How much difference does tire make on Muni?

[bluesman]

I am thinking of trying some "noob Muni" with my torker LX 24" uni. It has a basic universal tread tire. How much different will this be to a wide Muni tire? What are the advantages of the really big wide tires??

[deadbeatpope]

A wider tire will make you more stable to begin with. More tread to ground contact also means more traction so less slipping in mud, sand or loose dirt. It may also slow you down a little (weight) but that depends - most riders have enough strength to deliver more speed than they can safely use anyway.

A fatter tire also offers more cushion if you ride with lower pressure. I tend to like more pressure than most but definitely wouldn't want to run a thin tire with low pressure as it offers little support.

[nordicnoel]

It depends on the terrain. That tire is fine on most of my local dirt and root trails, as long as it isn't muddy. You'll have to play around to find the best tire pressure for the trail and your weight. A wider tire will absorb bumps better, but I like using a 2in tire on my Nimbus 26 muni. I prefer the lower weight of the 2in on mine to the extra shock absorption of my brother's 2.7in tire.

Before you take your LX off-road, make sure your cranks are tight. Most of the complaints about square-taper cranks being ruined are probably due to people riding aggressively with the cranks slightly loose, which will quickly ruin them.

[davidp]

My first ventures on dirt were made with a UDC Club 24"; very similar to your Torker. On fireroads and smooth trails it was fine. A wider tire will smooth out rougher terrain but I needed lots of practice to be able to ride rocky or rooty trails even with a 3" tire. Take the Torker to the woods and have fun.

[Dane M]

Well if you think about it, if both tires were at max pressure, and you rode along on flat ground and hit some decent sized gravel, that lighter tire that is on the torker is going to have more resistance to the stones, and if you're not aware that the stones are there, you might UPD. Where the off-road tire with large treads, shoves the pebbles in between the knobs of the tire, so they do not effect you as much.

That is a very simplistic way of looking at it, but another way is to think of it in terms of surface contact. If you have a road tire that has very few or small gaps in the tread, it will have great traction on a road because the road does not give-way, and you are maximizing the amount of tread-to-surface contact.

But when you're in the off-road, in most circumstances, the soil will have a bit of give, and your tire will sink into it, or conform to the shape of the ground, thereby creating better surface contact and better traction.

Another example I can give which might seem stange, but it is of the same idea is ice cubes in a glass of water.

If you have 3 large cubes, they will melt slowly, because water is only in contact with the outside of the ice cube. But if you break up the cubes, the water can make more contact with the ice surfaces, and it will cool your drink faster.

Maybe I was not helpful.... Guy asks about off-road tires and I talk about friggin ice cubes.

[saskatchewanian]

try it first with what you have then if you like it or feel you need a bit of help look into getting a wider tire, or eventually a MUni specific unicycle.


Basically wide tires give you more cushion and smooths out the small stuff.

I don't know how big a tire the frame can handle or how wide the rim is on an LX but I would not go wider then twice as wide as the rim on a unicycle. Once you go too wide your tire becomes a floppy wet noodle boat anchor that can throw you at the most inopportune times.

[bluesman]

Thanks for the responses.

Dane your example really helps, thanks

[Nurse Ben]

Guy asks about off-road tires and I talk about friggin ice cubes.

Dane, you kill me!

Okay, so I am all about big cushy tires, got a RR 2.4 on my 29er and a Larry 3.8 on my 26er, running both at lower pressures.

A tire can make a hige difference in your ride, in terms of traction, shock absorption, and stability. In riding the Larry, which is one of the largest tires you can get, I do not notice the relatively thin tread to be a limiting factor since the tire is so big and fat. I run it at a low pressure and with such a big footprint it gets great traction, just like an ATV tire.

In muni, speed is really not an issue, esp in tech terrain, so having a fast tire is really not that important. I can go plenty fast on my Larry, so the only tire I take out the 29er is when I am going on smooth single track or I just feel like a chaneg of pace. The 26er with a Larry is nearly the same size as the 29er with a RR 2.4.

If you want to muni, go with a big tire and play around with air pressure, also try different tube thicknesses or even tubeless. You can always go back to narrower tires and do a comparison. Since getting the Larry I have ridden my KH 29er three times, compared to Larry maybe thirty times

[maestro8]

Think about it simply... the tire is the only thing that connects your Muni to the ground.

Even something as simple as the amount of air in your tire is going to affect your ride.

You can ask questions here until you're blue in the face but you won't understand the true meaning of the answers unless you try things for yourself.

Start with your existing tire and try riding a section of trail over and over, start with high pressure, then let a little out each time.

Then maybe try the same thing with a wider tire. You don't need an expensive tire to be a better rider, just find something that works for your riding.

[Mikefule]

The tyre is just incredibly important. It can make a difference between the uni being fun to ride, or not. It can affect speed, balance, steering, how fatigued you get... You can manage with a cheap or inappropriate tyre, but it will not be even nearly as good.

[deadbeatpope]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

try different tube thicknesses or even tubeless.

Never thought too much about the tube other than weight and reliability. What kind of influence does it have?

[saskatchewanian]

Originally Posted by deadbeatpope

Never thought too much about the tube other than weight and reliability. What kind of influence does it have?

A thicker tube will calm down an "active" tire slowing down its bounce and will make the tire easier to control in certain situations like hitting a bunch of fist sized rocks on the way down a hill or side hopping (pecking) up a steep incline

A thinner tube will cause less friction and make your tire roll faster while also being lighter and making the wheel more "flickable"

And tubeless (never tried it) is supposed to give you all the benefits of a really thin tube and the added bonus of flat protection.

[knoxuni]

I have run tubeless, thin tube, and thick tube. This is just me, but I prefer tubeless or thick tube. the thin tube did not feel right. the thick tube felt fine but I love tubeless. It is a pain to set up and get working right but once you get it figured out it is like going from a Timex to a Rolex. It is lighter than a thin tube with the bounce and better flat protection. The one thing i don't like about it is that if you are side hopping or Pecking it burps air (air comes out) and if you do get a flat your done. i have ran over nails, sharp rock and glass and no flats. i have gotten a on flat. i ripped the sidewall of my tire.

[deadbeatpope]

Thanks Eric and Knox.

I have heard that tubeless was good.
What is required? Just a tubeless tire? Inside rim strip?

[knoxuni]

a rimstrip or go on Youtube and search Getto tubeless. and any tire will work. need some Stans or slime sealent.