29er Tire Study. Wanted! Active 29er riders and design ideas

Hello everybody!

I'm initiating a study of 29er tires and am looking for people who are
proficient and prolific 29er riders to participate. I had the idea
based on earlier threads similar to 'this one'
(http://tinyurl.com/3248f), and based on my own experience with 29er
tires.

I have three purposes: 1) to enhance the unicycling community''s
knowledge in this area, 2) to help me decide what to recommend to my
customers, and 3) to help promote my micro unicycle-building and
-servicing business.

The study, ala Greg Harper's Blue Shift study, will send about 8 road
and off-road tires around to selected riders. Each rider will be
expected to mount the tires successively on his/her unicycle, ride them
under various conditions, take extensive notes, and fill out a
questionnaire. I will then collect the responses, develop a summary
document, then publish the lot in a pdf that the public will be able to
download at no charge. Each rider will also be expected to send the lot
of tires to the next rider in the list. Depending on the number of test
riders, each rider will have about 1 month to do about 80 miles of
riding. This should result in a study that is 6-12 months long. If a
rider damages a tire during the study, I will replace it. I will send
extra tubes along with the tires.

A review copy of the questionnaire will be available for comment for
download before the study officially begins.

I have already obtained the tires, and what I need now is: a list of
riders, and ideas for what should be studied. I already have ideas for
the latter, but would like to get untainted ideas from everybody else
before I do the questionnaire. I will also consider tire suggestions
and would add to the pile if it seems warranted.

So, please respond to this thread or PM me if:

a) you have constructive suggestions about the study in general;
b) you are qualified as, and want to be, a test rider;
c) you have suggestions about what the study should examine and how it
should be constructed;
d) if you have opinions about which tires should be studied.

I don't see any reason (yet) why this shouldn't be an international
study, so please participate if you want to, no matter where you live.

Qualifications to be a test rider:

1) currently own a 29er capable of handling a Big Apple;
2) enjoy and are proficient at riding a 29er on- and off-road;
3) have access to on- and off-road paths of varying conditions;
4) can commit to riding about 80-100 miles in about a month;
5) can commit to mailing the tires to the next rider;
6) can change tires and tubes easily without damage;
7) can commit to filling out an extensive, perhaps tedious
questionnaire;
8) can commit to organizing your test rides to fit the conditions
required by the study.

No compensation for the riders will be available except for the exposure
and the satisfaction of enhancing everybody's knowledge.

A brake is not required but would be nice to have. I will also ask each
rider to send a photo of him or herself on a 29er and a brief
riding-oriented bio.

My current list of tires is:

1. IRC Mythos II front 700c x 2.1
2. IRC Mythos II rear 700c x 2.1
3. Kenda Klaw XT front 700c x 2.1
4. Kenda Klaw XT rear 700c x 2.1
5. Schwalbe Big Apple 700c x 2.35
6. Schwalbe Marathon XR 700c x 1.75
7. WTB Nanoraptor 700c x 2.3
8. WTB Motoraptor 700c x 2.3


This is exciting for me, and I hope for you too! I look forward to
everyone's input.


--
U-Turn - There has got to be a better way...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'Unatics Website' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)


-- Dave Stockton
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U-Turn wrote:
*7. WTB Nanoraptor 700c x 2.3
8. WTB Motoraptor 700c x 2.3
*
unless there has been a change,those are both 2.1

thats sounds like alot of tyre swaping.im glad i have an excuse not to
do all that work,no more 29er...what about doubling the work/test load
by evaluating each tyre mounted both tread forward and tread backwards.


--
jagur - Random Unicyclist

---------------------------------------------------
-Forget_Your_Life-

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You are right on the tire dimensions, Jag. I guess that was an editing
problem.

Not all the tires have directional tread. Hmmm... that would be a good
optional exercise for the keener riders.


--
U-Turn - There has got to be a better way...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'Unatics Website' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)


-- Dave Stockton
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I would like to be a test rider, and so would Jeff Groves.
We could do all the above listed requirements, except that i've never
made a .pdf file, so i might need some help there.

Anyways, i'd be able to put more than 80 miles, on them in a month, and
Jeff could be a tester at the same time, so we'd do double the testing
in the same time.

our emails are




Thanks,
this project sounds like fun

-Ryan


--
m_extreme_uni

I must only use these powers to annoy!!!
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Weres Chirokid? He just got a 29er. I figured he would be jumping at
the chance to be a tester. Keith did you read this!!! Free Tires!!!


--
bugman - Equilibrium Challenged

"Trying to maintain balance by wild arm and body motions is something
like trying to balance a wet noodle"
Jack Wiley _The_Unicycle_Book_
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I shoulda known Ryan and Jeff would be first in line. Cool! I will get
the tires headed your way soon to get them out of the basement. If
possible we can get you on the tail end as well when the weather is
warmer and the terrain is different.

bugman: it is clear that he'd have to send them on, right?


--
U-Turn - There has got to be a better way...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'Unatics Website' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)


-- Dave Stockton
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I'm in. I don't have a 29er yet, but I will before this tour ends.


--
Ben Plotkin-Swing

www.benps.com

"Every truly great accomplishment is at first impossible" -Fortune
cookie.
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bugman wrote:
*Weres Chirokid? He just got a 29er. I figured he would be jumping
at the chance to be a tester. Keith did you read this!!! Free
Tires!!! *


It does sound like a great way to: 1. Get in some miles 2. Test a
lifetime worth of different tires 3. Help my fellow 29er riders
determine the tire for them 4. Be able to say I was part of a unicycle
experiment with Ryan.

The problem is, I only have a seat, seat post and pedals for the
SuperSHJag29er. I still have no UNI. Jagur is socked in with a huge
ice storm... either that, or he mugged the big brown truck driver and
swiped back his 29er as it headed toward Tennessee, or he took my money
and is now posting from Hawaii.

Anyway, U-turn said we had to be "people who are proficient and prolific
29er riders". Shucks, I just bought one. I haven't even seen it, let
alone rode it yet!

But it does sound like my kind of thing. --chirokid--


--
chirokid

...and a butt that smells like chocolate is good? ? ? ? ?
"Get some Palmers Cocoa Butter Lotion from Boots. If you put it on in
the evening after a ride, you'll be fine to ride the next day. As an
added bonus it smells of chocolate too." JoeMarshall
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*I'm in. I don't have a 29er yet, but I will before this tour ends.*
Nice. You did the first picnic table on a Coker, isn't that right, Ben?
Did we get that on tape? Perhaps Joey and Dan would want to do some
test rides too.



chirokid wrote:
*But it does sound like my kind of thing. --chirokid-- *
I agree, chiro. Send me your email and we'll put you on the list. You
can practice up while the Toronto and Boston guys have them.


--
U-Turn - There has got to be a better way...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'Unatics Website' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)


-- Dave Stockton
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I'm not ignoring you U-turn, just waiting to receive my SuperSHJag29er.
I should get her this week. Then I'll give you a definative yea or
nea.

kchirokid at aol dot com --chirokid--


--
chirokid

...and a butt that smells like chocolate is good? ? ? ? ?
"Get some Palmers Cocoa Butter Lotion from Boots. If you put it on in
the evening after a ride, you'll be fine to ride the next day. As an
added bonus it smells of chocolate too." JoeMarshall
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