http://unplannedismounts.com unicycle reviews, unicycle rides, unicycle rants, schlumpf hub Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:35:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Was out riding after work, messing around on the 20" uni at Trentham Falls and Shazaam, the Google Street View car cruised by - unlikely and cool! I've started to get back into working on trials skills over the last week or two. Lots of fun being on the 20" again ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/03/01/google-street-uni-view/ I had a few hours to spare on a day trip to South Western Victoria so took the 24" GUni along to ride the Crater to Coast Rail Trail, which runs 29km from Camperdown to Timboon (though the plan is to extend it all the way to Port Campbell). The trail ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/02/21/crater-to-coast-rail-trail/ Had a short but exciting ride today looping between Twin Bridges and Tipperary Springs. Lots of great single track, ultra narrow in places, sometimes with sheer rock wall on the hillside, sometimes with a big drop on the other, sometimes both! The single track also drops in and out of ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/02/17/tipperary-springs/ Had a fun MUni today at Breakneck Gorge near Hepburn Springs, on a section of trail that links the natural mineral springs in the area. The gorge is a great place for MUni - super narrow trails cut into surrounding hillside, lots of steep up and down, rocky, and big ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/02/14/breakneck-gorge/ Had a fun late afternoon ride in the Wombat Forest, stopping off at a large hollow burnt out tree for some pics. Recent thunderstorms have scoured out sections of tracks, in the process creating unexpected, deep deposits of sand every now and then. The 3.0" tire on the 24 GUni floats ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/02/14/hollow-sandy-muni/ Had a fun ride on the 24 GUni in the Wombat Forest. So far the summer has been reasonably mild with good rainfalls. All up good conditions for MUni. Some of the trails are becoming overgrown - I've got to get out there more! :) [caption id="attachment_3250" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Schlumpf MUni"][/caption] I hadn't ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/02/01/schlumpf-muni/ We've had some fun late afternoon rides on the 24" GUni down at the local reserve with Didj the uni dog. There's a satisfying feeling of load on your legs when riding in 1:1.5, and as time goes on your body and mind are increasingly willing and able to push the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/01/24/guni-cruising/ Had fun down at the local reserve today with Didj the uni dog and my partner Selena. Didj is a 6 month old kelpie cross with LOTS of energy. We've already been out on many walks, uni rides and MTB rides but today was the first day on the 36'er ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/01/18/didj-the-uni-dog/ Start of 2010, time to sell off some things no longer needed or that didn't quite work out as I'd hoped. Interested in something? Use the Contact form to get in touch with me... Carbon Fibre Base Fusion Freeride Saddle I built this seat up when I was working on a seat mounted ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/01/09/2010-for-sale-carbon-fibre-seat-udc-36-muni-26-rim-150-moment-cranks/ A super humid day in these parts, it felt like I was back in the tropics! I headed out into the forest on the 24 GUni for a post Xmas sweat fest. The 24 GUni is zipping along. The more I ride it, the more natural it feels in 1:1.5. AWESOME! [caption ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2010/01/01/tropical-muni/ I haven't had a chance to post much over the Christmas break but there's still been time to ride the uni each day, even if only to exercise and train Didj, our new super dog :) The 24" GUni is still my favorite uni, though I've also been riding the 20, ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/12/28/xmas-uni/ Had a bunch of fun this afternoon at the weekly uni get together, riding the hills near the skate park. Frankie started the afternoon saying his uni wasn't good on dirt downhills, an hour later he was making it to the bottom of the descent on both the 16" and ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/12/01/mini-style-muni/ The 6 hour Cyclic Navigator again proved to be an epic uni challenge. Storms in the 24 hours leading up the event combined with wind and rain on the day turned trails into streams and made for super slippery testing conditions anywhere off the dirt roads. My fitness is a long ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/29/6-hour-cyclic-navigator-2/ The weather forecast for the Cyclic Navigator tomorrow is cool, literally - 15 degrees Celcius and scattered showers.  Nice! Overheating won't be a problem, but no doubt these guidelines from Sports Medicine Australia regarding exercising in heat are a handy reference over Summer. Over 30 degrees Celcius -> go for a ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/27/heat-guidelines/ I had a few things to do in Woodend so took the 24 GUni along to ride the local Wombat MTB Trail. Good timing too as today was the last opportunity to squeeze in a longer ride before the Cyclic Navigator on the weekend, and the weather today was much ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/25/wombat-mtb-trail/ If there's one thing that will derail the upcoming Cyclic Navigator event it will probably be the record heat that the lower half of Australia has been enduring this Spring.  Bush fire risk could postpone the event which is fair enough, but it's more if the event goes ahead in ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/18/hot-hot-hot/ I had a lot of fun participating in last year's 6 Hour Cyclic Navigator - a MTB Orienteering event held annually in the Wombat Forest. On the morning of the event you receive the map. The aim is to gather as many points as you can by passing through as many ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/17/6-hour-cyclic-navigator/ Felt pretty good today so decided to make use of the cooler weather and head over to Black Forest with the 24" GUni. I've ridden the trails there on a 36'er, 29'er and single speed 24 so was interested to see how it would be on the 24 GUni. As it ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/17/black-forest-guni/ Uni rides have been replaced with swimming the last week - partly due to the record breaking heat for this time of year, but also to help my leg heal. The swimming has worked magic, and with this year's 6 hour Cyclic Navigator only a couple of weeks away I ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/15/twin-bridges-guni/ Lulu aka Uni Bitch and I headed down to the local reserve first thing this morning. I woke up with some new and improved soreness from yesterday's effort so a super light and easy ride was the plan including soaking in the Loddon river. A great way to start the day. ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/10/water-therapy/ Finally... time to get back on the uni, WOOHOO! My lower leg/ankle/foot is still quite tender and swollen but nothing like it was, I guess it's ~75% working. Maybe a light short ride would help get it moving again, and regardless it would be great for the mind and spirit ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/09/booyah-rides-again/ According to Wikipedia Cabin Fever is: an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space, with nothing to do, for an extended period. