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#1
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Adding weight to a wheel
I used to think that weight was bad, and money was good, so that proper unicycle design would be a simple matter of striking a balance between the two. Pedal weight is the worst, because it rotates out of balance. Crank weight is second worst, for the same reason, only less so, because it's closer to the center. Frame weight sucks, because it just pulls you down, but at least it just pulls down, and not down and to the side, like pedal- crank weight. Certainly hub and rim- tire weight must be bad in many cases. Cranks spins and jumping would seem easier with a lighter wheel set. But what about a 36 commuter ? I got this idea with these wrist weight straps someone left in my yard. They look like the picture. Together all 3 weighted 4 lbs. I strapped them around 3 spokes and tightened the Velcro, right at the rim. There was 9 spokes between each of the weights, to achieve balance. Installation time, 3 minutes. I have just came back from a 2 hr. ride. I fully expected this to be a bad idea, but it was free and easy, I couldn't resist just seeing how bad it was. Actually I like it ! It was very much like an unweighted wheel. I got used to the slower turning pretty quick. There was some very real advantages. I could ride faster with less concentration. Hard pedal inputs have less effect. The uni tracks straighter. Balance, no doubt due to the gyro effect, was helpfully improved. I could easily ride with both hands on the saddle, something I never much tried before. It had the effect of transforming me into a smoother rider who could pedal harder and straighter with less effort, and better balance. I'm not saying this is for everyone, but 36 riders, and maybe 29'ers might like to try this. I'm going to leave the weights on for now. I'd try more weight if I had them ! I guess I'll go to more fat girl's garage sales. +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Filename: 51kG3+Q7XEL._SS500_.jpg | |Download: http://www.unicyclist.com/attachment/25701 | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ -- feel the light ------------------------------------------------------------------------ feel the light's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/14551 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
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#2
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Adding weight to a wheel
I have thought about this but never tried it. I to relunctant i guess, but very good on the discovery! i think since someone tested it out i have a reason to try it. -- SHAY_CAM The only occurance of world peace is when your the only one left. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHAY_CAM's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/16229 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#3
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Adding weight to a wheel
The Atlatl, unicycle connection: Bannerstones -- Nimbusnut ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nimbusnut's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/16642 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#4
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Adding weight to a wheel
'here is a thread that I started on the topic last year' (http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=58856), unfourtunately it quickly got off topic. A heavy wheel can definately help your stability and smoothness but will be much harder to stop and slow down. It will also prevent you from easily making fine adjustments to prevent caristrophic falls at high speed... It was fun untill my collarbone was where my shoulder blade shoud be. -- saskatchewanian ------------------------------------------------------------------------ saskatchewanian's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/14180 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#5
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Adding weight to a wheel
"feel the light" I think you could be onto something good here,existing unis are definitely eccentrically weighted, as long as the additional weight doesn't bring too many negatives it would smooth the wheels rotation.You only have to hold a uni up by the seat post and spin the wheel to see how out of balance they are.Todays crazy ideas for tommorrows improved unicycles. -- dangerdog ------------------------------------------------------------------------ dangerdog's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/16398 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#6
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Adding weight to a wheel
feel the light wrote: Pedal weight is the worst, because it rotates out of balance. Crank weight is second worst, for the same reason, only less so, because it's closer to the center. Frame weight sucks, because it just pulls you down, but at least it just pulls down, and not down and to the side, like pedal- crank weight. Certainly hub and rim- tire weight must be bad in many cases. Cranks spins and jumping would seem easier with a lighter wheel set. I think pedal weight is not as bad as what you make it out to be. When the rider is on their pedals- the weight of their legs would be far more significant than the weight of the pedals- so regardless of how uneven the unicycle spins when you spin it in mid-air, it is going to be more uneven with a rider atop it. Fat riders should lose weight themselves before worrying about shopping for lightweight pedals. Frame weight doesn't really matter when you are riding unless you are hopping. Unless it is really heavy then it will drag you back on the hills. Frame weight does not pull you down unless you are already falling- the frame weight is balanced on top of the wheel if you are upright. Maybe you should do a few long rides on an old steel coker with the heavy tires- you will soon notice how unnecessary any extra weight is for stability. I agree with Ken, lighter is better as long as it is strong enough. -- Rowan ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rowan's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3772 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#7
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Adding weight to a wheel
