I’m thinking about buying a 28" or 29". I see 28" Suns on E-Bay and wonder if they are junk. Any suggestions for a quality 28" or 29" that won’t break the bank. Thanks for your input.
A 29 is a 28 with a fatter tyre. So you can buy a 28, and fit a 29 inch tyre later.
Generally, a 29 inch tyre is fatter, offers better “suspension” and copes with difficult terrain better. On the other hand, a 28 inch road tyre is narrow and light.
Think of the 29 as a broadsword and the 28 as a rapier. What would your style be? I like riding my 28, with a skinny road tyre, sod all grip, and 110 mm cranks, and seeing what I can achieve with it. I have a 26 and a Coker for blasting across really challenging terrain.
I imagine a 29 would make a good all round general purpose road/commuter/tourer/off road uni if you could only afford one.
The Nimbus takes a 28 or 29 inch tyre. it’s sold in the USA as a Yuni.
i ordered a 28"sun from a local bike shop. i’ll have it monday. i’ll give you a report after i get it.
-eric
I’ve got a 28" Sun and it’s held up well considering the low cost. I’d consider looking into the ones on ebay with the alloy rim instead of the steel wheel, though. That’s probably it’s weakest link.
ok, i’m back from florida. i thought the sun was pretty cool for the price. i paid $95 which was probably alot higher than i could have gotten it for elsewhere. i needed it fast and the bike store said they could get it overnight, which meant 4 nights because i ordered it late on thursday and there was no delivery on the weekend.
i wish i had it with me now so i could give you the specifics on crank length and tire width. it’s in a box on it’s way to austin.
i think it has 6 in cranks and the tire was narrow. i would have liked to have shorter cranks and a fatter tire , but it worked out alright. i was able to keep up with the kids on their bikes. and i went on several 5+ mile rides.
the seat sucks. it’s about like a viscount - maybe a little less confortable , noticeable after 2 or 3 miles.
i got one flat. the tire is very thin and soft on the main tread. i think a small piece of broken glass got into it. luckily i had a patch and was able to borrow some air.
basically it’s a relatively cheap way to have a faster unicycle. it was well worth the money for me. it was nice to commute down to the hippie sandwich shop. one rasta surfer dude asked if he could ride it - and could. he said that his grandmother had a uni in her attic and that’s how he knew how to ride. i told him and his friend where they could buy their own.
-eric
Wow, i’m impressed by the price, just looked it up on the American Unicyclist.com: -
http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=652
and am surprised to see it’s got main cap bearing holders rather than the cheap lollipops I’d expect.
I’d definitly want to switch the cranks to 125’s and get a bigger tyre in (I’m currently riding a Nimbus in 29-er mode).
Concerning the seat, is the cover held on by bolts or glued on? If it’s just bolts you’re in luck, my seat of choice is a cheap unglued one with the foam ripped out and replaced by a 20" lightly inflated inner tube. Very basic for an airseat, but it’s served me well.
Congratulations on your bargain, hope you enjoy it as much as I have my 29-er.
do you think the WTB Nanoraptor 29 x 2.1 tire will fit on the 28"sun rim?
Can’t say.
The 2.1 IRC Notos fits my round top 28" Nimbus frame (only just though). The Sun frame looks very similar but the key thing is the distance between the forks. Maybe if you e-mail unicycle.com they could tell you.
I have a Pashley 29er, I really love it. I posted a review of it in the product reviews section of this site. Please tell us how much you plan on abusing your purchase and whereabouts you plan on riding it. Why aren’t you looking for a Coker or a fat-tire muni? Enquiring minds want to know.
carjug