Nimbus 29inch vs. KH 29inch

[scha6645]

Hi,

I am looking for a good all around 29inch unicycle. Some touring and off-road.

What are the key differences between the Nimbus 29inch vs KH29? What should I consider before making a purchase?

The Nimbus is much cheaper than the KH29.

Thanks,

[saskatchewanian]

The main differences are the frame, rim and cranks.


The KH frame is aluminum. very nice frame, light and stiff.

The Nimbus frame is a nice quality steel frame. It is a bit heavier but if you want to use a caliper brake it I would be less hesitant to drill a hole in the crown.


The KH rim is as bombproof as 29er rims get. There is also the option of getting the extra wide 47mm wide rim.

The Nimbus rim is a single walled aluminum rim. it would be suitable for the road and light MUni but not as strong as the KH rim


The KH cranks are known to be some of the strongest around, they are also on the heavier end of the spectrum and way overkill for most people with 29ers. The KH29 comes with dual hole cranks which allow you to have two different options on the same crank arm. This could be great if you want 150s for MUni and 125s for the road.

The Nimbus cranks are much lighter but not as strong. Should be plenty strong though unless you are doing 6' drops or something.

[humblbee]

the new nimbus 29er comes with the kh xc rim same as kh , a powdercoated crmo frame and isis nimbus hub (white and sexy) It seems to be a very solid build for a good price. The advantage of the kh would be a lighter aluminum frame without nubs, angle adjusting seatpost, freeride saddle, and moment cranks, all upgradeable and arguably not nessassary.

[scha6645]

Hi,

It sounds like the KH29 is tool of choice for rugged usage. How much abuse could the Nimbus take before breaking? Could the Nimbus take a 2 foot drop? What parts would begin break or wear under extreme usage?

I hear the KH29 is a fairly smoothe and very fast. How does the Nimbus compare to this?

From the recent thread:

"The advantage of the kh would be a lighter aluminum frame without nubs, angle adjusting seatpost, freeride saddle, and moment cranks, all upgradeable and arguably not nessassary. "

Are you saying I can upgrade the Nimbus to use the KH freeride saddle?

Thanks for the replies!

[saskatchewanian]

The weak point on the nimbus would have been the rim but with the rim upgraded to the KH XC rim (not surprised it happened or that it fails to show up in UDCs specs) I would say that the weak point would be the cranks. It should be able to take a few 2' drops but if you make a habit out of it you might want beefier cranks.


As for smoothness on the road I would put my money on the Nimbus just because the cranks are shorter, lighter and have less Q-factor (outwards flare) The biggest factor for road manners though would be tire choice if the cranks were the same length.


The parts are very interchangeable on these two unicycles. For the most part you can just swap out various parts like the saddle, cranks, rims, etc. The only non-interchangeable thing is the KH uses a 27.2mm seatpost and the Nimbus uses a 25.4mm post. The KH adjustable seatpost is available in either size.

[humblbee]

http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1400
This is the nimbus I am referring to,It seems to be a good deal. and could take as many 2 foot drops as you want to give it. The cranks are longer which would be a little less smooth on the road, but maybe a little more manageable on the trail.

[scha6645]

Hi,

The Nimbus 29 frame is about 3lbs heavier than the KH29. How will the extra frame weight impact your ride?

Thanks,

[humblbee]

3 lbs seems like an inaccurate difference, sometimes the weight measurments found online can be decieving. A little weight shouldn't really make that big of a difference unless your doing a lot of hopping and or trials.

[SqueakyOnion]

I bought this Nimbus 29" some months ago, and couldn't be happier. I ride around town/campus with the Big Apple 2.35" tire, and take it on mountain bike trails all the time, usually with the WTB Nanoraptor. I've also added a KH Fusion Freeride Saddle, and KH 125/150 Cranks. Even with the single-wall rim, I've had no problems doing small drops and hopping repeatedly.

Although I'm sure a difference could be felt, 3lbs isn't going to make-or-break your ride. Unless you're looking to do some pretty crazy stuff, the KH29 us overkill, IMO.

The newly offered Nimbus 29 Muni seems like a really great deal. I probably would have bought that if it was offered when I was looking to buy.

[OneWheelLess]

Originally Posted by humblbee

http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1400
This is the nimbus I am referring to,It seems to be a good deal. and could take as many 2 foot drops as you want to give it. The cranks are longer which would be a little less smooth on the road, but maybe a little more manageable on the trail.

Wow! Nimbus actually has a limited edition uni that's worth buying! Lol.
This would be the best value for your money. The nimbus 29ers are solid, and I was going to recommend buying the nimbus and upgrading the rim but looks like UDC beat me to it!
I have a kh 29er, and I love it, but for the money i'd go with the nimbus in that link. The only upgrade i'd make would be the dual-hole moments. It is nice to be able to switch between 150 and 125 depending on the terrain I'll be riding without having to change cranks. Everybody says the kh frame is stiff and I haven't used a nimbus frame in that size, but I'm not very impressed with mine. It seems to flex a lot during offroad climbs. I'd imagine the nimbus II flexes less, but I could be wrong.

[scha6645]

The nimbus does seem like a good buy. What do you think about the KH freeride saddle? Is the freeride much more comfortable than the KH street saddle?

[OneWheelLess]

That may depend on the rider, however it is generally accepted that the fusion freeride saddle is more comfortable for longer rides and the street saddle has much less padding to keep it slim and light for tricks. You'll probably want the freeride

[joemarshall]

Originally Posted by scha6645

Hi,

The Nimbus 29 frame is about 3lbs heavier than the KH29. How will the extra frame weight impact your ride?

Thanks,

Really? 3lb different? Are you sure - have you weighed one? That sounds pretty unlikely to me.

Joe

[Kerv]

Originally Posted by joemarshall

Really? 3lb different? Are you sure - have you weighed one? That sounds pretty unlikely to me.

Joe

I am pretty ignorant about frames (and many, many other things) but why do you think the 3 pound weight difference is unlikely? Do you think think the difference is too little or too great?

[saskatchewanian]

Originally Posted by Kerv

I am pretty ignorant about frames (and many, many other things) but why do you think the 3 pound weight difference is unlikely? Do you think think the difference is too little or too great?

To great. People get excited about 50g around here.