I seem to be on course for converting my 20" learner into a “MUni” of sorts.
I bought a new tire (2.10" knobjob) and new pedals (Wellgo platform) so that I can manage now that we are entering the rainy season. I plan to ride all winter (note: Victoria normally only gets an inch or two of snow all winter), so I needed to get rid of my slick tire and cheap pedals.
Anyway, with a new tire, new pedals, and new shoes, I was rather nervous about getting on yesterday. I should have not been so tentative. My wheel got away from me after my first mount and before I knew what was happening, I landed on my backside and elbows. Fortunately, not too much damage was done. I skinned my elbow, my wrist was a bit stiff last night (OK today though). I also a large bruise forming on my backside.
After getting used to the new setup, however, I love it. The tire runs much smoother than my old one. It doesn’t skip around every time I hit a pebble. Also, it seems to corner better (it has a nice round profile). This is one aspect that is going to take some getting used to, though. I find it harder to pull out of a turn started by accident. I was meaning to turn right this morning and found the uni going left. Rather than go into contortions to make it come around correctly, I did a 270 degree turn to get to where I wanted to be. That’s the first time I have ever completed done a 180 even!!!
The pedals seem much more grippy and I am looking forward to see how they hold in the rain. The forecast is for sunshine the rest of the week though (not that I am complaining). It is taking me a little longer to mount though because if I don’t get my feet just right, I can’t adjust as easily.
Next up: I need to reinforce the bottom of my frame. I am going to Unversal Sheet Metal this week to see what they can do for me.
I have a friend who keeps telling me to stick to the 20" for MUni because of the torque that I am able to apply (he rode trails 15 years ago up in Port Alberni). What do the rest of you think?
I think your about to have a ton of fun. --chirokid–
PS: I installed a 2.25 X 16 on my daughters Jugglebug 2 weeks ago. She loves it! She is only 8 years old, but 2 nights later, she and I went out and did a 3.25 mile uniride. Yea, I’m a proud daddy.
The torque is proportional to the crank length divided by the tire size. So 6" cranks on a 24" tire gives you the same torque as 5" cranks on a 20" tire.
My son (12) uses a 20" trials uni for MUNI as he is a bit small for a 24" wheel yet. My daughter (9) has a similar setup to you and does very well off road on it.
I think if I did MUNI on a 20" I would find it hard to keep up with the 24" & 26" people but my children don’t seem to have problems keeping up with me.
i would not call a 20" a muni more of a trials uni i am not saying you can not do muni on a 20" but it is just my view.i must admit i do muni on a 20" but i want a 24 or a 26" cause 20" is to small for real hard stuff but for getting into it, it is fun but by my calculations i can not get a 24"-26" for three months
I was thinking of getting a 20" for MUni trials. It would be harder to roll over stuff, or go as far, but you’d be able to maneuver over and around stuff easier. I’d like it for hopping up over impossible terrain.
ive tried this before but the smaller wheel gets stopped by every dip in the trial and that got old really fast.i think if you only weight 65 pounds it would be great though.
A slight adjustment to an earlier statement on this thread:
Torque is related to the ratio between the length of the crank and the radius of the wheel. (Not proportional.)
My various informal experiments with 5 different wheel sizes and 6 crank lengths (not all combinations!) have led me to conclude that there are other variables. The direct proportionality only holds true in that sector of the pedal stroke where the foot is applying pressure to the pedal most efficiently.
Be that as it may, a 20 for MUni? Stonking fun, I’d say. Gary (Unicus) and I had a ride a few weeks back, with me on a 26 with a 2.3" Gazz, him on a 24 with a 3" Gazz, and two lads on 20" Onzas with big fat tyres.
On dry, bumpy and steep terrain, the two lads left us for dead uphill and downhill. Where we gained was in covering distance on the flat at a steady speed. Then they gained on hopping and dropping ability and manoeuvreability. I marched the wheel down hill, controlling the wheel with back pressure; they glid (glided? glode?) down the hill, just sort of flowing over the terrain.
But in mud or undergrowth? Heh heh heh!
I think a lot of fun could be had on a 20 optimised for MUni, and I am prepared to test this hypothesis to destruction if anyone is prepared to supply the uni…
I agree that 24" or 26" are better wheel sizes for MUni but I don’t
agree with thinuniking’s categorical statement as copied above. In the
old days (maybe 15 years ago) off-road unicycling started with 20"
wheels because it was all that was available. It was MUni avant la
lettre.
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
If the crank is moving then it really sounds as if it’s loose. - onewheeldave trying to pinpoint the cause of a clicking crank
I have yet to compare my new Onza 19x2.5 to my custom 24x3.0 on some real trails, but I must say that I agree with Jagur. I did off road on a 20x2.125 for a year, mainly cuz I didn’t have any alternatives, but the 24x3.0 is just sooo much better. I partly think 24x3.0 is better because of the better tread choices. The treads found on most 19x2.5 tires just suck for anything but slickrock in my opinion. The 20 and 19s are much better for trials (again in my opinion) but they really can’t compare to a good 24x3 on the trails. I also think that whatever minute sacrafice in maneverability I make by using a 24x3 is more than made up for by the fact that I don’t need to manuever as much. I can just roll over obstacles. Also, a 24x3 will put more tread on the ground at one time for situations when you don’t have much traction.
My 2cents.
Now that I have had the current setup for a few rides, I can add a few comments.
I now understand why everyone likes pinned pedals so much. It makes a huge difference in hill climbing. Once I am more practiced, I have no doubt that the remaining hills that are giving me trouble on my commute will be conquered. Even on the first try, I was able to get over the hard parts. The problem I ran into was that I relaxed after that. My new wheel won’t permit me to slow down too much and easily sets off in the wrong direction. When it happened on the road, I had enough room to correct. On the trail, it was a wipeout:( .
I think that I will continue to use my 20" for MUni for a while. Like evilwan said, the difficult stuff is the interesting part. I will likely buy a 24x3 MUni at some point, though, just so that I will be able to particpate in group rides easier (Moab 2005?).
Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice, as usual.
Having a bigger wheel makes a 24 better for pretty much any non hopping move.
Also, going faster makes easy bits of trails more difficult, so if you’re looking for a challenge, the 24 is better as you can ride faster and have less easy stuff if you like. You can also ride more stuff in the same time.
I don’t believe that anyone who had both and was big enough to ride them would ever choose the 20 for a technical muni ride. If you were going to just go to one place and do trials then yes, but if you’re riding actual trails then the 24 is going to be better.
From memory, from the words of Me and Bobby McGee. I got it off a little-known Bill Haley and the Comets album, Rock Around The Country, many years ago.
I once did an internet search for the words, and found various combinations of : nothing much/left to lose/do.
I think it’s a Kris Kristofferson (sp) song?
Of course, as a pedant, I think it should be “Bobby McGee and I.”
My nephews do everything MUni on their freestyles with The Wall tires. Sometimes they switch to a knobby (I forget which) but I don’t know if it’s an advantage. They go down steep (45 degree) grass with The Wall. They do use a lower pressure; say 25 -30 psi.
You can do a lot more with What You Have then people tend to think.
