Nimbus (disc brake) Oracle MUni

[flycross]

2davidhood : Thanks for the review but no photos?

[DavidHood]

Originally Posted by flycross

Thanks for the review but no photos?

Per your request.

[flycross]

Thanks! Wow that's a monster

[Alucard]

That's just lovely

[Municrazy15]

hey i was wondering if you could post a pic of the tire. because that tire looks pretty sweet. does it come with the uni.

[Nurse Ben]

The tire is extra, looks like a High Roller I 2.5"

Got any dimensions on that baby?

Can you take a couple shots in line with the tire to show the cross section?

How does the tire feel "in hand" compared to the Duro 3"?

I'm riding a Savage Racing 2.6" right now, it's like a Duro Jr. Same dimensions as the Ardent 2.4, but more rubber and a nicer ride; but at a cost of 1485gm!!

[DavidHood]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

The tire is extra, looks like a High Roller I 2.5"

Got any dimensions on that baby?

Can you take a couple shots in line with the tire to show the cross section?

How does the tire feel "in hand" compared to the Duro 3"?

I'm riding a Savage Racing 2.6" right now, it's like a Duro Jr. Same dimensions as the Ardent 2.4, but more rubber and a nicer ride; but at a cost of 1485gm!!

Yes, it is a Maxxis HighRoller 26x2.5 in the 3C compound. I ordered it on the recommendation from the master himself. He said he was using it on his GUni now and might consider making it standard on future KH 26ers. I almost bought an Ardent but heard rumors of a high center line which I don't think the HighRoller (despite it's name) suffers from though I don't really have much to compare it to other than the 3" Duro that came standard on the Oracle. I probably switched out too soon (after only 2 rides) because I really enjoyed the Duro at low (10-12 psi) pressures. That thing rolled over roots like a hovercraft! The HighRoller requires more (18-20psi) pressure to avoid rim damage. It changes your whole riding style (rolling versus hopping)! One thing I can say. My Oracle is MUCH lighter (rides and handles that way) now even with the switch to heavier Moment cranks and Drillium pedals. Here is a pic from the Maxxis website to show the cross section. I'll get the measurements later and post a pic of it side to side with the now dismounted Duro.

[bouin-bouin]

KH26 from June will use Maxxis HighRoller 26x2.5 single ply and not 3C version (I got it from Kris by Email, so I bough one from Chainreaction)

[mtnuni]

I've had the new 24" Oracle for a few weeks now. Overall impression: Love it! My first muni was the Nimbus 26er.

First the disk brake, as that is one of the main selling points for UDC. I heard KH is coming out with a disk model, but it will be outside the frame. I guess he knows what he's doing, but I prefer an inside the fork design. There was a short break-in period, with a better feel to the brake after several rides. Not a surprise as I had the same experience on my MTB. The main thing I liked right away over the Magura rim brake on the 26er was the difference in pitch, since the brake is near the hub. And since I made the switch from the heavier 26, I am also finding I use the brake a lot less often, which is actually cool (to me anyway). My lever is modified so it does have the KH Spooner lever, which frankly, I wouldn't want to be without.

I am in So CA - LA area - so our rides usually include anywhere from 500' to 2000' or more of climbing with the top elevations often reaching or exceeding 3,000'. The climbs usually cover a couple of grinding miles that average a 3-8% grade, but will always include some 20% or steeper sections. Which is mainly why I purchased the 24". While the less vertical sections are do-able for me on the 26er, I am small and weigh 130 lbs, so the climbs are many times easier on the significantly lighter and smaller 24". I started with 150mm cranks, but switched to KH Double Hole Moment 165/137mm (165mm setting) and won't be changing back anytime soon. We also ride up some of the single track and the Oracle really shines there too. Overall, I am cleaning uphill sections that just weren't happening on the 26er, so it's all grins.

