Maybe the tire on KH is heavier too. Just a guess.
I was in the same dilemma and decided to go with the KH. The main reasons were (no specific order):
Frame comes with brake fittings.
I’m going to get the KH/Schlumpf hub, which officially fits on the KH.
The hub alone is quite expensive, I can as well pay a little bit extra to make everything work together nicely. This is, after all, going to be my dream uni.
I’m a KH fanboy.
Currently I own a Nimbus 26" Muni. Upgraded the cranks and hub (it wasn’t ISIS) to Kris Holm, and I got the KH Fusion saddle when I bought the unicycle.
Do I have to tell you that I love it?
Did you already buy the 29" ungeared? Or are you just going straight for the 29" geared KH?
I want to get used to an un-geared one, maybe maybe in the future when I’m in love with the 29" would I get the geared one. The price difference is too huge to justify something to “try out” at the moment.
No, I’m saving money to get the geared hub together with the unicycle directly. As I said, I have a 26" which isn’t too far from 29". Besides, my friend owns a 29er (Nimbus frame) - now even geared! - so I’ve tried out the bigger wheel too. And the geared hub. Can’t wait to get my own one.
Pembar, is there anyone in your area who rides? I’m sure there are. It’s very nice to try out other unicycles than your own. Thanks to my friend, unicycle.se and other riders I’ve been able to enjoy everything from 36" to giraffes. Well, not really everything, but it sure is fun to test new stuff.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen a KH29 yet.
I’ve bought my KH29 because of the upgradeability options. Like the previous poster said, you get the Magura mounts fitted and the ability to upgrade to the Geared Hub. While I’ve been out and bought a cheap magura, I won’t be buying the Hub just yet. (My wife might leave me if I did)
The Nimbus 20" ISIS Trials I have is a great machine, at least after I upgraded to KH Moments 125’s, but the rest of it speaks of quality materials and construction.
My KH29er though just looks like it was made for the job in an understated way, and is a top machine.
I looked at getting a 26" for Muni but decided on a 29er so that I can use it for on -road stuff too. Best decision ever!
Go for what you want, make your own mind up and just ride it like it will last forever!
It’s also probably a lighter rim because it is only single-walled (doesn’t say it in the description, but it does on the US UDC site for the same model). The KH is double-walled aluminum.
My 29" was a custom Nimbus, which still saved a good chunk of cash over the KH but is a little stronger than the stock Nimbus. I took the Nimbus II frame, the Nimbus ISIS hub, and the KH XC rim, along with the 150/125 dual-hole cranks. Then I just used a KH seat I already had from another unicycle. Only major difference between it and a KH 29er is the frame (along with the magura option), which I was willing to give up for the $170US difference (and really it was more like a $250US difference for me, since I was using seat and pedals I already owned).
My Nimbus weighs right around the same as the KH as listed on UDC’s website. If you’re looking for the best unicycle on the market, it’s probably the KH. If you’re looking for an EXCELLENT alternative that will save a ton of cash, go with the Nimbus (or a custom Nimbus for a little more, if you plan to be really rough with it). Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
Based on cost alone, it doesn’t quite make much sense to buy an ungeared KH29 then buy the hub alone. Other than the work required to put the hub onto the ungeared KH29, the total cost is 725 pounds (hub) + 300 pounds (KH29 ungeared) = 1025 pounds.
That’s a difference of 135 pounds, which is “almost” equivalent to the Nimbus 29" at 179 pounds.
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At the moment, I’m leaning towards buying the Nimbus 29" first, then if I fall in love with it and decide to splurge, then get the geared KH entirely. I’ll end up with 2 29" unicycles, but then the option to sell the Nimbus afterwards is always there.
Ah Thanks… do you know where I can get a geared KH29? I couldn’t find it on the unicycle.com website. Or are those only custom made? Just curious about the price at the moment.
Just finished painting my uni! It’s a Nimbus 29" ISIS. Took me about 8 days. 3 Coats of primer, four coats white, four coats black, four coats clearcoat. I used good quality spray-paint, so I guess the final test will be to see if it holds up. I waited between coats for it to dry completely, so I hope that helps.
Yes, I know there’s a smudge on the crown. It’s not perfect, but neither am I.:o
Yes. I originally went to a powdercoating shop, and talked to the guy there. He said he had a shop minimum of $65, and couldn’t do the design I wanted. I asked him about spray-painting over chrome, and he suggested I use 120-grit sandpaper, which I did.
I specifically asked him if I should sandblast it before spray-painting, but he just said it would be better to rough up the chrome with sandpaper. He said the paint will stick just fine and, if it ever does get a scratch, it won’t rust (unless scratch goes through chrome, too).
Most of the painting threads on this forum recommend sandblasting before spray-painting, but I went ahead and followed the advice of my local paint professional instead:)
Just an update. 29" Qu-Ax arrived today. Awesome, I love the speed.
Going from the 20" to the 29" didn’t seem to bad. I was thrown off a couple of freemounts, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get the hang of it. I thought I needed to “re-learn” how to unicycle! Took it for a spin, was great.
I’ll probably try to idle over the next few days. I can’t idle on the 20" either actually, but will probably want to play around the 29" more, since it’s better suited with what I always wanted to do (getting from point A to point B).
I ride about 4-5 miles per day. I ride over a bridge back and forth to the beach. I care less about speed but more effort on distance. I have worn out the bearings in the peddle in 3 months due to my extensive uphill bridge riding. P.S. I am also 50 years young.
