Dawn of the Hunqapillar

[soapscum]

While I'm still smarting from the loss of my beloved Hillborne (long story, things happen, ends well), I'm more than a little consoled by the addition of a 54cm Hunqapillar in my life. It's built up from the parts from my Sam; virtually everything moved right over, right down to the Honjos (an aside: fenders took longer than the rest of the build all together and the front fender line is still a work in progress). I rode out to Golden Gardens to snap some pix of it's virginal purity, which if you're interested you can find here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45524179@N08/sets/72157631600410033/

It's a lovely riding bicycle.

[Peter Morgano]

Man that green is purty out in the sun, Bravo!

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[Dave]

I test-rode a Hunq built like this at RBW last month.  It was a true revelation.  Enjoy!

[Robert F. Harrison]

Wow..that's a super bike. I've go one on order that should be arriving soon in size 62. I hope I can make mine as pretty as yours.

Have fun riding it!

Aloha,

Bob

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[rw1911]

Nice! love the idea of a Hunqapillar, but I'm between sizes (54-58)
and not sure I could do the diagonal tube of the 58. Comparison to
your Hillborne?

[Michael_S]

same here... we need a 56!  And that green is beautiful too.

~mike

Carlsbad Ca.

[Brian Hanson]

Get the 54cm - long top tube makes it bigger.  I rode both and liked the 54cm just fine - I didn't notice the 58 being stiffer with the extra tube.  I think it's down to esthetics, but they have very similar reaches.  With 50mm tires, the standover of the 54cm is very similar to my Hilsen.  Love this bike!  Nice setup.  Mine rides like it's on rails, and nothing beats the roar of the hunqapillar!  

https://stonehog.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/hunqapillar-porteur/ 

Brian

Seattle, WA

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[Marc Irwin]

I love my Hunq and you are right, it rides like it is on rails.

Marc

[soapscum]

I loved my Hillborne in every way and I really don't have the miles in on the Hunqapillar to speak to the differences much, but on first blush the Hunq is MUCH stiffer and it's immediately apparent in turns and under hard braking. Also, I always wished my Sam had about 1cm more standover that it did; I could stand flat footed (depending on the shoes) but only very gently. The Hunqapiller has that lil extra standover I was missing. Otherwise, it doesn't feel smaller than my 56 Sam at all. My setup is identical to my Hillborne, and so far the only consequence of the differences in frame geometry is that my frame pump is now too short. First world problems. I'll probably have more to say about how it compares to the Hillborne in a couple hundred miles.

On Saturday, September 22, 2012 10:11:55 PM UTC-7, rw1911 wrote:

[dougP]

That is so cool that everything moved right over; that will allow you
to comment directly on the differences between the two bikes. BTW,
you may be overly concerned about the fender line. I stared long &
hard and they look fine in the photo. But I know things can look
different up close.

What's your front light? And the mount?

dougP

[Peter]

Shawn,
Thanks for these great looking photos. How's the bike working out for you? How is it on hills? I love looking at your photos, very tempted to buy one, but concerned if I'm strong enough to ride it on steep hills, whether it would wear me out or not. Would appreciate a report if you see this and have time to respond.
All best,
Peter D.

[Tom Virgil]

A really nice build and re-purposing of your components.  Now that you have had it for a while, can you tell us more about your impressions of your Hunqapillar?   I am a fairly new Sam owner and not about to change it out any time soon, but I am curious about the differences.

Best regards,

Tom

[shawn m.]

Peter,

Your resurrection of this thread is timely, in a way. This past weekend I took the Hunqapillar on an overnight trip from Seattle to Port Townsend. My route was a conscious choice of more climbing for less traffic, so I became pretty intimate with how it climbs, and how I climb, too. I had spinal neurosurgery in June and this was the first big ride since, and given that recovery had compromised some of my fitness there was some concern that all those hill might very well wear me out. And they mostly did, too, but I made it. The bike was very comfortable and stable climbing, and with a couple of exceptions I was able to stay in the middle ring. I was carrying approximately 10 lbs. in the front basket and that load up high made for a noticeable wobble when climbing out of the saddle; nothing unpredictable or overly flexy, but you could feel it's effect on handling. Descents were pretty much all grins and wahoos, though. Overall, I love the Hunqapillar. We're carfree so it gets ridden daily for transportation/utility, and it's always a joy. Living in Seattle I can't go anywhere without climbing a hill, and frankly if my beat-up physiognomy can ride it up the hills, I'm confident that you won't be disappointed either. For context, I'm 47, 5'9", 175, lifetime unracer, recovered mountain biker, infrequent tourer. If you're on the fence about a Hunqapillar, I say dive in. As the others here can attest, it's a wonderful bicycle.

A couple pics of my 'camping' trip to Port Townsend:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45524179@N08/sets/72157634765980946/

I should mention that I didn't actually DO any camping. I ran into old friends in PT who took me to dinner, bought me beers, and made me a warm bed for the night. That's a first-class campout in my book!

Cheers,

Shawn M.

Seattle, WA (Fremont)

[Brian Hanson]

Shawn - we need to go for a ride - I have a 54cm hunqa, too, and it's set up very similarly.  http://flic.kr/p/eCurLu

The purpose is a camper bike, but I mainly use it for commuting. Let me know if your up for a ride one of these days...

Brian

Seattle, WA

Brian Hanson

Seattle, WA

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[Peter]

Many thanks for answering. I live in the midwest and would like to have just one do it all bike in all kinds of weather and this might be it . . . or the Same, but I really like the looks of your bike. What tires do you use for all that rain you get?
all best.
PD

[Peter]

Thanks for the info. Are you saying that the bike is better suited to carry weight on the rear rack, rather than front? I notice that Velo Orange (low trail) shows its Polyvalent with a front rack or basket. Just curious. Thanks for the pics.

On Tuesday, July 23, 2013 10:22:00 AM UTC-5, shawn m. wrote:

[shawn m.]

I didn't mean to give that impression at all, just that with my basket piled up kinda high I could feel it more. Like my Sam, when loaded, it seems to handle better with some weight in the front. The few times I've carried a touring load solely on the rear, I've felt the front end to be a little quick-handling. I'd like to try a larger rack up to run panniers up front for longer trips. There's always one more thing to try!

Brian: Would love to go for a ride sometime. I do 90% of my riding solo, so I'd welcome the company. It would be fun to put together a casual Seattle Riv ride sometime, too.

-Shawn M.

Seattle, WA (Fremont)