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, forgetfulness, laughter, and excessive sleeping, distrust of anyone ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/11/05/cabin-fever/ I received the planet axle pin test screw from Schlumpf today, another example of the high level of customer service Florian provides. My #226 hub has been running GREAT but with extra speed and complexity of a GUni it's well worth checking that everything is operating as it should be. The ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/27/planet-axle-pin-test-screw/ I guess there was more to the UPD at Flume Track the other day. I wasn't able to use my leg to shift down to low gear after the UPD but riding seemed to be ok apart from some anguish on the left side. I have no idea what happened ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/23/funky-leg-magic/ To help minimize the late afternoon jet lag like feeling due to getting up for work at 3.40am I squeezed in a mid afternoon MUni ride along Flume Track before doing the school run. I'd often passed the entry sign but never ridden it and had hoped the trail would ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/21/flume-track/ Like many other families who live in the Victorian bush we left home several times due to bushfire during summer 2009.  The most significant in our region was the Muskvale Hogans Road fire which was spotting only a short distance from home prior to a wind change. I took this photo ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/20/hogans-road-fire/ Thanks to daylight savings there are already hours of light to spare in the evening - a great time of day to mess around on the home trials area. I started messing around with mounting the GoPro camera on the KH20 - some interesting points of view and sounds! The home trials ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/19/sound-of-trials/ The Bike Around the Bay in Melbourne was on today. I had entered again as it was great fun last year on the 36'er - over 16,000 cyclists and 2 unicyclists -   but after a week of wet weather and a couple of early starts for a new job ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/18/happy-valley/ A while back I overheard some MTB riders talking about a cool single track trail in the Wombat Forest that passes through an old gold mining area, with most of the track cut into the hillside and at times a steep drop down to the river on one side. Sounded ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/11/the-tunnel/ After yesterday's glitch a take it easy ride was in order. Spring is such a great time to be outdoors - green, cool and lots of water around. I headed down to the local reserve with one of our dogs, cruising around on the GUni. [caption id="attachment_2831" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Lulu, Uni Bitch"][/caption] We ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/08/local-reserve-spring/ Gyrobike demonstrated their Gyrowheel at Interbike 2009. What is Gyrowheel? Gyrowheel’s inner disk, or flywheel, spins independently within Gyrowheel, which replaces the front wheel of a bicycle, creating a force that stabilizes the bike. Here's a Gyrowheel video from Interbike: The company is suggesting the Gyrowheel can be used instead of trainer wheels ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/07/gyrowheel/ I stopped in at Trentham Falls on the way back from the morning school run for a quick uni fix on the KH20. I thought I had warmed up enough but ~30 mins in tweaked a muscle  in my right leg,  same one as during night trials last week. You ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/07/for-animal-treatment-only/ Isolated thunderstorms with hail, sounded like the ideal weather forecast for a ride! I hadn't checked the various bolts as per Schlumpf's recommended torque settings for a week so figured I'd better do that before heading out. Maintenance, one of the joys of a geared hub. I'd initially tightened the crank ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/06/trailer-track-torque/ I moved the home trials area down to near a fallen gum tree, nice spot though the ground is soft and uneven, and not much shade in summer. Solution: Night Trials! No fireworks to officially open the trials area for pain and injury, so instead used a funky light that attaches to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/10/02/unicycle-trials-by-night/ I hooked the GoPro camera up to the KH24 GUni today to grab some quick footage showing the easy shifting of the Schlumpf geared hub off road, how the Five Ten Karver shoes assist gear changing, and how much fun blasting along on the KH24 GUni in 1:1.5 is! Better video ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/30/on-guni-schlumpf-gear-shift-video/ Now that I stop and think about it I'm probably fairly superstitious, or maybe I just don't like change all that much. Whatever the reason, I like to unicycle wearing the same pair of socks. Not just any socks, but my favourite socks - Salsa's 'Ride and Smile' Muerto's. You've got ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/30/sock-superstitions/ My Five Ten Sam Hills are awesome shoes, but for whatever reason my Schlumpf hub gear shifting technique has always been ankle bone based. I'm changing gears a lot more on the 24" GUni, like a two speed dune buggy, and in the off road environment it's often with minimal ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/29/five-ten-karver-review/ I headed out today to explore a network of motocross bush tracks running off Swaby Lane. Apart from a brief look I've ignored these trails in the past as they're too far from home to ride out to on a single speed 24, and too crazy to enjoy on larger ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/27/swaby-lane-single-track/ I've been super happy with the tubeless conversion on my KH36'er so decided to go tubeless on the KH24 GUni. The drilled rim on the KH24 weights 655 grams. The 24x3 tube ~425 grams. Add in the Duro 3.0" tire and it's not surprising the KH24 is heavy even compared to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/25/tubeless-kh24-guni/ A recent thread on the unicyclist.com forums regarding how best to lubricate Schlumpf hubs made me think that perhaps using a mixture of bacon grease and bicycle grease isn't a great idea. Who would've guessed huh? ;) The lube recommendations on the Schlumpf site are: Please use the Schlumpf original grease or ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/21/oils-aint-oils/ After an unexpected GUni crash on Reed Track the other day due to a stick getting picked up by the Duro tread and jammed against the short Magura crossover line, I had a dig around in the spare parts box and found an old length of line - a bit ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/21/bleeding-magura-hs33/ I hadn't dragged my kids out for a night uni photo session for ages. The 24 GUni needed a clean so we headed into the nearby forest for a night uni washing session, MUni style! Off road unicycling at night is a hoot - 'other worldly' is probably the best description ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/19/night-guni/ I had a bit of a curse the other day while bleeding the Magura brakes on my 24. It's not a difficult job but without an extra pair of hands it can be a fiddly process. I had another curse or two today, when it was my turn to bleed! Scooting ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/19/reed-and-bleed/ After many years of using standard cycling knicks, this year I decided to give bib knicks a go. They have proven to be GREAT for unicycling! Bib knicks offer greater comfort and support vs regular knicks. There is no constricting elastic around the waist. The shoulder straps prevent the knicks from ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/18/cycling-bib-knicks/ A 24" GUni is a cool idea in theory - in 1:1.5 gear it becomes a virtual 36" wheel. A 24" and a 36" uni in one small tough package, sounds great. When talk started about 24" GUni's I wasn't overly interested in the theory. I just wanted to know how ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/15/36er-vs-24-guni-virtual-36er/ After a few days of sunny weather the MTB Singletrack at Woodend was primed to be in great condition for Monthly MUni 04! The weather gods have certainly smiled on us over the last few MUni rides. Not so good on the home front though as I woke up weak, dizzy ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/13/monthly-muni-ride-04/ Wow what a day - record heat for early Spring!  