507 urc road unicycle 24" - series 1

Unicycles and Equipment
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For context:

In the end, I realised that I might as well get another unicycle given the price of a wheelset or getting a wheel build done for me (I don’t currently have the skills to build one up myself). I didn’t really want to invest lots of money in this, since I intend it just to be an extra unicycle that I can bring with me on my travels. So I was happy to go for a “cheaper” (but not absolutely the cheapest) model. I am a fan of the UDC but this time I went with URC. :slight_smile:

It just seemed better value for money, than similar options on UDC, not least because the clearance on the frame allows for pretty big tyres (4 inches), but I also appreciate the nice colour options. It came with a cotterless hub but as I would only be using this on the road or light trails, I think this is absolutely fine.

I have tweaked it slightly in that I replaced the cranks with 90mm ones and switched to a cream coloured, Felt Thick Brick 24x3.0 (75-507). Here it is next to my Nimbus 26er (which is also sporting a 3 inch road-style tyre), for a size/look comparison.

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I have only been for a couple of 30 minute rides so far but it has performed nicely. It doesn’t feel a lot slower than the 26er, in part, I suppose because I am running shorter cranks (I typically run 100mm on the 26er for normal, good weather, road use) and probably because there is a noticeable weight drop. Even on hills, the smaller wheel and lighter unicycle mean that it feels no more difficult getting up them than the 26er, despite the shorter cranks.

I know this isn’t much of a review but I will probably add to this thread as I have played with it more and/or if I try a 4 inch road style tyre.

I guess, so far the point of my review is to say that it meets all my expectations, and looks great (IMHO). So if you are in the market for a new unicycle, keep URC/Mad4one in mind. They have some nice options that are a little different from what you find on UDC. Also, if anyone has any questions, ask and I’ll do my best to answer them.

P.S. I should probably also add that whilst shipping took a bit longer than what I have experienced with UDC (UK, Sweden and Denmark) I received updates on the progress and so was perfectly happy. I also like that URC packaged a few extra spokes with the unicycle. I might never need them, but it was a nice touch.

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Oh and I should also add that the little slogan on the box was kind of fun. I have seen it posted here before but in case anyone missed it last time:

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I guess they meant to write the following,

“You can’t buy happiness, but buying a unicycle is pretty close.”

Given they are Italian, i’d say that’s good enough. :slight_smile:

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That could have been me.

I love bragging about my fatty!!:smiley:

I’ve been running 104’s on my 32. What is your review of 90’s to 100’s?
I’m scared to go below 100.

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Yep, I looked at some of your old posts, so I am sure it was you!

First time I tried 102mm (on my 26"x2.8), it was actually a mistake. I simply bought the wrong cranks! I intended to buy something longer but clicked on the wrong thing and didn’t really notice until they arrived. When they did show up they looked so small. Up to that point I had never run anything less than 125mm on any unicycle.

Having said that, I got used to them really fast and loved them. It was pretty much an instant speed increase with no real downsides for the type of riding and routes I was doing. Initially I struggled a little up some hills that I had managed before but it took very little time to overcome.

Every since that success I had been thinking about riding something shorter to see if I would be even better. Recently I did try 89mm on the 26x3.0 but I will admit, I gave up fairly soon. It was certainly ride-able and flats or slight inclines felt pretty good but all the hills I regularly ride up were harder and some were no longer possible. It is interesting that just 10mm less can make such a difference. I imagined that with a bit of work, I would be able to get up them all again but I couldn’t see that my average speed over a typical route (with hilly sections) would increase enough to justify the switch (89’s might make me slightly faster on the flats but I would be much slower on the hills). So I went back to VCX+ cranks set to 100mm and it felt great (again).

When I bought this new URC 24 I figured I would start off with 90mm because the smaller wheel size (even with a 3.0" tyre) might make the shorter cranks come into their own.

Right now however, I would say the jury is still out on if the 100mm or 90mm is better for this setup (for my skill level and the routes I generally ride). Certainly, it has worked better than it did on the 26" uni. I could instantly get up all the hills I regularly ride (bar one small, steep section right outside the door of my work) but I am right on the edge for a couple of them. Of course, this could be considered a good thing, as we all need a challenge from time to time, right? :stuck_out_tongue:

It also feels surprisingly quick and smooth on flattish sections. I haven’t timed myself yet, but as I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t feel slower than the 26", on these sections. The hills though are a bit slower (despite what I said above, I see this now as I have ridden more), and I can’t help but wonder if my average times would still be better on 100mm. Also, so far, I have only run on smooth road surfaces. I haven’t even tried anything with a slightly rougher surface or grass. Again my assumption is that the extra leverage that 10mm more would give me, will be a lot easier and I will feel much more confident.

