I have been riding a 24 inch Torker with a Maxxis DTH tyre for a while. Been getting into moderate hill climbing. I am a big fan of lightweight tyres.
I feel like am ready for for my next uni. I want to go ISIS this time.
I don’t want to go much bigger as I like to ride parks and footpaths. I already have problems with overhanging vegetation.
A 26 will give me more tyre options and I have a hankering to try a Maxxis Xenith 1.5
I considered a Nimbus II Freestyle but it seems heavy with the steel frame. I think I would rather have an aluminium frame.
I would prefer 125 cranks so by the time I change them I probably should be looking at building something.
The Nimbus Sports has an aluminium frame but goes too far to with minimalist tyres for the places I ride. I get the impression it has a very narrow fork which might not suit a wider tyre.
The Nimbus E Sport also only takes a 24" wheel with a 92mm hub, not a standard 100m. I’m going to see if I can fit it onto a 100m hub. It’s been done before with other 92mm frames but not with this one. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I built up a lightweight road uni (under 10 lbs) with a lightweight 26" mtb rim (Dartmoor Trixie), a Nimbus Oracle frame, Mad4One lightweight racing cranks 125mm, impact exceed hub, and a specialized performance tire. I dropped the weight to 8 lbs. when I bought a Triton road frame, and I built up another lightweight 29" wheel using a Mad4One cromo hub. I think if you’re looking for aluminum, the Oracle would be a good lightweight option, but maybe ask if your supplier can substitute a normal bottom bracket instead of the D’brake one (unless you potentially want to add a disc brake). If you’re getting into hill climbing, 125mm is awful IMO. If most of your ride is hilly, I’d go for something longer for more leverage on the up hills and more control on the downhills without a break. But cranks 125mm or shorter are fun on flat, and they’re manageable on the occasional hill.
I once put a 26" Ritchey Vantage Comp rim on a UDC CrMo hub and mounted a 1.5" tire on it. That combination fit with little headroom into a 24" MUni Frame (Onza). So, If you want to build a lightweight road uni around a 26x1.5 tire I think a 24" oracle frame would do it.
Keep in mind that overall weight is less important than the weight of the wheel, and specifically the weight of the rim/tire. So if you pick up a few ounces in the frame it’s probably not as big a deal as even an ounce at the rim. With that in mind, what Torker do you have?
EDIT:
Another thing worth mention is that for road use the CrMo hub is light, and when combined with the Qu-Ax lightweight cranks it is a light and quick setup. The ISIS cranks have come a long way, and it is nice to have the dual hole option; but, if you don’t plan on using that square taper cranks offer a lot for road uni’s. Also, you may find that 125’s are a bit long on such a small light wheel.
Oh I second the Qu-Ax lightweight cranks. I used those initially before I got my Mad4One cranks. They’re super cheap and lightweight. They probably won’t handle any hopping or too many curbs, but they’re great for road riding.
Absolutely agree. That is why I like the Maxxis DTH tyre. My riding improved instantly when I put it on. It is so much easier recover with a light tyre. One of the biggest improvements I noticed was the take off from the kerb. Getting that wheel past the first top dead centre became so much easier.
It is LX I bought on ebay. Straight up I changed to the DTH tyre and replaced the horrible original seat with a Nimbus Gel along with a new aluminium seat post that had enough length for me.
I later replaced the original 150 cranks with Nimbus Venture 125s.
I found the 150s moved my legs around too much so it was harder to be smooth and fast. Curiously I felt could climb better with the shorter cranks but I have ridden many kilometres since the change to the shorter cranks.
I figure I can build up the extra strength on the slightly larger wheel to get up the hills. The hills I am doing are not seriously steep.
I bought a 26" Nimbus II in July. It has 138mm cranks, and for riding at the local Metroparks the gearing seems like a good compromise. I’m 5’9" and about 165 pounds, and on the hills that were challenging then, I can usually accelerate while climbing now. If I only rode on Rails to Trails, I would likely use shorter cranks. I may go to 125s as it is, but I find the extra leverage handy for the occasional challenging grades.