With the Monthly MUni on tomorrow and not feeling 100% I decided to chill out in the home Trials area that is slowly coming together. I've  found a supply of strong pallets in a nearby town, at a store that ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/12/look-ma-i-jumped-me-van/ Okay okay not a unicycle, but a very cool titanium 36'er, put together by an aussie custom bike store that supports unicycling and now offers a custom titanium frame building service of whatever you design. Ever tried to get a 36'er wheel built? Finding a wheelsmith interested in unicycles is hard ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/11/kaos-custom-bikes-titanium-36er/ The KH 24" GUni was missing one thing - my home grown XC handle bar. I fitted a spare handle bar I'd been holding onto today and headed down to the local recreation reserve for a test ride. The reserve is handy as it has a good mix of terrain ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/10/kh24-guni-with-xc-bar/ KH Moment cranks are bombproof for sure, but that probably also means they are overbuilt (and overweight) for many riders and/or riding situations. Especially with longer Moments you begin to feel the weight of each crank as they spin around. With the crank problems I had with my earlier geared hub ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/09/milled-moment-cranks/ Got a call from Kaos Custom Bikes this morning to say the 24" GUni wheel was ready... AWESOME! I collected the wheel from Andrew and checked out his new 36" Titanium custom bike - very cool, will post pics in the next day. Also cool, the tubeless conversion on the drilled ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/09/kh-24-guni-schlumpf-me/ A replacement Schlumpf hub (#0226) arrived today, THANKS Florian, incredible customer service which is greatly appreciated! My GUni adventures started with a GUni KH29 in December 2008. While the 29'er was a good size wheel on which to become familiar with the geared hub in the end I couldn't find many ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/07/schlumpf-hub-0226-arrives/ I've started work on a small Trials area at home with the aim being to keep the cost as low as possible. So far I've collected five pallets, a couple of planks and some old pavers (for wet and muddy ground), total cost ATM: $0.00! I started to mess around today ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/05/budget-trials/ It was sunny and warm today when I left home on the 36'er. Within an hour dark grey/green clouds built up, then the wind, then hail, then sleet and rain... OUCH! In less than 30 minutes the temperature dropped a bunch making for a wet and cold remainder of the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/04/hail-uni/ At ~4kg the 36'er wheel is one big old flywheel. Feels great when it's spinning, but it's the sort of thing that encourages you to mess around usually looking for ways to loose weight towards the outside of the wheel as well as improving ride. Loosing weight is often done by ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/03/36er-gone-tubeless/ It looked like this week's uni meet at the local skate park might get rained out, instead it turned out to be a ripper of a Spring day. A bunch of riders of all ages turned up and enjoyed the idyllic late afternoon/early evening, riding the park and surrounding hills. Here ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/03/daylesford-weekly-uni-0309/ Ay Up Lights (reviewed on Unplannedismounts in April 2009) have launched a slick new web site for their excellent products. I've used Ay Up lights regularly since February and they haven't missed a beat. Cool thing — there are now a couple of unicycle pics included on the site :) [caption id="attachment_2204" ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/02/unicycling-on-ay-up-lights/ Woohoo, first day of Spring! I stopped off at Trentham Falls this morning for a quick MUni fix to get the day rolling. Had lots of fun on the 20" uni, and took some video along the way. Go the 20" Uni! [caption id="attachment_2185" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="First MUni of Spring, Trentham Falls"][/caption] http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/09/01/first-muni-of-spring/ I've been paying a lot more attention to tire pressures lately, it's amazing how much difference a few pound can make! You'd rather not damage the rim, get pinch flats or have the tire collapse unpredictably but you want maximum compression to boost take offs and help absorb landings. [caption id="attachment_2172" align="aligncenter" ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/29/under-pressure/ The relocation of the weekly unicycling meet to the local Skate Park provided all the excuse needed to head back there today for a 'get to know you' session and continue to work on my trials skills. I took 20 and 24 uni's along and had a lot of fun in ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/28/skate-park/ It's only a 10 minute detour from the school drop off route to Trentham Falls, so with a wild Winter wind blowing I thought I'd treat myself to a MUni breakfast in the sheltered falls area. While a few people visit the falls on weekends, generally on weekday mornings there ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/26/trentham-falls-muni-breakfast/ Fun ride on the 36'er today, though my legs felt a little on the empty side. The drilled Nimbus rim rolled along the fire trails and single track with no problems though there weren't any significant drops. You come across wacky things in the middle of the forest — humongous puddles ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/23/aerial-hazard-overhead/ I'm selling my custom KH36, a great unicycle in excellent condition. Custom goodies include  stripped and polished frame, custom wheelset and milled cranks. Selling to make way for new project. COST: $800 AU ONO plus shipping. Prefer a local sale but will consider international. FRAME:  ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/22/for-sale-custom-kh36-unicycle/ Stock standard 36" wheels are heavy things to spin. Grams saved at the outside of the wheel add up to make a big difference in the energy required during every acceleration/ deceleration. The easiest way to lighten up a 36'er wheel and bring it to life is to replace the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/22/drilled-nimbus-stealth-rim/ It might still officially be Winter, but out of the blue today was a perfect Spring Saturday for a uni ride around Lake Daylesford with some upcoming MUni addicts. After meeting up at the Boathouse Cafe we headed off around the entire lake circuit, the longest distance a few of the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/15/lake-daylesford-muni-addicts/ Recent winter forest MUni rides have been a LOT more comfortable due largely by a change in clothing. I've discovered Merino wool! I've been riding a lot more this winter in cold (0-10 degrees celcius) and drizzly weather and my standard combination of (old and smelly) polypropylene thermal, t-shirt and wind/rain ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/14/merino-wool/ Turned 42 today. Best way to celebrate? A muddy MUni ride! As luck would have it Daniel from Melbourne had time for a