Thats right
Update: Tried a 36" at a unicycle fest, feels a little too big and cumbersome for me. Almost impossible to mount. Didn’t try a 32" but I think that would be a better fit for me.
Your first experience on a 36" is typical, normal. It’s a different kind of ride. If you try to ride it like a normal sized unicycle, it will seem impossibly sluggish. But if you give it some time, and instead just try riding it from here to there, you’ll see it’s very good at that.
I was skeptical when the Cokers were originally introduced. They were really hard to turn on, heavy, and made with low-end uni parts. But then, a couple of years later, I got to borrow one for a 10k race. By the time that race was over, I was a convert. Once you get it going, it just wants to keep going!
Were you just recently at a uni fest, or was it the Governor’s Island thing?
I’ve ridden a 29" for a long time before getting the 32". Free-mounting the 32" was just as easy as the 29" with 150mm cranks. Everytime I fight a lot with the 36" and I don’t have this with the 32" I also ride it with a T-Bar, which makes it a very very comfortable uni and I can ride many kms on it without getting overly tired. The 32" is one of my fave rides.
It’s surely all about the sweet spot for the individual. There is nothing perfect about the size 29, 32, 36, or any other size that the market introduces.
32" is 10% more than 29".
36" is 12.5% more than 36 inches.
At the same cadence, the 32 will go 10% faster than the 29, and the 36 will go 12.5% faster than that. For most average riders on an average mixed ride, that might equate to 8 or 9 mph for the 29, 9 or 10 mph for the 32, and 10 or 11 mph for the 36. These are small differences.
The comparison will be incomplete because either the rider will choose different cranks for each size (affecting the cadence) or use the same cranks (affecting the leverage available and therefore the response to changes of speed etc.
Meanwhile, given the same cranks, a 32 would have a seat height only 1.5" higher than a 29, and a 36 would have a seat height only 2 further inches higher. Yes, on a 36, your backside is only (36-29)/2 inches higher than on a 36 - that is 3.5 inches.
After too many years in cycling, I am tired of the market trying to tell me that one size is inherently better than another. It is strange, for example, how the bicycle market has made a huge thing of 700c wheels, 26" wheels, 29" wheels, etc. ad nauseam, but bike cranks, which make the most difference to comfort for tall or short riders, remains steadfastly at a standard “perfect one size fits all length”.
For each rider, it’s a matter of choosing what suits your level of ability, your riding style, your preferred terrain, and what rims and tyres are available. But don’t let anyone tell you that any particular size is “best” because it simply isn’t. Would a 31.5" be even better, or a tiny bit worse, for example? #miserablegitranting
I know UK is using a different measurement system than the rest of Europe, but this …? 
I currently have G27.5+ and G32 in my wardrobe and it’s interesting how do they compare.
G27.5+ feels much smaller, much more nimble, easy to stop and manouver but I have to pedal much more intensively to keep up the speed.
On the other hand G32 is rolling once it gets rolling and I feel being much higher, but it’s harder to stop it and manououver.
Apparently on my commute both of them have some pro’s and con’s while it is still fun on both of them. And my speed is very similar.
On long, mostly flat trips I like G32 flying feeling which seems better for touring, on the other hand, G27.5+ is just slightly slower and allows me to ride muni as well, but the feeling on long streches is not that good as on G32.
Easy: " = 1.125 inches
Yes, typo alert. 36 is 12.5% more than 32.
I’m 5’10 and struggle with my 36er. So much that I much prefer to ride my G29 than my unG36, and I’ve put a LOT of miles on the 36! It’s usually fine for the first 15 miles but after that, my legs just start quitting on me, and everytime I have to dismount I grump and moan about having to get back on the damn thing. It’s also a nightmare to mount anywhere that isn’t either a downhill, or a super clear road with nothing either side of you to worry about.
