New guy getting a MUni - looking for advice.

[john_childs]

If you are watching the cost of a muni follow this advice. Skimp on the frame but splurge on the wheel. The Kovachi wheels and an air seat are the best upgrades you can make for a muni. The Kovachi wheels at unicycle.com are a great deal.

Find out from unicycle.com when they expect to get the Nimbus II frames in. The Nimbus II frame with your choice of wheel is going to be a killer low cost muni.

I don't know what kind of trails you have around where you are and I don't know what style of riding you plan to do. The two standard tire choices are 24x3 or 26x2.6. Get the 24x3 if you plan on riding trails with roots and rocks and technical stuff. Get the 26x2.6 if you want to go faster and the trails don't have a lot of big roots and technical sections. Avoid the 26x3 tire unless you have a really really good reason for choosing it. It's a heavy wheel and has drawbacks but some good points too.

If your trails have anything remotely technical you will find the 170mm cranks to be a big improvement. 170's are good for both the 24x3 and 26x2.6. The 170's will slow you down on the flat smooth bits, but will make up for it everywhere else.

john_childs

[nbrazzi]

Well, I think I'm going to go with the Pashley Power Muni. I definitely want the 170 cranks - I definitely want to work into some hill stuff. Also, you guys are convincing me that the stronger wheel is valuable. Plus, I think the Pashley looks a lot better - and I actually will use the water bottle bolts. There's something about having a sleek all-black muni with the green trim around the saddle (green wouldn't be my first choice, but I still think it looks pretty good). I've already doctored up a picture of my new MUni in Photoshop...pretty sweet.

Here's one last (maybe) question. Is it worth another $20 to get the leather seat cover with the airsaddle conversion? The pictures of the airsaddle with the Roach cover look like the cover pops up way too high - it looks like the seat cover comes up at least an inch higher than the bumpers. The pictures with the Gemcrest leather cover looks much smoother. The vinyl Gemcrest may be just as good as the Leather, at the same price as the Roach, but I can't find any pictures of an airsaddle with the Gemcrest vinyl.

Anyway, the whole thing comes out to roughly $565. That includes a leather airsaddle, a helmet, and shipping. Seems a little high for my first MUni, but I guess its pretty good as far as MUnis go.

[teachndad]

John Childs wrote:

If you are watching the cost of a muni follow this advice. Skimp on the frame but splurge on the wheel.

... Now you tell me...



Work the maze.

[rhysling]

Originally posted by john_childs

Find out from unicycle.com when they expect to get the Nimbus II frames in. The Nimbus II frame with your choice of wheel is going to be a killer low cost muni.

Doing this will pull $190 out of the frame... and allow you to put it into the wheel. If you go with the Pashley and decide you want to upgrade later, you'll be looking at a hole new ride- not just a wheel upgrade.

The Pashley frame and housing run $230. Compare that to maybe $50 for a Lucifer that can hold the 3". One thing is certain: Pashley will appreciate the donation.

Christopher

[john_childs]

Originally posted by rhysling

The Pashley frame and housing run $230. Compare that to maybe $50 for a Lucifer that can hold the 3". One thing is certain: Pashley will appreciate the donation.

Christopher

Yup. I have a feeling that the Nimbus II frame is going to revolutionize the "low end" muni market. It will be a good inexpensive muni priced within reach of more people.

Just to clear things up. What Christopher calls the Lucifer is the Nimbus II.

john_childs

[nbrazzi]

rhysling,

Now, it sounds like you guys are suggesting I don't go with the Pashley, but build a custom unit using a Nimbus II frame or a Lucifer frame. This really isn't an option for me, because I've never built a bike or a uni, and I don't know if I would know how to do everything. (Not to mention, Unicycle.com doesn't carry either of those frames). Until I'm more familiar with the hardware, I think I'll need to stick with the package deal, and find one that's as close to the ideal as I can find.

As I upgrade and do repairs, I'll eventually learn enough to build my own custom job. Until then, I think the Pashley will do.

Unless you think the Pashley is a waste of money...