ride before heading off to Western Australia so we met outside of Woodend to have a crack at the complete Wombat MTB Single Track loop. The day started out ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/13/42nd-birthday-muni/ Great winter weather and a bunch of riders, the third monthly MUni ride was a hoot! Lots of laughs, no broken bones, great success :) Like many unicyclists almost all of my riding is alone so the social aspect of the monthly MUni rides is really enjoyable, though always sort of ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/09/monthly-muni-ride-03/ The first clear sub zero night in a few weeks produced a heavy frost, like a light snow fall. Being Saturday there was time to sleep in a little, then head down to the local recreation reserve with the 29'er for a quick spin on the crunchy trails before the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/08/jack-frost/ With a few hours to spare I headed out to start mapping the network of trails in the Black Forest with the Garmin 405. I'm not much of a GPS junky but it's great to have when riding new areas, not to find your way around (that's what eyes are ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/08/06/black-forest-trails/ While "It's not the unicycle, it's where it takes you" may be the tagline for Kris Holm's 2009 Capture the Moment photo contest,  it could just as well apply to Into the Thunder Dragon, shot in 2002. Into the Thunder Dragon is a unicycling adventure film following Kris Holm and Nathan ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/31/into-the-thunder-dragon/ With my geared hub out of a wheel and heading back to Switzerland I've been thinking more about what GUni to make next. The 36'er GUni was great fun for XC off road riding — a super speed machine with two genuinely useful gears — but TBH I ended up ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/31/unguni/ I headed out to Mount Macedon today looking for a off road loop suitable for the next monthly MUni ride on August 9th. The single track MTB trails at Woodend would be great to use but are just too wet at this time of the year, and with the busy ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/29/macedon-regional-park-cycling-trail/ Had a fun ride around Lake Daylesford today with Joell, Nicky, Corey and Oscar, all on 20" wheels which turns even a relatively short ride into a good workout. I've really been enjoying riding the 20". It's been my main ride for the last week as I work on improving a ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/25/lake-daylesford/ Had some fun off road rides over the weekend on the 20" uni with Joell and Elijah, two students from Bullarto Primary School who started unicycling last term. Compared to adults on unicycles, kids will give anything a go. They've really inspired me to get off my butt and learn some ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/19/kid-force/ The recent ride at Woodend got me thinking... of going back and riding more of the singletrack. The MTB trails in the Wombat Forest at Woodend are awesome for MUni, almost as if they were custom made for mountain unicycling! With the Freeride KH29'er ready to roll I took the video ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/18/woodend-ii-singletracks-revenge/ Now that the students at Bullarto have earnt their unicycle wings the next step is getting off smooth surfaces and onto riding off road. In a perfect world it would be great to have a collection of 20" Trials/Mountain unicycles for the students to use once they've outgrown the Learner ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/18/budget-learner-mountain-unicycle/ I felt ok after the monthly MUni ride so with a break in the wet weather and the flu seemingly done and dusted it was time to start exploring the network of MTB singletrack trails at Woodend, something I've been meaning to do for ages. The singletrack might also be ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/15/woodend-mtb-singletrack/ In the market for a good quality 20" unicycle? You've probably noticed there aren't many 20" ISIS Trials/MUni options available especially if the Kris Holm 20" is not an option. Enter the Nimbus 20" Trials and Nimbus 20" Trials Signature Series featuring a white wheelset, KH09 based gel saddle and Venture ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/12/nimbus-20%e2%80%b3-isis-trials-unicycle-review/ It was GREAT to see so many unicyclists brave the cold and stormy Winter weather forecast and arrive at the Chocolate Mill meeting point for the second Monthly MUni ride. We drove out to an area of forest called Dry Diggings which was anything but dry due to the wild weather ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/12/monthly-muni-ride-02/ The most fun thing you can do with a unicycle, IMO anyway, is ride it off road. I think a LOT more people would unicycle off road if a) they knew it was possible and b) had a mix of good MUni equipment and suitable trails to experience it first ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/02/muni-contagia-equation/ Students at Bullarto Primary School make the front page of the district newspaper... unicycling! Congratulations guys, you've all worked so hard. From assembling the unicycles in early May, to using the training rail and then unicycling out into the open, it's been great fun and a great adventure with more yet ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/07/01/bullartos-wheel-appeal/ Unicycling; an adventure sport for all? Hmm... cue the clown music as the view amongst non riders remains that unicycling is a prop used in circus acts and/or a skill that only few people are able to master. Curiously this sits comfortably with a surprising number of unicyclists, particularly those ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/29/unicycling-for-everyone/ I had some time to spare today while in Ballarat so took the 36'er along and put in a few circuits around Lake Wendouree.  The lake has been dry for a few years due to the drought in southern Australia. It's a little eerie and bizarre, riding past all of ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/25/lake-wendouree/ With a couple of hours to spare between lunch and afternoon unicycle sessions at school I headed to the nearest big hill in the Wombat Forest to try out the Nimbus 26" ISIS MUni. First impression is that the Nimbus 26" MUni is one cool piece of machinery, the standout feature ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/22/babbington-hill-top-track/ I met up with Eric the Red and we headed out on our 29'ers to ride the Browns Gully section of the Great Dividing Trail. The return of cold Winter weather dampened our enthusiasm initially, but it turned out to be a great day for riding. The section of the Great ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/21/browns-gully/ A mysterious whip cracking, juggling, 8 foot giraffe riding Frenchman has stolen the heart of my KH 29'er. I first saw them sitting together amidst the autumn leaves, sharing stories of foreign lands. [caption id="attachment_1462" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Mysterious Frenchman & KH29"][/caption] He mounted the 29'er in strange and unusual ways. [caption id="attachment_1463" align="aligncenter" width="550" ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/19/kh-29-taken-cest-la-vie/ The day of the first Wombat Forest Monthly MUni finally arrived, and amazingly after more than a week of cold drizzly weather the sun came out. Blue skies, fresh clean air — an awesome day for Mountain Unicycling. After meeting up at the Glenlyon General Store we drove to Bridge Road/Reed ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/14/monthly-muni-ride-01/ A few guys have asked how the bling finish on my pimped out KH36 was achieved. The