rim.

carjug


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carjug
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I don't really know about that height thing - might be an urban legend.
Beau is 4' 10" or 11" and loves to Coker. He rides pretty fast (cruise
at 11-12mph, max of 17), is comfortable riding it offroad, and can do
over 40 miles in a day no problem. I think if you are comfortable on a
regular unicycle and put in some time getting to know the Coker that
you'll be happy with it. Beau rode with 152mm cranks for a few weeks,
then 140mm for a few weeks, then was very happy to move down to 125mm.

---Nathan


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nathan - BIG rides: Muni & Coker
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That's good to hear, Nathan! I've always wondered how tall you have to
be to ride a Coker comfortably. Both Erin and I are ~5'4" (ok, I'm on
the short end of 5'4", and Erin is on the tall end), so with an
appropriate seatpost, it should work well.

--andrea


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slugbath - Toodling...
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I don't know about now, but when I got my first Coker in 1999, they
shipped with 2 or maybe 3 seatposts of different lengths. Beau uses the
little tiny one that allows the seat to be right at the minimum height,
although with 125mm cranks he no longer needs the absolute minimum.

---Nathan


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Erin wrote:
> *Anyways, its all theoretical right now as there isn't an inch (mm?!)
> of space left in the studio to store another wheel.....sigh....hey,
> maybe we need to move...! *

Go on Erin - get a coker, you know you want to, you're only posting here
because you KNOW we'll talk you into it. Cokers take up surprisingly
little space - mine lives in an unused doorway. Four words - Real women
ride cokers.

Jayne


--
Jayne ZA - Learning to ride on a Coker

Being a statistician means never having to say you're certain


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And if you're really on the fence, the two of you should both sell your
29-ers, then use the proceeds plus some additional hard-earned cash to
buy the SH geared 29-er currently on auction, and a stock Coker. Then
you'll still have a "natural" 29" to share, and a Coker, and with the
29"'s gear engaged, two unis of roughly equal speed, both faster than
your current 29s.

Then draw straws to see who rides what each ride. :D


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

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Jayne ZA wrote:
> *
> Four words - Real women ride cokers. *
well thats nice to know. if i ever get the "the operation" i still wont
have to ride one of those.


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jagur - #3649_all fluff i hear?

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