[U-Turn]

Remember that the Power Pashley comes with 170mm Lasco cranks, which are good for some hill climbing but not for hopping. As soon as you begin doing any extensive hopping, you will need to replace them with a better quality brand at a cost of $100 to $150 plus shipping (that's what I did). Or go for them right away and get credit for the Lascos (better idea).

Don't forget the leg pads and wrist guards(http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...threadid=18087). I too have scars on my shin that I got before I ordered the Roach pads but not nearly as bad.

There are other hidden costs such as a crank puller, any tools you don't have, spare tube, hydration, etc., so the helmet really doesn't count as part of the cost of the MUni.

See also http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...threadid=18118 if you are under about 5'10" (I am 5'8").

I imagine that most of the other MUni approaches require quite a bit of fiddling too before the machine truly serves you well -- even the more expensive ones. If from your figure I subtract $30 for the helmet and add about $125 for a before-ship crank upgrade you are at $670 which is still half the price of many of the fancy machines.

At current uni.com prices, the Sem XLW with the Wilder Bracket Air Seat and Kooka cranks would run about $680 (less without the bracket), which sounds like a pretty good alternative, although I don't know about the wheel caveat under the XLW... perhaps the Power Pashley wheel is significantly stronger?

All in all, I currently have the Power Pashley with Wilder Air Seat and Kooka cranks. I'm riding local double- and single-tracks and I'll be doing stairs up and down soon. My largest drops so far are about 1.5' on downhill trails. I'm currently about 185 lbs. This machine is serving me well and it will be quite a while before I outgrow it.

[rhysling]

Originally posted by nbrazzi

This really isn't an option for me, because I've never built a bike or a uni, and I don't know if I would know how to do everything.

The parts are going to be thrown into the box the same way, regardless You'll have the wheel built for you at the source. The Nim-..*cough*... Lucifer fork might be in soon- just give John a call (1-800-unicycle), and find out what his time scale is -then let us know. If you aren't willing to wait, there is always the Sem XLW- going with it would meen you would only save $180 on the frame (darn) and that you would have to go with the 2.6 Gazz. You could do that- with the Alex rim- and swap out tyre and frame when the Lucys become available- and still be up $100, and a flat crown, to boot.

Or you could play Jagur-Vice-Lotto to eek a wee bit more clearance out of the Sem- and get the 3" Gazz.

Christopher

[Animation]

nbrazzi,

Originally posted by nbrazzi
Now, it sounds like you guys are suggesting I don't go with the Pashley, but build a custom unit

I feel for you. I have had the same problem here. Sometimes, when you are starting out, you just want an off-the-shelf option. Are the pundits correct that other options are better, when considering money spent both up front and over time? Often they are.

Still, sometimes it is worth no amount of cost savings to have do deal with details, assembly, or playing the waiting game. I myself almost didn't buy my second uni, because the options were overwhelming. I bought off-the-shelf and I was happy.

For my next unicycle, I will probably get a custom unicycle and have unicycle.com build it for me, because I understand my own needs a little better, and I can extract what is important to me from what is important from other posters.

So, you can follow the advice of Chris and John, and you won't regret it in the long run. Both have experienced a lot and thought about it a lot. You can also "suck it up" and just go another route because it is less stressful.

It really depends on your personality, your patience, and your pocketbook. I personally found it worth it to buy "off the shelf" for my sanity. Later, I am now feeling comfortable buying for my own needs.

So, take all the advice here to heart, do what works for you, and take your time. Feel good about your decision. Expert advice for all levels of involvement is available to you here in this forum, and you can sample from what you need when you are ready.

Just my (probably stupid) opinion,

Lewis

[nbrazzi]

Originally posted by rhysling


The parts are going to be thrown into the box the same way, regardless You'll have the wheel built for you at the source.

Are you sure about that? I bought my original Uni from Unicycle.com and it came fully assembled (well, I had to screw on the pedals). Am I to assume that if I buy one of the Pashley's listed on the site, it won't come assembled like my United did a year ago?