bad news is that it wasn't a DIY process as it required commercial grade stripping chemicals and polishing equipment. The good news is because a unicycle frame is a simple and small object the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/13/alu-frame-stripping-and-polishing/ It's taken a while but I've finally gathered a decent collection of learner uni's to use in schools and community unicycling sessions. I think it's important to offer a range of wheel sizes when running unicycle sessions, not just to cater for the wide range of ages (from 5 upwards) ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/12/learner-uni-family/ The new KH 47mm Freeride rim seems to have opened up a new world of off road riding on the KH 29'er. But can 9mm really make that much difference? I've been riding the 38mm and 47mm fitted with the Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4 and WTB Stout 2.3 on separate rides, ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/11/kh-29-inch-rim-38mm-vs-47mm-comparison/ The rain clouds cleared briefly and I headed out with the Freeride 29'er. The combination of the 47mm rim and Stout 2.3 was great fun on the wet muddy tracks, like a 4x4 wheel drive... a 1x1? Stay tuned for the upcoming 29 inch Rim 38mm vs 47mm Comparison story... [caption id="attachment_1433" ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/10/stout-23-freeride-rim-mud-machine/ Time to part with a few goodies, parts of projects that didn't work out for various reasons. For Sale: Garmin GSC 10 Speed and Cadence Sensor, New KH ISIS Moment Hub 07/08 and KH 29" 38mm Rim. Garmin GSC 10 Speed and Cadence Sensor Excellent condition, limited use. Works with a quite ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/10/goodies-for-sale/ Warning: If you haven't been present at the birth of a unicycle you should consider looking away :) I'm proud to announce that at 5.03 pm today Baby 12 as born! GUni 36'er had been acting unusually lately, not as keen to go out on rides. I thought nothing of it as ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/08/baby-12-is-born/ One Tired Guy featuring Kris Holm is a classic collection of four short unicycle action and adventure films — Skilletto, Whitetrax, Unizaba and Fat Tire Fury. Produced in 2001, One Tired Guy still packs a punch with each short film chocked full of great riding, interesting locations and iconic shots. The ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/07/one-tired-guy/ It takes some convincing to head out for an off road ride in cold Winter rain but after the first few minutes you realize it's well and truly worth it. Riding off road in the rain is great fun, equal parts peaceful and crazy slippery. Plus how else can you ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/06/defender-of-rain-and-cold/ The wet, cold weather over the last week or two got me thinking about mudguards — specifically a light, detachable, adjustable mudguard that would work well off road on both the 29" and 36" uni's. A mudguard could come in handy especially on longer XC rides in the rain, not ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/06/topeak-defender-m2-mudguard/ For Sale: T7 Touring Handle Condition as new. It's been fitted to a uni and ridden once (with no UPD's) for a few minutes. Why? I bought the T7 while I was developing my XC GUNI Bar mainly to compare build, positions, stiffness etc on and off the uni as ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/06/03/for-sale-t7-touring-handle/ bonk v. in bicycling, to become exhausted. Also bonk out and bonking, n. According to Wikipedia: In endurance sports, particularly cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by precipitous fatigue and ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/30/eat-or-bonk-again/ I copped a lot of flak from fellow MTB riders when I started using the original Camelbak in the early 1990's.  I drink a lot while riding - no water, me engine no go - and though the original Camelbak was a fairly lame looking thing it was a hands ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/29/camelbak-mule/ Unicycling with the kids in years 3 through to 6 is going great! The kids have shown loads of enthusiasm and determination and are well on their way to unicycling off into the sunset :) The lack of suitable fixed railings at the school made the initial learning feel trickier than ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/27/unicycle-training-frame/ Heya!  A video blog of the last 5 days of uni, May 22nd - May 26th, 2009 including Day 1- KH24 MUni, Day 2 - KH36 XC Ride, Day 3 - KH20 at home, Day 4 - KH20 in the rain, Day 5 - Uni School & 29" Cruising. Cameo appearances ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/26/5-days-of-uni/ The KH24" ride last week got me all hot and sweaty — for more technical small wheel riding. I headed back to Twin Bridges in cold Autumn rain with my KH20" to start working on the 'Winter Steps Challenge'. By the end of Winter the aim is to be able ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/25/winter-steps-challenge/ After a few days of riding smaller wheels it was a hoot to get back on the 36'er GUNI and head out into the forest for an afternoon ride of  ~20km including a variety of trails and ~1200 metres of climbing - enough to keep you busy. The highlight of the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/23/wombat-forest-loop/ The KH24 has been getting dusty lately, but not from use on the trail. I've been considering selling it over the last couple of months as not many of the forest rails close to our house require a 24" unicycle for the most part - though the 24" was my ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/22/stairways-to-heaven/ The Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4 has been a great summer tire.  Fast and light, a perfect match for the 29'er and Wombat Forest trails. With wetter late Autumn/Winter weather setting in and my Rampage 2.35 from last Winter missing in action on my  29'er loaner uni, it was time to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/21/wtb-stout-23-29-all-mountain-tire/ I've had this thing about unicycling 'in town'... I never have, preferring to ride in the forest near our home. Today I finally got over it and man, what a blast of an afternoon! The Twin Bridges loop starts at the picturesque Central Springs park at the base of Lake Daylesford. ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/20/twin-bridges-loop/ Mid last year I purchased a Garmin GSC 10 Speed and Cadence sensor which I mounted for a short time on my KH 29'er. A recent thread on 'Quantifying the effect of unicycle gearing and crank length on speed' inspired me to fit the GSC 10 to my KH36 GUNI ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/19/speed-and-cadence-revisited/ Out on an afternoon forest ride in early April the familiar clicking sound as I went to change gears was absent, my ankle and shoe couldn't seem to find the shifter button. No wonder - the button was MIA. How useful is a GUNI 36'er  on the trail without those ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/19/schumpf-shifter-buttons/ It all started off with a mismatched paint job on my new KH36 unicycle last October. No big deal but UDCA kindly offered to have the frame powder coated. I couldn't decide on a color and didn't want the 36er to be out of action for a couple of weeks. ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/16/pimp-my-ride/ After the wind and rain of the last few days there isn't much Autumn color left on the trees. This weekend's mission is to get out on the 36er and soak in the the last of Autumn as I'd guess within a few days there'll be no color left. I ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/16/autumn-cruising/ One downside of unicycling alone is that it can be difficult (and a hassle) to capture interesting photos and videos. Aside from rider and unicycle mounted camera systems like the GoPro HERO Wide, tripod mounted shots are the most common solution. With their rigid design standard tripods, even smaller ones, ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/15/gorillapod/ People who walk into my home office and aren't into unicycling are probably a little... surprised/disturbed/amused I guess! There is unicycle stuff ALL over the place - complete uni's, frames, wheels, tires, saddles, riding gear, boxes of junk. I love it, uni chaos, an upside to working remotely :) But... lately ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/14/ordering-uni-chaos/ There are several natural enemies of the unicyclist. Loose shoe laces are one of them.  Even though I double knot the thick laces on my 5.10's every now and then they come undone during a ride, not good! I've had pair of Yankz! laces in the cupboard for a few ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/09/yankz-sure-lace-system/ After a short session mid April introducing the Bullarto kids to the world of unicycling (outside of circus) via a selection of Youtube videos and a little demo it was finally time to get started. I brought along 7 brand new learner unicycles in boxes, the first job was to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/08/unicycling-school-build-your-uni/ As luck would have it Eric the Red a street performer of many years lives only a few minutes away. After months of talking about it we finally hooked up for a uni session. Eric wanted give off road unicycling a go, and I was keen to try out a ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/08/5-footer-giraffe/ Not long after my KH36 arrived in early October 2008 I started thinking about XC handle bars for unicycles. The KH36 is so much fun to ride off road and the longer rides, higher speeds and nature of the 36" wheel seemed ideally suited to XC style bars of some ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/06/the-guni-bar-project/ The KH Freeride 29er has already got me riding familiar trails harder and faster. I'm also trying out stuff on the 29er I wouldn't have before, I guess due to the steamroller go anywhere feel the 29er has with the wider rim. Is it all in the mind? Who knows! ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/05/dog%c2%b7gone-crank-lengths/ A helmet mounted GoPro HERO Wide camera captures a cool point of view but it's not long before the itch for alternative mounting locations sets in. There aren't too many mounting options on a unicycle that are readily accessible, just the seat tube and seat post, and my XC GUNI ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/03/topeak-barxtender/ It's not easy being a lone unicyclist in the forest... well actually that's not true, more often than not it's absolutely fantastic! Occasionally though it'd be great to have something - pictures or video - to show family and friends why riding unicycles off road is so enjoyable. It's not ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/03/gopro-helmet-hero-wide-camera/ With the KH 29" Freeride ready to ride and a beautiful Autumn afternoon calling I headed out to a challenging stretch of single track in the Wombat Forest. This particular track has always felt a little beyond the combination of my skill and the standard 29'er, and is also too ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/05/02/kris-holm-freeride-29-road-test/ My KH Freeride 29" Project kicked off last week with the arrival of the 2009 Freeride rim and 2009 Moment Hub. The KH 29" is my second most ridden unicycle off road - first is the 36". The 29'er is such a crazy light unicycle, so nimble and zippy. The only ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/30/kris-holm-freeride-29-project/ After a few days of wet and cold weather it was time to head back out into the Wombat Forest. The tracks were ultra slippery, many UPD's and lots of laughs followed.  Sitting on the 36" starts to feel high when it's out of control, especially sliding out from under ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/28/wet-wombat-forest-loop/ Summer 2008/2009 in Southern Australia was extremely hot and dry. With day rides in the forest not always a good idea I started to ride in the cooler evenings and was hooked - unicycling off road at night is huge fun  - and began looking for a good light system. ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/26/ay-up-lights-review/ The announcement of the new Kris Holm Seat and Stiffener plate combination really caught my attention. The XC GUNI handlebar I've been working on for several months mounts of the four front bumper bolts. On the  older KH plastic seat there was way too much flex - the XC bars behave ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/25/kris-holm-2009-saddle/ The announcement of the new Kris Holm Seat and Stiffener plate combination really caught my attention. The XC GUNI handlebar I've been working on for several months mounts of the four front bumper bolts. On the  older KH plastic seat there was way too much flex - the XC bars behave ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/25/kris-holm-2009-stiffener-plate/ At the end of last winter I changed tires on the KH29 from the Panaracer Rampage 2.35 - which had been an excellent winter/wet weather tire - to the Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4. With its much tighter tread I hoped it would suit the dry summer conditions. As Autumn now ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/24/schwalbe-racing-ralph-29-tire/ The best bang for buck upgrade for a 36" unicycle is to replace the heavy 36" tube with a 29" tube. The reduction in weight makes a significant difference in the energy required to accelerate and slow down the wheel. You will definitely notice the difference! Fitting a 29" tube to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/23/29-tube-upgrade-for-36-unicycle/ I had a few jobs to do in Ballarat (a regional 'city' in country Victoria) including dropping off the plans for the latest XC GUNI Bar prototype (should be ready late next week!) and took the 36 GUNI along just in case I had some spare time for a ride. ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/23/lake-wendouree-cruise/ As part of my KH29" Freeride Project I ordered a Freeride 29" rim from Unicycle.co.nz which arrived at the start of this week with a few other goodies! First impression is the KH Freeride rim is really WIDE compared to a standard 29" rim, it's HUGE! With the oval cut outs ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/23/kris-holm-2009-freeride-29-rim/ It's true... your junk and crotch can take a beating while unicycling, especially during longer rides. Chafing, numbness, you name it, it ain't pretty. However... being married to a hippy has it's advantages - for every problem there is a herbal remedy, unfortunately though they don't usually work :) Take it from ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/22/secret-crotch-ointment/ Just like on a bicycle, I'm interested in knowing more about my natural cadence on a unicycle. As nerdy as it sounds, sometimes knowing how the feeling of spinning translates to numbers is handy e.g. an amount of subjectivity regarding how today's ride went is removed - were you really ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/22/garmin-gsc-10-speed-cadence-sensor/ As part of my KH29" Freeride project I ordered a 2009 Moment Hub which arrived early this week. The hub will be paired with the new KH 29" Freeride rim. Looks-wise the new hub is reminiscent of early oversized MTB hubs, which is a good thing IMO -  it's great to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/22/kris-holm-2009-moment-hub/ While dropping off the 29" Freeride rim for a custom wheel build I noticed a very cool road wheel in the workshop with a HUGE hub - a Chub hub by The Hive. I've been messing with the idea of prototyping an oversized hub for 'narrow' single speed 36 wheels ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/21/chub-oversized-hub-for-36/ I'd been looking into GPS gadgets mid 2008 as we live on the edge of the Wombat State Forest which has endless tracks, many unmarked and unmapped. A GPS would allow me to record my rides, for my own knowledge as well as sharing ride info with others. As it turned ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/21/garmin-405-gps-watch/ On a recent trip to Melbourne I collected 10 unicycles for uni classes I'll be running at the school my kids attend, after the Easter holidays. Should be great fun! The first job the kids at school will have is to assemble the unicycles (mainly a mix of 16" and 20"). ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/05/school-uni-classes/ There are several natural enemies of the unicyclist. Loose shoe laces are one of them. You're buzzing along on the uni, on road, off road, unbeknownst to you your shoelace has come loose and is winding itself around the pedal spindle and anything else it can find. Before you know ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/05/tie-your-laces-check-your-laces/ It turned out to be too hot in the middle of the day for a ride, so with a craft knife in hand I decided it was time to starting working on converting my 36 Nightrider into a knobby tire. Why? No reason especially! Almost all of my riding is off ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/04/01/36-nightrider-knobby-tire-project/ On a trip to Melbourne a few weeks ago I came across a pair of Speedplay Drillium pedals, the same pedals Unigeezer raves about for 24" MUNI. The Drillium pedals have been on my mind ever since - the larger platform would be really useful on the 36 GUNI which ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/03/31/speedplay-drillium-pedals/ My second set of Ay Up lights arrived the other day. It was finally time to test them! I'd ordered a narrow light to replace the intermediate light on my helmet, with the intermediate light now being fitted to my XC bars, resulting in a typical MTB night Ay Up ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/03/27/ay-up-dual-uni-lights/ Unfortunately nothing I do seems to stop my Schlumpf hub from eating Moment cranks. By that I mean eventually a crank (on either side) will progressively move close to the frame to the point of almost touching it - at which time I replace the cranks rather than damage either ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/03/25/moment-eating-schlumpf/ Could the KH36 GUNI be the perfect uni? Maybe! I have really been enjoying riding my KH36 GUNI. I never thought I'd enjoy riding looong cranks like the 165's but it turns out for off road GUNI on a 36 they are great fun and really well suited to the Wombat ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/03/15/kh36-schlumpf-guni-the-perfect-xc-uni/ With the unusually hot summer here in Victoria I've been riding more in the evenings and nights, which has meant upgrading my lights to something a little more suitable for uni and safer to ride by. I came across Ay Up!, great lights made in Australia, primarily for MTB. I have ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/02/13/36-xc-night-riding/ Over 6 months of wear and tear the Kris Holm Gloves continue to do the job! I wear a helmet or pads every now and then depending on the adventure but the gloves are on for EVERY ride regardless - without the gloves riding the uni doesn't feel right. The additional length ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/02/13/kris-holm-gloves/ The carbon fibre seat base I ordered from the guys at Unicyle.com NZ arrived and looks great! Super light, much thicker than I expected and super rigid. The plan is to use the carbon fibre seat base as part of my XC handlebars for 36"s. The CF seat base is blank ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/01/25/carbon-fibre-seat-base/ Another favorite ride of mine is the Trailer Track Loop - a fun mix of dirt road, fire trails, bush and single track, climbs and descents in the Wombat Forest, Victoria Australia. The highlight is the descent down to the Loddon River on the Trailer Track which drops down through ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/01/25/trailer-track/ Like a lot of things related to unicycling, the hardest part of messing with Magura brakes is the decision to finally give it a go. Cutting, fitting and bleeding hydraulic brakes is really no big deal - a jump mount on a 36 is far more scarey! [caption id="attachment_214" align="aligncenter" width="550" ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2009/01/21/fitting-magura-braided-stainless-steel-lines/ I've had my Sam Hill 5.10's since mid July 2008 and absolutely love them! They are a cool looking shoe but most importantly the grip of the 5.10 'Stealth' sole on steel pedal pins is legendary. The sole is nice and stiff, and the shoe is relatively wide making for ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/26/510-sam-hill-shoes/ We headed out to Maldon to visit family this afternoon. It was also an opportunity to take a uni along for another ride up Mount Tarrengower. The 36 with 137 cranks didn't really give me the power on the day to grind up the climb last time around, so this ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/26/mount-tarrengower-revisited/ I haven't had my 29 GUNI long but already it seems 29 is not a great wheel size for off road GUNI. The longer cranks required to handle 1:1.5 make 1:1 not especially useful, and 1:1.5 doesn't seem to suit much terrain either. I'm quite surprised to be honest, but ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/22/crank-problems-in-guni-land/ Had a fun ride today, and my first riding with another unicyclist. I met up with Matt at the Castlemaine Railway Station in the morning and we headed out to Maldon on the back roads, via Muckleford and Walmer. After a coffee in Maldon we headed up Mt Tarrengower. Matt ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/21/castlemaine-maldon-rail-trail/ Only my second day out on the GUNI but it's going well. Some things I've noticed with gear changing: When changing to the higher gear, aside from easing pressure on the pedals, relax and pause legs and 'wait' for the cranks to come around, as the cranks slow significantly relative to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/19/thoughts-on-gear-shifting/ Just a short video I made for my own record and fun of the first afternoon in the KH29 GUNI. The speed of the GUNI will take some getting used to, but surprisingly the gear shifting isn't difficult at all. Enjoy! http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/19/kh29-guni-day-1-video/ With the frame compatibility problems sorted out it was finally time to assemble the KH29 GUNI! I'd slowly been upgrading my 2007 KH29 - Magura brakes, seat post, brake bracket and Trail Mix pedals - so as things turned out with the addition of the new 2008 frame the GUNI ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/17/kh29-guni/ Somewhat frustrated - my new 2 speed Schlumpf hub ready to go, in a new 29" wheel built by Andrew at Kaos Custom Bikes in Melbourne, all the bits and pieces ready to go. Great! Except... I discover my KH29 2007 frame (purchased in April 2008) isn't compatible with the Schlumpf ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/15/2007-kh29-frame-schlumpf-compatibility/ My Schlumpf hub arrived today! It's a 2 speed unicycle hub with 1:1 and 1:1.5 gearing. 