In summary, I sort of suspect that 90mm is pushing it too far for my usage on both the 24" and 26" but I think I should probably stick it out a little longer on the 24" before I can say that for certain.

P.S. I have also noticed that I am having pains in my legs again after riding for a few days. In my mind, this shouldn’t happen, since I ride very regularly (commuting every day). So this is either the the increase in the amount of rotations I need due to the smaller wheel, the fact that I need a faster spin for a similar speed or perhaps it is the shorter cranks working my muscles differently.

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I’ll also add that if I do decide to try a 4.0" tyre on the new URC 24", I’ll almost certainly increase the crank length. There is a lot of weight in these big tyres and I can only imagine it feeling worse than the 26"x3.0".

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Just to clear up something that looks a little weird.

Sorry, that is a 13mm change! :stuck_out_tongue: In my head I am just rounding off to 100m and 90mm.

To clarify a little further, my 26" has an ISIS hub. The 102mm cranks I bought by mistake were Venture 2 cranks. I later switched to VCX+ cranks in the 100mm position (thus losing 2mm). Then I tried 89mm QU-AX cranks (losing the other 11mm).

On the URC 24 however, I am running some cheap, steel, 90mm, cotterless cranks.

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We’re coming at this from different “playgrounds”.
Even though my 24 is for off road, I tapped a set of 118’s in my 140’s to get around easier in low technical situations. I can almost climb the same hills with them, but I do love the “low gear grunt” of the 140’s.
If it was strictly a road machine I’m sure i’d love the 100’s.
I don’t like to run high pressure because I find the tire seems too sensitive to road irregularities. About 15psi road. 8psi mole tunnels.

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I thought I would post a very short follow up. Recently we have had a bit of snow (on and off) here in Oslo and I decided to buy a Vee Mission Command 24x4 (102-507) to try that out.

Well… It is a massive improvement on anything else I have ever tried in snow. In addition all bumps and curbs from my regular commute, seem to just disappear when running a big tyre like this under fairly low pressure. That said, I do really feel the weight of it and the increased rolling resistance compared with my most common winter setup, which is a Nimbus running a Kenda Klondike XT 26x2.35 (60-559).

Interestingly here these two unis side by side and you will notice that the 4” fat tyre takes the wheel diameter of the 24” up to that of a 26” running a plus size 2.35” tyre. :slight_smile:

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Most likely I will stick with the Nimbus running either the Klondike or a self studded Duro Wildlife Leopard 26x3 (75-559) for most of the winter and save the URC/Mission Command for if/when the real snow arrives! :stuck_out_tongue:

[EDIT]

Oh and to answer this earlier self guess. Yeah I switched to 125mm for my snowy test runs and if the snow gets really crazy I might even go longer!

P.S. I should also add that I think that Mad4one/URC are onto a winner with this uni. It provides a really cheap entry into fat tyre fun! There is no equivalent on UDC at this price point from any manufacturer.

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Hello everyone, I stumbled upon this thread today when I searched for URC Muni. I actually just ordered a 26" URC Muni on Saturday. I got the “fat” model with a 4" tyre, no brake. This will be my first Muni and I am beyond excited!!! I have actually taken my 29" road uni off road on two occasions at a local mountain bike park just to get an idea of what it’s like. While it was undoubtedly challenging it was incredibly fun, even with the wrong equipment. I knew there was a chance this could discourage me, but instead I was energized!! I am now completely hooked and can’t wait to hit those trails with my new wheel! I’m hoping that having the right uni for the job will make a big difference. It can only get better from here. I will gladly post a review or at least my thoughts on this thread once I’ve had a go with it. :smiley:

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Using this uni regularly at the moment. I currently have it running the Felt thick brick 24x3.0 tyre, with 125mm QA-AX aluminium cranks, a longer seatpost and gripper MKS Pedals. I have been using it for exercise (since I am not commuting at the moment), cycling up and down this local route. It is 250 meters (820 feet) of climbing over a 5km distance (3 miles) with some pretty steep sections, most of it through the woods on a hard packed trail. I do it as a return journey (so 10km/6 miles round trip).

There is a nice view of pretty much the whole of Oslo from the summit.

The uni performs very well. In this configuration it is 6.5Kg in total (14⅓lb) and I have been able to overtake cyclists on mountain bikes on the way on a couple of occasions now.

Here is a twitter thread from one of my journeys. It includes a video and a (overly dark) picture from the top.

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Here it is in its current configuration