43 mph unicycle...who's faster?

flat tire

100 kW
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Feb 25, 2014
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Every now and then I think it would be cool to get a powered unicycle but they are kind of sketchy if something goes wrong and you need to bail.

Then tonight I see SUPERDELL of all people post a 43 mph unicycle ride. He used to have a pretty lengthy wikipedia page but it looks like he got it removed. Anyway if you want to see a unicycle go fast in what appears to be total darkness the video link is provided:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDpu_OETHJs

43 mph is faster than I feel like going on a unicycle but surely we are in the midst of the lowest hanging fruit...just waiting for someone to hook up a QS273 to unicycle balance logic. Easy 70 mph.
 
It would be stupid to build a unicycle with a heavy motor. It is not needed to achieve speed, and only a fraction of its acceleration power could be used anyway. Then, the momentum of a 55 lbs spinning motor wheel would make it under-steer badly.

It is easy to build a fast unicycle light enough to make it a good ride, but very few are those comfortable speeding on one wheel. Even on 2 wheels, most are scared speeding because they feel incompetent controlling them safely.

Yet, once you put them inside a cage on 4 wheels, they become unaware of their incompetence and minimize any risk outside of the cage that makes them feel safe.
 
I've actually seen a number of people riding powered unicycles in my travels this year, but most are moving at a brisk walking pace at best. Can't say as I blame them. With no suspension and nothing to hang onto you'd better bring your A-game when it comes to staying on your feet, self balancing or not. Hitting a patch of gravel or pothole at 60kph sounds like it would be just enough of an adrenaline rush to keep me awake for the ambulance ride to the hospital. It's hectic enough on a bike, and that has twice the road contact patch and like 8 ways to hang onto it if you count your knees and both ass-cheeks.

Then again just because something can go fast doesn't necessarily mean it has to be operated at full tilt at all times. If you think you can manage to not kill yourself and your health insurance is covered, build it and boogie. Just remember to film it.

Maybe bring a friend to upload it too, ya know, just in case.
 
MadRhino said:
It would be stupid to build a unicycle with a heavy motor.

Ha. For the purpose of setting a speed record with minimal effort it would be stupid to make an overcomplicated lightweight unicycle to do 70 mph when an off the shelf hubmotor does it plug and play. So right back at you. Anyway whichever approach people take it shouldn't be too long before some nutcase is closing in on triple digits.
 
flat tire said:
Every now and then I think it would be cool to get a powered unicycle but they are kind of sketchy if something goes wrong and you need to bail.
Especially riding at night while staring at your phone!
 
Speed records are not finished to be beaten.
If a guy can ride a skateboard 91 mph, I guess it won’t be long to beat him with a mono.
 
better question might be how fast can you stop..
might look something like this :

https://m.facebook.com/groups/819824711409186?view=permalink&id=2572250272833279

(sorry if your not in the cia tracking cult 2 watch:(
 
One Wheel racers compete on Talladega Boulevard:

With the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in town, One Wheel riders took to Talladega Boulevard to do a race..

https://www.nbcsports.com/video/one-wheel-racers-take-their-talents-talladega-boulevard
 
I'm really interested in the electric unicycle. It's a very interesting vehicle for multimode transport. You can't get lighter or smaller than just having a single wheel. I can see it being better than those electric kick scooters since the large format wheel allows it to handle potholes more easily while the unicycle is still very compact. It might be what segways were supposed to be a while back
 
closed course, yes;) .. next up gyroscopic control and homologation??.. can you imagine these on the road instead of heavy cagers for the morning commute??? :lol:
 
efMX Trials Electric Freeride said:
closed course, yes;) .. next up gyroscopic control and homologation??.. can you imagine these on the road instead of heavy cagers for the morning commute??? :lol:

No no, its more then 250W, definitely illegal, bring the swat team and zip tie cuffs. No one will notice or Kare-----n.
 
it doesn't look like a pedalec.. but maybe the world needs one of those too.. :confused: .. definitely needs a "hamster ball" enclosure for inclement weather;).. :idea:
 
efMX Trials Electric Freeride said:
can you imagine these on the road instead of heavy cagers for the morning commute??? :lol:

I would love to see folks trying to text and drive on monowheels, instead of in their stinking death wagons.
 
flat tire said:
MadRhino said:
It would be stupid to build a unicycle with a heavy motor.

Ha. For the purpose of setting a speed record with minimal effort it would be stupid to make an overcomplicated lightweight unicycle to do 70 mph when an off the shelf hubmotor does it plug and play. So right back at you. Anyway whichever approach people take it shouldn't be too long before some nutcase is closing in on triple digits.

A 273 motor isn't for going fast, they're for pushing heavier loads. The high pole count makes extreme speeds more difficult due to high iron losses. 70mph is within their range of operation, but that kind of speed will cost an extra 500W or so just in extra core losses. OTOH my son's MXUS 3k Turbo, which is a 45h 205 motor that is wound to a Kv of 12rpm/volt will do 70mph mounted on his Phasor frame with no problem running a 24.5" OD moto wheel and a 21s battery with a bit of field weakening set on the 12F Nucular controller. That motor weighs way less than half of what a 273 will run, and costs only $200 plus shipping, though I think there was a slight price increase since I got it last year from Greentime.
 
Yep. Easy to make 70 mph with a pretty light weight motor. I have been beating that top speed on my Heckler with a crap Clyte HS, 16 lbs motor that Ilya had ordered in a faster winding. It didn’t last very long but it had left some friends with a lasting impression. :twisted:
 
John in CR said:
A 273 motor isn't for going fast, they're for pushing heavier loads.

Yeah whatever I guess you live in a world where big rims don't exist. Actually if you're in CR that's probably true. Anyway how about a 29er, or better yet, 36er 273?
 
Not saying that a heavy motor can’t go fast, it just doesn’t make sense to use such a heavy motor if your goal is speed. Speed can be attained with relatively light motors, climbing speed can be attained with moderately heavy motors. Boat anchors like a 273 are required for heavy loads, riding out of efficiency speed zone. The only valuable reason to compromise rear suspension with so much weight that it can’t be tuned anymore. You can go fast with a 55 lbs rear wheel, but you can’t tune it to ride good at speed.
 
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