1:1.5 for example turns a 29" uni into a virtual 43" - crazy stuff! After a lot of indecision I've decided my first GUNI (Geared Unicycle) will be a 29", primarily because I expect ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/10/schlumpf-hub-arrives/ The word amongst 36" distance unicyclists is that the Wellgo MG-1's are a cool set of pedals - light with loads of grip. Prior to the 6 hour Cyclic Navigator event I found myself in a position of needing a set of pedals for the 36" and decided I might ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/06/wellgo-mg-1-pedals/ The KH Brake Bracket is a cool little gizmo that bolts to the four front bumper bolts, providing a great location to mount brake levers - so braking can be done with one or two fingers while holding the front bumper. The KH36 comes with a brake bracket. Note the ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/12/03/kris-holm-brake-bracket/ 6 Hours of your own Amazing Race! I've been looking forward to the Cyclic Navigator, a 6 hour MTB Orienteering style event where the aim is to reach as many control points hidden in the forest as you can within the time available, all the while riding the route of ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/11/30/cyclic-navigator-wombat-forest/ The Wombat Forest is so large and used by so many people (and animals) there's no shortage of single tracks - the trick is finding them! I rode through a section of forest I often ride the other day, but in the opposite direction and for the first time noticed entry ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/11/16/bridge-road-single-track/ I've been loving cruising the tracks and trails in the Wombat State Forest on my KH36 - the speed and smooth rolling of the big wheel is a blast off road. It's amazing the off road terrain you can cover with 125 cranks - I guess the lack of control ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/11/11/kh36-afternoon-muni-cruise-wombat-forest/ Had just added a little air to the tire on the 29" and was getting ready for today's ride, when BANG! the tube burst, scaring the crap out of me! Tubes can sometimes pop if the unicycle is left out in the sun. This was inside, in my office :) [caption id="attachment_281" ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/11/01/big-bang/ One of my favorite rides lately is what I call the Swaby Lane loop. It's great fun on either the 29" or 36" wheel, includes a mix of dirt road, fire trails and single track, and can range from a 1 hour ride to as long as you'd like. Down by ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/11/01/swaby-lane-loop/ Our younger dog is a regular muni groupie! Before I even mention I'm going for a ride in the forest she is ready and waiting beside the unicycle. Lulu (aka Uni Bitch) is good company on rides up to 20km, longer than that starts getting tough for her. She knows to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/11/01/muni-groupies/ Not much to say except everything you've read about how great a 36" wheel feels to ride is 110% true! I'm loving riding the KH36 wheel off road. I'm still running cranks in the 125 hole for off road XC riding though I think something like 137's could be a ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/30/loving-the-big-wheel/ A fun video made only a few weeks after I'd learnt to ride. Camera work by my kids! One of our dogs managed to appear in most of the shots so the video story is based around that. Now that Youtube allows bigger uploads I thought it would be fun to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/30/adventures-of-uni-dog/ Last weekend Bike around the Bay, this weekend Festival of the Wheel! Could any unicycle rider resist an event celebrating the wheel? Not me! The festival was held in Castlemaine, Victoria and organized by the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group. About 70 riders fronted up on Saturday for the inaugural FOV ride, ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/26/festival-of-the-wheel/ Wasn't too keen on getting out of bed at 5.00am, but am glad I did! Along with over 16,000 cyclists and one other unicyclist I participated in the annual Around the Bay in a Day ride in Melbourne. I'd never ridden in an urban environment, or with another unicyclist or cyclist ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/19/around-the-bay-in-a-day/ To Brake or not to Brake I like the simplicity of unicycles, so it took some time to accept that complicating a simple machine by running brakes wouldn't offend the gods of unicycling, or have a negative effect on my riding technique. It's a unicycle right, you don't need brakes, you ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/06/magura-hs33-brakes-and-kh-spooner/ My KH36 arrived and wow, that is one big sucker of a wheel! I've been working on the Jump Mount on the KH29 with the, so the first thing to face up to was jump mounting the 36 - Tadaa! This is my fourth KH unicycle and the most expensive. I ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/02/kh36-arrives/ The Great Dividing Trail runs from Bacchus Marsh to Blackwood, to Daylesford (branching to Ballarat), to Castlemaine, to Bendigo - over 280km of trail mainly through forested areas. The GDT was initially envisioned as a walking trail but has now evolved into a multi use trail, including MTB and unicycles! [caption ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/10/01/great-dividing-trail-mt-franklin-castlemaine/ We sold our beloved 1977 Kombi which I had to drop off at Sailors Falls. I took the 29" with me and rode back to Glenlyon, ~31km through the Wombat Forest. It was my first long ride off road on the 29 with 125 cranks, and overall was great fun! The ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/09/24/sailors-falls-to-glenlyon/ Had a great ride on the 29 today - a ~27km loop from home to Lyonville Springs, through the Wombat Forest via Toris Road, Big Al Track, Swaby Lane and back via Loddon River Road, Kangaroo Creek Road. The ride time was just under three hours. It's definitely time to ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/09/21/lyonville-springs/ Really enjoying early winter riding! At the moment my KH29 is getting the most use by far - love being able to travel relatively long distances off road in a short amount of time and the larger wheel suits the forest terrain which is largely XC/Freeride vs MUNI. Apart from ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/07/05/early-winter-riding/ I love my KH29'er, well... except for the Kenda Klaw*! 2007 KH 29's shipped with the Kenda Klaw which is an ok tire for light off road and hybrid use but isn't confidence inspiring for anything else off road - it feels like an overly narrow tire. In June I ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/06/26/panaracer-rampage-235-29-tire/ I'm really enjoying exploring the trails in the nearby Wombat Forest on the KH29. Crazy to think we have lived here so many years and I didn't know many of these existed. My favorite rides atm centre around a series of tracks that loop back and forth over the Loddon ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/06/25/loddon-loop/ I'm really enjoying discovering new tracks in the forest on the KH29, which seems to be a great fit for the XC/freeride terrain overall. Here's a pic from today's ride - on dusk, descending down to the Loddone River via Reid Track. [caption id="attachment_306" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Reid Track, Wombat Forest"][/caption] http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/06/23/reid-track/ I've been looking at the box containing a new KH29... I've been delaying opening it as I don't want to complicate my skill development and maybe even reduce the enjoyment of the KH24, as for example I hardly ever ride the 2o" now as it seems to small and slow compared ... http://unplannedismounts.com/2008/04/15/day-27-kh29-out-of-the-box/