Looks like he (accidentally?) created two of the same thread. This one’s getting more replies so I’ll copy my (long) post from the other one here as well:
Welcome back Joseph! He says he’s back after a six-year hiatus. He was the winner of the first Long Jump competition we ever had at the USA convention (1999) and used to attend the earlier California MUni Weekends.
By his description it looks like he’s more interested in custom building than buying “off the shelf” though I don’t know if he’s looked at the cycles that are on the market now. Here are some answers to some of the questions he emailed to me, that I hadn’t gotten back to him on:
- So you think 9 feet is the record? thats a good jump. flat ground?
There’s a video on the forums of a guy doing a jump of reportedly 9’, 8", over a gap. That’s not official, but it’s farther than whatever the official competition record is.
- “Hotter”, you mean unicycling was more popular right?
Unicycling, especially in the area of Trials and Street riding, has gotten enormously more popular in the last few years. There’s a lot more competition for you today, which explains why you actually have several brands of very good unicycles to choose from, without having to go custom unless you want to.
- I want to jump down stairs and do some stuff that requires some speed like the long jump. Basically get up to par with these riders now but in my own style, skill and flow. Also, I feel unstable on a 20 incher.
If your focus will be on tricks and jumpy-type stuff, 20" is what most people are using. 24" (or larger) for riding trails, which can include lots of crazy stuff as well, but in the world of straight Trials and Street, everybody’s on a 20". But that of course is up to you. Click around the forums, especially the video forum, to see what people are showing off.
- SO where are all the specs on these unicycles? like weight, slop, and tire size.
www.unicycle.uk.com has a page that compares all the splined hubs, and another page that compares only the ISIS-standard ones. Beyond that, your best bet is to try to figure out what components you want to use, then get the specs for those specific ones.
- you mentioned Qu-ax, Koxx? whats that?
Those are brands. Koxx is sold in the US through Renegade Juggling. Qu-ax products are available through UDC and elsewhere.
- Do you know which uni has the largest tire?
Tires are made by tire companies. Currently they still top out at 3" (I think), though we’ve been waiting a few years for a super-wide Large Marge, which I believe will be closer to 4". The Surly Conundrum was designed to fit this tire, but the tire’s still not on the market yet…
- why do the hunters and the dm unicycles cost more? what is better so that people are willing to spend more than twice as much?
They’re not necessarily better, they’re older. They paved the way for later generations of factory-made (I’m not going to say mass-produced at this point) unicycles that are just as strong. DM, Hunter and Wilder frames are hand made, by people who live in places with a high cost of living. The KH frames are factory-made in Taiwan, but they were designed by Kris Holm himself so I trust their strength and quality. Notice how UDC says “only two left” on the DMs? That’s because they haven’t ordered any new ones in years, and are hoping some collectors will take a liking to those last ones. They’ve been surpassed by cheaper unicycles that are arguably better, or at least equal in quality.
I still recommend the KH MUni for now, unless you’re completely set on having something custom made. Then I’d start by researching the hub and tire, and then contacting Rick Hunter as a great framebuilder.
