new_coker said:The segmented, flat top crown was advised against when I met with John
at UDC. He thinks the smoother current crown is prefered by most riders
because it hits your legs less and that Coker's for the most part is
are not used for trick riding.
Yes. Though a few people will always want to do such things, it's much
harder to do them, especially using your foot on the crown, than on a
smaller-wheeled uni. Plus, I think some of these riders are applying a
standard comment about frame designs; one that does not apply on such a
large wheel.
Quoted message said:There also could be a handle but I have not designed a good way to mount
it yet.
Please don't give up on the handle. I find it an essential component of
what makes long Coker rides (like my commute to work) more enjoyable.
Without a good place to rest your hand(s), all weight remains on your
crotch. On a bike a big percentage of your weight is on the handlebars
and we (road/distance/commuters) really need that.
This picture shows the current setup I have on my Coker Deluxe:
http://unicycling.smugmug.com/gallery/345524/3/13733089
This is a makeshift setup, but I find it so useful I've taken it apart
and brought it to unicycle conventions where I attached it to a
borrowed Coker to race the 10k (came in 3rd! 🙂).
A little bit about that handle:
It was made by Paul Wyganowski for Bronson Silva. Bronson later had a
spaceage Coker made (perhaps the most advanced one ever), so he sold
this handle to me. I'm taller than him, so I have it mounted much lower
than originally intended, and attached a couple of bar-ends to what is
intended as a front "bumper." This provides me with a slightly aero
position, relieving a bunch of weight from my crotch. The T-bar in
front of the seat works for upright riding, and the part on the back,
also intended as a bumper, could be modified to hold a bike trunk bag
of some sort. The water bottle is handy for rides like my commute,
where I'm not going for hours, and don't want to arrive with a sweaty
back (from my Camelbak).
Ultimately a handle system would have an adjustment to allow the rider
to move the handles farther out the front depending on comfort level.
A key factor in any handle design is what I'll call "runout." You need
to be able to forward-dismount off the unicycle without getting hung up
on it. Hence the narrow design with bar-ends.
Ultimately I'd like to have a Y-shaped, narrow pair of handlebars up
front, with some kind of skids that go in front of your fingers. These
would protect the end of the bars from digging into the ground (like
mine do) in a drop.
I don't know how much of that can be reasonably incorporated into a
production add-on, but it would greatly ease access by larger numbers
of riders into long-distance unicycling. The rest of us will probably
continue to experiment and refine designs for individual needs.
Quoted message said:I will be looking into getting a real, production air saddle made. It
would have a air bladder and not the bmx tube used currently.
Don't let anyone talk you out of that idea! All production-level saddle
research & development is very welcome! If people don't like it they
will still be able to use the saddle of their choice. Please stick with
the standard 4-bolt mount you currently have though, unless you go to
something more advanced. Your backup choice of a Velo works for me as
well.
Quoted message said:John at UDC suggested the rounder tire... If the majority does not think
that is neccesary that will save me time and money on getting a new
tire made. We are also looking into making a smooth tread pattern tire.
I wish I knew more about tire qualities to be more helpful here. John
D. knows the market probably better than any of us, so he probably
knows what he's talking about. I'm fine with the stability and ride of
my tire but have nothing to compare it with. Woud a rounder tire, with
smaller contact patch, wear out faster from normal road-riding use?
By contrast, the 7/8" hard rubber tire on my 45" handles totally
differently. That tire makes it much easier to turn, spin, swoop,
anything. Friction is very low. This is great for fancy riding, like in
shows, but also promotes more wobble when going straight. Also it makes
a nice wood floor like riding on black ice.
I like the way the Coker tracks straight ahead, and tend to think of
the cycle as something made to do that. But the novelty owners, who I
estimate are the majority of your customers, may want better turning
abilities.
So I guess I'll conclude my ramble by saying I can't disagree with John
D., but I also haven't noticed anyone here asking for shape changes to
the tire. The main variant this crowd would like is a lighter one. A
lighter tire (and tube!) would be big sellers in the enthusiast crowd.
If lighter weight means a shorter life, you'll just sell more of them.
The current tire lasts a really long time, so you have room to play
around there, as long as you keep the original tire or something
similar.
Quoted message said:Corky has expressed a interest in making a larger wheel "The Biggest
One" unicycle. It is not a definate thing but is being considered very
seriously.
Please consider on! I estimate that eventually, every current Coker
owner who responded to this thread will buy one. That's not a huge
number in itself, but the same will apply to many other Coker owners
and of course first-time buyers. This is a growing market, a market
that didn't even exist before the first Coker. In the future there will
be long-distance road races, more uni-tours, and possibly even Coker
clubs, being made up of only distance riders.
We should all expect a bigger wheel model to be intended for a smaller
market, and to cost up to 50% more than the original.
Use caution calling it "Biggest One." In unicycling, superlatives have
a tendency to not last long. How about "Really Big One?" 🙂
Quoted message said:I know that the standard Big One is on the higher end of the scale for
unicycles. It will be evry hard to reduce the cost because of the cost
of getting everything made.
Yes, dealer-direct would hurt sales. And though today's Coker is more
expensive than other entry-level unicycles, it's anything but an
entry-level piece of hardware. The reason the Coker is a success is
because it *IS* affordable. Before that, a handmade big wheel was at
least $600 for something with a rock-hard tire.
That said, I understand the imperative to keep the price as low as
possible for the base model.
--
johnfoss
John Foss
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com
-----------------------------------------------
"Idiot America—where fact is merely that which enough people believe,
and truth is measured only by how fervently they believe it." --
Charles Pierce, in Esquire Magazine
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