Another 20 or a 24

General
1

It has been 4 yrs since I’ve bought a 20 inch freestyle, but I only managed to master free mounting recently. Only with my right leg down at that.

I could only practice during the weekends ever since, so I’d like to buy another unicycle to practice during the weekdays.

  • My general athletic ability is mediocre at best, and the fact that I've managed to freemount at all is surprising.
  • This purchase might rectify the situation though, as practice time will easily double(4days/week) or even triple(6days/week)
  • I have no intention to climb or descend from a mountain in the foreseeable future. My skill, health, and attitude simply does not allow this.
  • I'd like to ride around campus, so the unicycle should be able to handle flat concrete/dirt paved roads, short uphill/downhill roads, about 5km around campus.
  • I'd like to do tricks like wheel walking or be able to comfortably commute around campus or both
  • 24 inches is my upper limit because I seriously doubt my eventual ability to mount anything larger.
  • Safety is Paramount

The options I have been considering, in order of preference.

24 inch Muni
Pros:
All around uni. Sturdy.
Cons:
Heavy? Harder?

24 inch Freestyle/street
Pros:
Easier for tricks?
Cons:
Slower? Less durable?

20 inch Freestyle
Pros:
Easiest of all(+since I already ride one)
A more consistent experience/practice
Cons:
Not any faster.
What’s the fun in having another of the same?

Can you help me choose? Please do not hesitate to offer your advice, or to ask me anything.

2

I’ve done a lot of riding on a 24x3 muni (a nimbus with the fat 3" tyre) and they are definitly much faster than 20" unis for getting around on.

Many say that 24" unis are not practical for commuting etc- I disagree, with a 3" tyre they are almost as fast as a 26", and the fat tyre gives a comfortable ride and also makes it easy to roll over rough terrain. As you say safety is paramount, I reckon a 24x3 could be your best option for a bigger wheel.

Can’t comment personally on suitability for tricks, as I focus on riding and ceased working on tricks once I’d mastered idling. However, many unicyclists use 24" munis for trials etc, and, I believe a few freestylers use 24" rather than 20".

Concerning your freemounting proplem- it would be usefull if you let us know which kind of freemount you’re using, as there’s several types and it might be worth you trying out the alternatives.

3

I’m not sure what it’s called but to describe:
The unicycle is in front of me, I grip the cycle with one hand, I put my right foot down on the pedal around 5~7 o clock and jump on.
according to How to free-mount a unicycle - Everything2.com
I think it is the “vertical mount”

4

If you already have a 20" I’d say get the 24". You can still use the 20" to learn tricks and use the 24" for your 5km commute which would be super difficult on a 20". Even if you don’t have the 20", if you seriously plan on doing 5km multiple times a week you need the 24".

5

I’m eyeing a muni with 145mm cranks and 24 x 3 wheels.
I think advanced street techniques might be kinda difficult with this setup, but then again I’m not an advanced rider :stuck_out_tongue:
I think this machine would be enough to get me started in the very basic skills necessary like alternate mounting styles, idling, reverse, etc.

What other details should I be looking for?

6

Between the two I’d suggest a 24 as well. Since you already have a 20 and you said you want to get around a little faster.

I’m not sure why you want a muni though. You have specifically stated that you are not interested in muni. You’re description indicates that you are primarily road riding. You probably aren’t going to happy with a knobby tire for that.

As far as wanting a sturdy uni, the Nimbus II 24" comes with an ISIS hub and a double wall rim. It also comes with a 24x2.1 tire. You could get a Big Apple 2.35 if you want a little more volume but I doubt you’d need it.

The basic skills you mention can all be practiced on the 20" that you already have and then transferred with a bit more practice to a larger uni. Many people have learned these skills on a 24" as well. It sounds like you are going to keep the two unis in different locations. Just practice on whichever is available at the time or focus your skills practice on the 20" when it is available.

Martin

7

If you are eyeing the 24x3 why not just get a 26 and put a 2.5" Hookworm or a 2.35 Big Apple on it? Unless you are actually looking to do some MUni, that is.

Martin

8

To clarify, I’m not planning on going anywhere near mountains.
The reason I was looking for a muni was because I heard they were very sturdy.

I’m mostly looking at paved roads and relatively level dirt roads. I’d like to hop around if I learn it, and only drops under 3 feet.
Concrete jungle no, but maybe up and down stairs time to time.

Also, my main practice vehicle will become the 24" because of my situation.