As the wheel gets heavier, the pedalling corrections have less effect on the wheel. But someone once astutely remarked that every action has an equal but opposite reaction. So on a heavier wheel, the balance corrections are made by adjusting the body position relative to the wheel inertia, where the pedal correction force translates to a body adjustment rather than a wheel adjustment. Does this make any sense to anyone else? Would the physicists out there be able to explain it better? -- unisk8r ------------------------------------------------------------------------ unisk8r's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/4660 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#8
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Adding weight to a wheel
I'm not a physicist, but here's what I'm thinking... As far as forward motion is concerned, there are two methods that work together as you work to maintain balance over the wheel. The primary method for smaller wheel sizes is to pedal the unicycle such that the wheel is slightly ahead of your center of mass as you need to slow down, or slightly behind your center of mass as you speed up. The more the wheel is ahead or behind, the faster you slow down or speed up. However, to maintain balance at a steady speed, the wheel must swing forward and back constantly so that on average, your center of mass is directly over the wheel. This takes a fair amount of effort to maintain. As the wheel gets larger, the inertia of the wheel (it's resistance to an instantaneous change in speed) can also be used to an advantage. A larger, heavier wheel will have a greater resistance to changes in speed and will allow you to shift your center of mass more quickly and with less effort than the first method can. The inertia will allow your center of mass to remain more centered over the wheel, and so you will use less energy in maintaining balance. I noticed this difference when I recently begain riding a Coker. I notice that I spend a lot of energy on my 29er keeping the wheel under me, and that it feels like it is constantly shifting forward and back as I ride. On a smooth path, the Coker feels like it stays in position better and with less effort. I think it is the wheel inertia that makes the difference. If this is the case, weights added to my 29er could cause similar improvement. Hmmmm..... -Aaron -- FlyByTire Just because you can, doesn't mean you should ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FlyByTire's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/14437 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#9
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Adding weight to a wheel
I want to emphasis that I only tried this because it was free and easy, not because I believed it would a useful mod. So I sorta expect others to be skeptical. I was surprised at the results. Acceleration was about normal. I'm about 180, the uni was 17 lbs. before I added 4 lbs to the rim. So I figure the extra 2 % mass I need to accelerate is unnoticeable in practice. Anyway, it starts and stops about the same as before. I don't have a brake. I think that the most positive effect of the rim weights is due to 2 things. A gyroscope like effect that improves balance, and an "engine like " flywheel effect, that requires fewer good pedal strokes to keep it up to speed and aiming straight. The whole rig seems much more forgiving, like riding in a wagon. Corrections that would be needed on a lighter wheel aren't needed. Hard kicks that would turn a lighter wheel to the side, move this one so little, that the natural tendency is to kick harder. It wasn't more tiring to ride. The extra friction caused by 2 % extra vehicle weight was made up by the lack of effort needed to control the thing. My general impression is that this rig is as safe and handles better then without the weights, particularly at high speeds in a straight line. It does have a way of making me pedal faster. Anyway, these weights can be had for 12 $ / pr. of 5 lber's. , that can be adjusted in 1/2 lb units. I used 3, but they aren't adjustable. I think I will leave them on for now. Maybe buy the deluxe set of adjustables later. If I really get into the heavy 36 rim concept, I have a better design. I'll use 3 inner tubes. One will have no stem and be slit all around the inside. This one can be installed into the tire first, with a bit of rubber cement to hold it in place. I'll drill a stem hole in the rim 180 degrees opposite of the first one, then install and inflate 2 tubes. This has 2 advantages. The flywheel weight is placed farther from the wheel center, then with spoke wraps. And an edge against punctures. Most punctures would only get one tube, so the tire would only lose 1/2 pressure, and could be pumped back up without first needing to fix the flat. -- feel the light ------------------------------------------------------------------------ feel the light's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/14551 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
#10
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Adding weight to a wheel
feel the light wrote: I want to emphasis that I only tried this because it was free and easy, not because I believed it would a useful mod. So I sorta expect others to be skeptical. I was surprised at the results. ... It wasn't more tiring to ride. The extra friction caused by 2 % extra vehicle weight was made up by the lack of effort needed to control the thing. My general impression is that this rig is as safe and handles better then without the weights, particularly at high speeds in a straight line. It does have a way of making me pedal faster. I disagree that it wasn't more tiring to ride. Did you actually do a long ride or just a regular ride? If you do 100km on a big heavy wheel you will notice the difference than riding 100km on a lightweight wheel. Turning a 700c wheel for a long time produces a lot of saddle soreness but very little muscle soreness because it doesn't take much work to keep it moving. The heavy Coker wheel is definitely harder to ride. It covers the k's a bit quicker but you feel the weight on the uphills. I think effort for controlling a wheel is minimal for skilled riders compared to the effort of cranking up hills at speed. I am looking forwards to trying a geared 700c to get some speed without the burden of the weight. -- Rowan ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rowan's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3772 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/68512 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com |
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