Steel flexes easily with little impact on structural integrity. Aluminum however, doesn’t handle flexing well and is likely to crack. That’s why you never see a bent aluminum frame, you see broken ones.
Since I posted this question I have made some major leaps forward in my skills, mainly through taking up holding the handle.
Moreover I have stopped the creak in my Torker LX. It started when I began to take on steeper hills. I think it was actually dry pedal bearings but the cranks are really well fitted now too.
Consequently I found a new love for it, especially as a “standard” unicycle with my new riding style giving as much speed as I currently want. Going to a 26 seems too small a step for a road upgrade now.
Suddenly, off-road started calling me as I took the LX on a tour of new streets as I looked for steeper inclines and passing some expansive parks.
Thinking I should make a 26 inch muni my next investment instead.
I’m not experienced by any means and only capable of light muni so far, so my opinion may not mean much. My experience is that the tire seems to be the single most important factor on how a uni behaves:
I started riding on a 24’’ Torker with ISIS cranks about a year ago. It came with a Kenda KRAD 24x2.3 tire which is ok on pavement and hard packed dirt. Later I bought a Nimbus 29’’ muni that shipped with a Maxxis Ardent. I wanted to use this for mainly road riding at the time but also something to grow into. So I changed the tire to a Duro Miner 29x2.1. That so far has proven to be a decent tire on road and the occasional trail. Lately I went back to my Torker and made that into a muni by putting on a Arrow Racing Prime Bite 24x2.75. I really like a fatter tire on the small uni since that makes it so much easier to absorb bumps / ditches / tree roots and floats better in loose stuff.
Crank length on both my unis is about the same ~150mm. I find that my hill climbing ability is only slightly better on the 24’’. So upgrading to a 26’’ would be even less of a difference.
Bottom line from my perspective: It’s all about your skill level and your personal preference.
Bought my “next uni”. Well it was my “next” until yesterday.
It is an almost immaculate KH 26 Muni with Magura brakes. Came with a Hookworm tyre fitted as well as the unused original off road tyre. Upraded pedals too. You probably saw the ad on this site.
Should be a good road/trail crossover.
Over spent my budget (of course) but well worth it. Certainly could not have afforded to buy such a great uni brand new.
As soon as I get a taller seat post I will be off to some of the local parks I have been seeking out of late.
I have been back in the saddle about 8 months. I started with a sun flat top 20“. Then I upgraded to a 20” Nimbus equinox street. Santa brought me a 24” oracle muni and I am starting to get comfortable doing some light muni when we get a warm day here in KC. I try to ride each one a couple of times a week. I think it is good to switch it up and stay familiar with each.
I want to get something to ride to the gym or to pick up a six pack at the local Quicktrip. I think I have settled on a 26” uni. At my age I don’t want anything faster the I can run out of with the occasional UPD. To each his own, but for me using fast and unicycle in the same sentence is a bit of an oxymoron. I am not really in a hurry when I ride.
The only thing I saw on UDC is the Nimbus II 26" Unicycle (Blue). There are a lot of hills in the area so I was thinking about the Kris Holm 127/150 mm cranks so I could have some options. My reservations about it are the steel frame. I want something light and with a disc brake. It did not offer a brake option on there web site. Any suggestions?
The nimbus is a great uni, and to be honest at 13lb’s it isn’t heavy. When I was a fairly new rider, about 4 months in, I built up a 29er from a nimbus 2 frame. It took me about a week before I realized that 150’s were too long for a lightweight road uni. I rode 125s for everything. With the 26 being a bit lighter yet, I think you’ll be surprised at how much you don’t need the brake.
All of that said, if you go for the Spirit upgrade it will get you half way to a disc ready uni. Add a D-Brake, and you can mount any compatible disc brake to it.
Does a D-brake fit a nimbus II frame? I would double check that.
If you are not too concerned about speed and use it just for cruising around I wouldn’t worry about the few ounces more a steel frame weighs than aluminum, it won’t make too much difference.
d’brake works perfectly with the non-pressed steel nimbus bearing housings (what the II uses).
There is nothing wrong with steel frames. A light wheel makes a lot more difference than a light frame and if eventually you decide you want a light frame as well, you can replace it with an aluminium frame with little hassle.
