32" Maxxis Aspen - is it what 32" unicycles need to become mainstream?

I would not be surprised if MTBers started using mullet setups with a 32er in the front and 29er in the back, so that they keep the advantages of the 29er with a better capacity over roots and rocks. And that would be a nice thing for us.

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I can’t wait for them to get used to 32” and start yelling they want a 48” wheel, like that dude with his huge ultimate wheel. He did manage to go off-roading with it, so 32” isn’t really that big.

This is excessive. Debating with sophisms is usually not healthy :slight_smile:
Modern technologies let cyclists ride with 32ers wheels, because forks have been through multiple upgrades these last years. However, that’s probably the biggest wheel size physics will let normal-sized people ride. Riding bigger wheels would make the wheelbase much bigger, thus affecting cornering and making riding an unpleasant thing for most people.

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Totally agree

…and a 26" wheel in the back. And the next iteration would naturally be a 52" wheel in the front and a 18" back wheel. :top_hat::face_with_monocle:

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„We‘ll see. And so will you.“

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then we would have reached the Penny Farth and evolution would come full circle :rofl:

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I interpreted it like they know more than they want to say to their customers. “Unfortunately we can’t give you more information“…. because it is secret.

That’s exactly how I have read their message.
Anyway, I think it’s always a great thing to send an email so that they know people are interested in the tech. This may be the little push industries need to develop new things. This has worked with LightBicycle for their 36er rim, with Hope for the custom rotor for Schlumpf hubs, … So, even though we haven’t had any new info, this may have an impact on the company itself :smiley:

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unicycle.co.uk has 32" unis on sale, at the moment …just so you guys know.

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especially you @ManiusTerentiusPullus

come to the dark side, we have cookies now but soon we will have product selection!

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I have been thinking a lot about getting myself a 32" uni after this thread popped up.

But why would I want to get a 32er when I already have both a 29er and a 36er?

  • I think my 29er is getting to slow for commuting. Also I struggle (and start to scream) when the cadence reach a certain point. I cant really push 20 km/h on this one. The frame is so old I have Magura rim brakes on it.
  • My 36" Coker is a heavy beast. Probably 9 kg. It is great to ride when I am in the flow but on certain days and when I am tired after work, I find it intimidating. And it is cumbersome to commute on. Also, my Magura rim brakes are awkward to use, and need a second or two to adjust myself when engaging them on a step section.

Can a 32" Oracle bridge the gap between these? A lighter frame and disc brake are already and upgrade from my coker, kinda. As I do a lot of hills and speed changes/stops, the lighter and more flexible uni will probably be a noticable upgrade.

But when going for longer distances, I fear that a 32er might just feel slow compared to the 36er, even with shorter cranks and bigger tire (bigger wheel beats smaller wheel any day, even when trying to compensate with shorter cranks).

To big for Muni, to small for long distances? I never find a convincing reason to get a 32er. And don’t you come with the n+1 BS :cowboy_hat_face:

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Geared hubs might be the solution to your problem…

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This sounds like perfect territory for a 32.

I’d give it a try first if possible but it feels more like a 29” with longer legs than a 36”. You lose that zen feeling when a heavy 36” wheel is spinning fast but on the other hand, it’s easy to idle and isn’t trying to kill you when you go slow.

I’m averaging about 16-17kph at 120rpm at the moment (cadence on old bike computer, speed on watch so can’t directly compare).

Just weighed mine and with T bar etc it comes to 7.2kg (no carbon). Comparing to a Coker though, the rim and tyre are a lot lighter.

N+1 ::rofl: dictates you can have the best of both worlds with the Coker for smashing distance and the 32 for commuting.

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Can we get a list of who’s going to have these available?

Anyone got any leads?

The Bike Tyre Shop in the UK at least is a no, I’m sending feelers to a few other companies to see who might have stock on release (I’m hoping someone will). I’m guessing @rogeratunicycledotcom won’t have any imminently.

I’ve done rides where at least one person was on a 32” and they’ve said that generally they lost about 1mph by switching wheels. They certainly didn’t struggle to keep up with the group, not in the way a 29er might.

I’ve already lost this a bit on my 36” by moving to a carbon rim. Shorter cranks helps.

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Winstanleys Bikes are an unknown right now, but they normally get new lines in mid to end of September so maybe they’ll be getting them in then.

Fawkes Cycles are going to get back to me next week.

I am too causal a Unicyclist to do such an investment. Yet. These are prohibitively expensive, compared to other unicycle-related stuff. Also, I like the simplycity of a vanilla fixed unicycle, and being able to do basically all maintanence myself. Any hub-shenanigans on my part would probably be a freewheel before diving into a geared one.

Yeah, I will ask a couple of friends If I can lend one. @unimyra definately has one. When was the last time you rode it?

Yeah, I doubt top speed would really be an issue for me in most settings on a 32". It would be a question about more effort going fast/far VS less effort climbing/accelerating.

We should ask 36Polici (Luca). My gut’s telling me he’ll try and get a few tires when they’ll be out :wink:

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Maybe, but they’re also not in the UK and so far have they done any 32” wheels?
I’m sure a few of the larger friendly neighbourhood Maxxis dealers in each country will be getting them in.

There’s already the place mentioned above where you can pre-order.

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