Would a Nimbus II 24" be enough for me?

9

The Nimbus II shares some of the same components with the muni. It’s a solid unicycle. And the smaller tire is noticeably easier to maneuver. I think for the kind of riding you want to do, the muni would just add extra weight without any benefit.

10

A Nimbus 24" with a Maxis Hookworm tire would meet your needs. A rugged frame & smooth tire that will take you anywhere, even off road if you happen to stumble on the odd trail now and again.

11

Hi Suha
go for the 24" muni, it will be good for commuting if you want to do that, it’s definitely good for learning basic trickery :stuck_out_tongue: and most of all it’s just a fun wheel to ride.

I got a 24 muni this year, after a standard 24 and a 29, and now I have to remind myslef to take the 29 out for a roll :wink: The muni with 145 cranks has proven to be really controllable, managed to go backwards about 20 paces on it regularly, still nowhere near that on the standard 24 (127 cranks).

Cheers

James

12

I checked for local availability and indeed a 24" tire called Hookworm is available. What is it like? How does it compare to stock tires of the Nimbus 24 or a 24 muni?

mad pointed out that the knobby tires and added weight of the muni might hold me back.
Also, some people told me that the longer crank length of the muni might be an issue. Your post suggest that it actually made the muni easier. Am I understanding correctly?

As a person with both, how do they compare? Please keep in mind that although I may go to some rough terrain, I will not climb mountains.

I’m beginning to think that for my case, there are minor differences between a standard and muni, and I’ll have to decided for myself in the end…

13

MUni is not just “climbing mountains”, it’s any kind of off-road rough terrain riding. You may be rolling over tree roots, small to medium sized rocks, etc. You may be riding through ruts, hopping over obstacles or gaps, or you may be doing drops. You want a big knobby tire (big for cushion and knobby for traction on uneven surfaces) and longish cranks (for more leverage while pedaling through uneven terrain.) If this is not the type of riding you plan to do then you don’t really need a knobby tire or longer cranks.

The Nimbus 24 Muni has a wider stronger rim than the Nimbus II 24. If you really think you are going to be doing up to 3’ drops the Muni wheel would hold up better. You can get it with shorter cranks for street riding (137mm Moments are an option for that uni at UDC, and would stand up to those drops.) If you don’t like the knobby tire on pavement you could still switch to the Hookworm. The Hookworm has enough volume for hops and drops but it will roll much more smoothly than a knobby on hard even surfaces like pavement.

14

Concerning tyres- on my many years riding/commuting on my 24x3, which was primarily on roads/mild dirt tracks, I used a 3" knobbly tyre (Dura) and found it perfect.

Yes it had knobbles on- but they wear down after a couple months.

I did try the Hookworm (still got it, in the cupboard), but ended up swapping a 3" tyre back in.

On my 26" and 29" unis, both came with big, aggressive downhill tyres, and, on those, I did switch to a lighter tyre, as, round here, there’s some extreme uphills, and the heavy tyres were noticably harder when going uphill, cos of the rotating mass of the tyre.

However, strangely, that was never an issue on the 24", so I’ve always stuck to the 3" tyre, and enjoyed the benefits of extra stability, cushiness, puncture restistance etc.

That said- for your needs, getting something with a nimbus II with a smaller tyre, is obviously an option: personally, I’d go for a 3" tyre- I just like them, they’re solid and stable.

For cranks, yes, on a muni, 145mm cranks will definitly make tricks easier than 125’s. Shorter cranks=higher speed & less control (generally speaking).

On my 24" I found 150mm cranks to be perfect- I did briefly experiment with 125’s, enjoyed them for a week, then started missing the easy ridabiltiy/control of the 150’s and puit them back on.

Having said that, now I’m riding the Quax 26" as my main ride, and that has 145’s on- I wouldn’t want to go shorter than that though.

15

Thank you everybody

All the replys have been very very helpful.

When I started this thread, I was leaning towards a MUni.
Yesterday, I’ve been convinced that I should get a standard.
Now, I am back to the undecided.

However, I am going to make a decision by the end of the week.

I’ll report back with the uni I bought and how it panned out!!!

Thanks.

16

False dichotomy

I was reviewing my options when I realized… I can replace parts…

I think I’m going to start with a Qu-Ax 24" MUni with 145 cranks and 24 x 3 tires, and when I get a need for less weight more speed, I’ll swap the tyres for hookworms or something and replace the cranks.