[U-Turn]

I had to screw the pedals onto my Pashley; that was it.

[john_childs]

Originally posted by nbrazzi
As I upgrade and do repairs, I'll eventually learn enough to build my own custom job. Until then, I think the Pashley will do.

Unless you think the Pashley is a waste of money...

Just because you might be specing some of the parts on your own doesn't mean that they would have to ship it to you as a box of loose parts. It would probably come assembled in the box. If it's an issue for you then just ask unicycle source to make sure that it is as fully assembled as possible in the box.

When unicycle.com gets the Nimbus II frame in I'm sure they will have some complete unicycles speced in the catalog featuring that frame. The Nimbus II unicycles would be no more custom than the Power Pashley's. Just pick the one you want out of the catalog.

Right now there are no inexpensive frames that fit a 3" tire. The Nimbus II will change that.

Don't let the bottle mounts on the Pashley sway you. They are useless on a trail. Every time you drop the muni after a fall the water bottle will fall out of the cage. I used to have a Pashely and found the water bottle mounts totally useless for trail riding. For road riding the water bottle mounts could be useful as long as you don't drop the uni a lot.

The Pashley is a good unicycle. It's just a little more expensive and won't fit a 3" tire.

john_childs

[teachndad]

piggy backing on Johns comments -

Now you will need a hydration bag/ packpack to carry that water

For short work outs of a less than 45 minutes, I just throw a small water bottle in my front shorts pocket and I am off. But any longer time on the trail and you definately need a hydration bag.

ching, ching - can you hear it? Yep, that's the sound of a growing
hobby and it doesn't stop...


But its fun




Work the maze

[U-Turn]

Just to continue to hold up the Pashley end of the debate...

The Sem XLW won't hold any fatter tire than the Pashley.

The useless water bottle holders on the Pashley are just that and no more. I lost two of them when I cut down my frame anyway. If you put a 29" wheel on the Pashley frame, though, for road riding (yes, is possible... try to do THAT with a mere, smear Nimbus), then it makes sense to carry water on the frame. See http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=66 for the 29" morph of the Pashley.

The Nimbus II are not only unavailable now at unicycle.com, but also out of stock at unicycle.uk.com. How they compare to the Pashley in terms of strength, I do not know.

There is no Nimbus II-based MUni or trials unicycle listed at unicycle.uk.com, in-stock or out-of-stock. There are a couple of listed freestyle unis with the Nimbus II frame.

---

When I had to pick out a unicycle for my nephew, who is learning amazingly fast, I was stumped by the options - freestyle, off-road, etc., etc., and by all the unknowns. Finally I realized that it was more important to ride than to have the optimal unicycle, and that helped a lot. If he wants to go "beyond" the Semcycle XL with Miyata seat, that's up to him -- in whatever sense he wants to interpret "beyond".

You can't steer a car that ain't movin'!

---
enjoying the debate.......

[john_childs]

Originally posted by U-Turn

The Nimbus II are not only unavailable now at unicycle.com, but also out of stock at unicycle.uk.com. How they compare to the Pashley in terms of strength, I do not know.

There is no Nimbus II-based MUni or trials unicycle listed at unicycle.uk.com, in-stock or out-of-stock. There are a couple of listed freestyle unis with the Nimbus II frame.

If the Nimbus II frames are not going to be in stock soon then there is no reason to hold up a purchase. You can't ride a uni that doesn't exist yet.

If there is no Nimbus II, then look at the Sem XLW or Pashley. Either would be good. The Pashley would be a stronger frame. But the XLW frame would be adequate till you get to the point that you are hucking off 5' drops and doing other really hard riding.

Here's an idea. Get a Sem XLW with a 24x2.6 tire and a nice wide rim like the Alex DX32. Use the 24x2.6 wheel till you feel the need for a wider tire. At that time the Nimbus II will be available and you just swap out the Sem XLW frame, put on the Nimbus II frame, put a 24x3 tire on the rim and you'll be good to go. The Sem XLW frame in only like $55 so you're not out that much when swapping the frame.

john_childs