I expected I would prefer the 26er on the descents, and for pure speed, of course do. But so far the nimbleness of the 24" outweighs the superior roll-over and speed difference of the 26". I am learning the more technical riding and really appreciate the lighter ride on the rocky single track descents. And for the really long non-technical descents I may come across, I can always switch to the 137mm hole on the cranks.

Nimbus did a great job on the design. While Orange is NOT my favorite color, I have come around and really appreciate the look of the cycle, and it's getting a lot of compliments. My legs (and pads) are already appreciating the round crown versus the square on the Nimbus muni. And even with adding about 7 ounces of Slime to the 3" Duro tire the ride feels peppy.

It will be interesting to see what, if any modifications they make to future editions. The first I would like to see would be change of lever to accommodate the Spooner. Great cycle and value.

[flycross]

2mtnuni : Thanks for info about this uni, please post more and larger photos I really like this colour and I hope Nimbus will release 26" in other colours than red - orange, yellow or green ... it would be great.

[Nurse Ben]

They are offering that rim on a custom street 26 in gold

Sizing to fit the person, 24" is great for small folks, the 26" is bigger but I have a lot of height and weight on you, so for me the 26" is just right

I ride a 29" on tech stuff at times, it's a big un, probably comparable with how you feel on a 26"

165's on a 24"?

Man, that's some long cranks, pedal strike has got to be a pita!

Try going shorter over time, I find the long cranks are an overkill on smaller wheels, even on a 26" I run 150's, but for the 29/36 it's 165's for muni.

Another thought: Were the 150's Ventures or Moments? The wider Q factor on Moments provide some additional leverage, so a shorter Moment might feel better.

[mtnuni]

I'll snap some more pics soon. Speaking with folks at UDC, think they are keeping the colors as is for now, Black/Orange for 24"...Black/Red for 26".

[mtnuni]

FYI...I've had ZERO pedal strike. The crank length totally depends on the terrain and type of riding you do. Agreed, the longer cranks would be overkill if it weren't for the steepness of our terrain.

My group has recently been joined by one guy with massive skills. He's even ridden with "the man" himself...KH, both here in So CA and in BC. His main cycle is 24" with 170mm cranks...and no brake! The steepness of the climbs and descents just wouldn't be possible, especially without a brake, on the shorter cranks.

[Nurse Ben]

You don't need long cranks to run steep stuff, even "the man" doesn't use 165's on a 24; he may not use 165's on anything... I know more core riders who use short cranks than those who use long cranks. Terry "unigeezer" uses nothing longer than a 150 and I'm pretty sure he's core.

This is an age old debate, so I'll try not to beleagure the point, but suffice to say that I was on the long crank side until last year, made the same arguments as you're making, then I pushed myself to learn short cranks and now I can ride both. Now I don't find that I need long cranks for anything but steep climbing, even then I can do without most of the time. If anything, it's wheel size that determines rideability, since your center of balance gets higher as the wheel gets bigger.

Brakes make long cranks on downhills unnecessary, and since this is the Oracle disc brake muni thread, I would suggest to folks that they run 135-150mm on the 24/26, this will improve flow and reduce pedal strike. The reason the Oracles are outfitted with longer cranks is because Josh likes long crank

FYI...I've had ZERO pedal strike

I had two yesterday, one root, one rock, you may need to ride harder

[bouin-bouin]

Mine I rode today for the 1st time

All KH except Oracle hub and D-Brake from Nimbus
Spokes : DT Swiss 2mm (14G) 258mm on left side / 260mm on right side
Tyre : Maxxis High Roller DH Tyre - Single Ply - 26 x 2.5 - MaxxPro 60a (the same as KH26 from June), need to adjust pressure somewhere between 1.8 and 2.5 bar
Brake : Tektro Auriga Comp Disc Brake 2009 - Front Post Mount 160mm
Cranks : Moment 125/150mm
Quick release clamp : Hope blue
Pedals : Wellgo MG1 Blue