Hello to everyone,
Im thinking in buying a new unicyle for moving in the city which Im living now, going down stairs, some hopes, etc… (By the way, what types of cranks, are better in this case?). I decided a 29’ unicyle, but I don’t know the model, I can pay like 400euros (330 GBP) (418$), and I saw these models:
Nimbus 29" Road
Saddle: Nimbus (blue) with front lift handle
Seat post: 25.4mm x 300mm aluminum, welded rectangular mounting bracket, 4 hole
Seat post clamp: Nimbus (black) double quick, aluminum 28.6mm
Frame: Nimbus Round crown 29" (black) steel with 42mm machined maincap bearing housings, with magura brake mounts
Hub/axle: Nimbus 36H ISIS with a hardened CrMo splindle,100mm center bearing to center bearing
Spokes: 14G. stainless black (284mm in length for 3X) with silver nipples
Rim: Nimbus Dominator 2, 29" (black) 36H, 42mm wide, aluminum doublewall, reinforced eyelets, ERD - 595mm
Rim strip: Rubber
Tube size: 29" x 2.125" (700c x 52/47)
Tire: Schwalbe Big Apple (700c x 2.0) 28" x 2.0"
Crank arms: Nimbus Venture2 (black) 125mm ISIS splined, aluminum
Pedals: Nimbus Venture black, reinforced plastic body with steel removable pins, backing plate for added durability and CrMo axle with 9/16 threads
Bearings: 22mm x 42mm
Approx. cycle weight: 14 lbs.
Qu-ax muni 29’
Wheel size: 622m (29")
Color: Black
Frame: Qu-ax Steel with brake mounts for Magura brakes
Saddle: Qu-ax Trial/Street Saddle
Seat post: 25.4mm Qu-ax Aluminium Seat Post
Seat clamp: 1 Bolt Aluminium Clamp
Tire: 55-622 (29 x 2.2 Inch) Cross Tire Kenda Karma
Valve: Schrader Valve
Rim: 622mm (28 Inch) Aluminium Rim, black
Hub: Qu-ax CrMo ISIS
Cranks: 145mm QX ZeroQ ISIS
Pedals: QX plastic pedals black
Number of Spokes: 48
Weight: 6.16kg
Leg length: 76 - 103cm
And if you have more ideas about other models, say it please
Thanks a lot for the time, and sorry about my english.
Crank size (which gets discussed endlessly on these forums) is dependent on how hilly your city is.
For a short answer I’d say start with 125 and see how you like that, then start reading threads about crank length until your eyeballs fall out. Better to do the riding part first.
The Q-Axle is unique. It uses a crank interface that is unlike any other uni, and as such you would be locked into whatever cranks Qu-Ax makes for it. It comes with a brake which will be of limited usefulness with such long cranks on the road. If you decide to MUni with it the brake would make more sense.
The nimbus in your list looks ideal for urban riding. It has a good tire, and cranks that are a good length.
Josef192,
Take some time to think about the roads and distance you plan on traveling the most; and then, buy accordingly.
I live in NYC and planned on riding streets which include curbs and potholes. I anticipated that I would be traveling between 3 and 5 miles. Since I thought that I might also need something for rough terrain, I went for the Nimbus 29 Muni. Prior to the Nimbus, I was riding a 20" unicycle and I knew there would be a learning curve before I got used to the larger wheel. After reading the many post that John Foss referenced, I ordered my Muni with HK 150/125 cranks. To date, I have kept the crank at 150. Also, you can easily change tires later to match the kind of roads you’ll be riding.
I really love the Nimbus 29 Muni. I recently added brakes to it.
From a previous thread of yours, I see that you ride a 24" and were considering a smaller wheel. Again, spend some time thinking about your main type of riding and buy a unicycle that meets that need. You’ll be happy! Good luck with your decision.
By the way Unisphere, I have at the moment two unicycles, the 24’s is which I used when I was starting, now I have a 20’ for tricks and now I need a bigger for moving in the city that im living now, so I thought in the 29". My city is big, with curbs and lot of slopes, so I think I will need the 150’s cranks and the road tire of the nimbus 29". And the brake in city with long cranks, isnt neccesary?
Josef192,
Depending on the slopes in your city, you may need brakes. I purchased my Muni without brakes because from what I read, it seemed like I should be able to handle the hills with 150mm cranks. After riding my 29" unicycle for one month, I found that when my legs are tired, I could not slow my speed down without putting a lot of pressure on my knees. A couple of times I had to jump off because I could not slow down. So, to help my old and tired knees, i added the brakes. Due to a recent injury, I have not tested out the new brakes and from what I have read, it will be a new skill for me to develop. I can’t wait to get back out there.
My Nimbus is the Muni version of the Nimbus Road that you are interested in purchasing. It’s an excellent unicycle. As you shop around, make sure that you calculate the shipping and taxes on the total purchase price. Be well.
Nimbus is a house brand for UDC (unicycle.com), unicikli.hu is the Hungarian UDC distributor/web-store. All the products that you find at any of the UDC sites will be genuine. Sometimes cross-border shopping is worth it, other times it is not. make sure you check if there will be import fees, tariffs, etc.
Not a bad idea, considering you will have two choices, and a more standardized crank interface. But 150 is pretty long for urban riding. I read later that the downhills were hard on your knees, and I can sympathize (earlier long rides on 36" with shorter cranks). It has to be what works for you. I’ve ridden in all 5 boros of NYC, and mostly it’s fairly flat. I’ve even ridden in front of the Unisphere! Oops, can’t upload pictures from that; it’s film, from 1985!
Anyway, with 125/150s you have a nice wide range of size, and they are long enough for riding trails as well! If you eventually find the 125 size too long, they’ll still be very useful to have.
Thanks a lot for the answers, I will buy the nimbus road 29", with 150mm cranks, and maybe after some months I will change the cranks for shorter’s cranks and I will buy a brake.
That is a nice looking uni. It is also not anything I have any experience with, so while it looks well put together it is hard to know any more than what the specifications tell us.
Having the disc tab mounted to the frame, and coming stock with a disc hub will make it easy to add a disc later if you want. Even if you never put a brake on it the option should make it easier to sell if you decide to in the future.
Nice uni but… I had a Maxxis Hookworm 29" for a while and it was terrible. It’s very heavy and very sensitive to road camber. I still have the tire… in the garage! I tried to sell it and no one wants it!
I bought a 26" rim for the last wheel I built up from webcyclery.com, a shop that specializes in bike trials equipment. I asked the owner a few questions about the choices and he mentioned that trials riders often prefer single wall rims for the lighter weight and also because many feel that they land better having less stiffness.
The downside might be spoke breakage or a shorter life span. But hey none of us are going to live forever either. Knowing what little I do about Mad4one, I would tend to think that it’s a considered choice rather than a cut corner.
@ Mr Foss