I’ve very briefly tried a 32er and really liked it as a size - if I were to upgrade my G29 it’d definitely become a G32, assuming I could get a Schlumpf-compatable frame for it (I know I can just do a KH36 frame, but meh I think it looks a bit daft :D)
I can’t diagnose it in detail, but assuming you are fit and healthy, your problem with the 36 is either an adjustment to the uni, or your technique. I’m 54 (55 this month) and can comfortably ride 10 to 15 miles at a steady pace without excessive fatigue. I see myself as average to low in terms of technical ability (can’t hop, won’t hop) and only “reasonably fit” for my age. I suspect either your seat is too low, or you are just putting too much weight on your legs. Stick with it. It’s fun.
What cranks do you use on the 36er?
What you are describing is what I felt when I was riding my 36er with 137s, and it was worst when I put some 127s
tiring, horrible to mount, and so on. I was there.
There was this period when I was riding my G29x137 and I started to think about putting my schlumpf hub on a 36er (with 150s like most of the G36 riders), but to do that I needed to be sure it’s possible to ride a 36x150 on the very mixed loops I use to ride.
So I put a pair of 150’s on my qu-ax 36er and started to ride where I used to ride on my G29x137, and wow! it turned out that not only I liked it very much, but also I preferred the Ungeared 36x150 over the G29, I had the same average speed, and was finding the 36er way easier to mount, to ride in complex situations, and way less tiring than with shorter cranks, and more fun, enjoyable, natural than the G29.
I tried to ride the G29 again, but compared to the 36er it felt like a toy when riding in low gear, and still a bit weird when riding in high gear compared to the 36x150
The Handlebar was part of the equation, I could put the balance point further, letting my self nearly fall forward which takes a lot of the resistant torque away from the pedals, but keeping this thinner balance window was manageable thanks to the long handlebar.
I naturally decided to build a kh G36x150 and put a pair of 145 on my QU-ax ungeared 36er with which I often ride with my GF on her mtb, 12-13 mph are easy to maintain with the technique I’m talking about.
in high gear the G36 is more stable than the G29, but it’s more intimidating to shift up. but the thing is I don’t feel the need to shift up so often (remember: my loop are very mixed).
I recently put a shorter handlebar on my G36 that I like very much because of the more upright body position it allows, but after 4 rides I felt something was missing :I wasn’t as much able to use the “nearly fall forward” technique in low gear, and I was less comfortable in high gear : it felt less stable.
Also the crotch area was hurting sooner.
But still, I didn’t want to loose the short handlebar.
So I recently DIY something that adds to this short handlebar a second pair of bar-ends that allows me to put my hands way further when I want to.
It’s a sort of “short AND long handlebar” and the difference is quite noticeable : when I put my hands on the further position it’s easier to use the technique that makes the pedaling motion nearly effortless in low gear despite the cranks are long.
I also find riding in high gear easier with the long handlebar because it’s more stable.
My DIY “short AND long” handlebar:
My point is : are you sure you are not struggling on the 36er, despite all the miles you have with it, because of a seat too low or too high, too short cranks, not the good technique, or a combination of those things ? (like Mikefule suggests)
Bleugh, they look OK 
The worst thing is the awful grey colour UDC decided on for the rim. It’ll be painted white once it’s no longer my daily and I have some cash.
Personally I can’t wait to have a 36" wheelset again. Even with 110mm cranks I never found it too bad.
I agree that the 32" wheelset is a far better size for a lot of people though. It is much more manouverable.
Hi Piece Maker
I also find the 36 extremely tiring compared to the smaller Unicycles. I haven’t got a 29 so I can only compare it to my Muni 26. I only ride the 36 once a week or every two weeks but I have been riding it for a few years now. I usually ride for an hour and a half (practically non-stop) and by the end of it I have covered around 15 miles and have lost most of my stamina, etc… I have never been good at endurance sports so maybe it is just me not trying/training enough… I prefer shorter Muni rides in the smaller unicycles with hops and jumps here and there…
Before the 36 I used to ride the 26 for ‘eating mileage rides type’ (without jumping/hoping) and if I tried I could do it for much longer than the 36 (probably a maximum of 2 hours and half) but at the same time I was covering much less mileage per hour than the 36. In the end, in total mileage on each ride, I probably was doing similar or slightly less mileage than I do now but taking much longer to do it…
I haven’t got too many problems mounting the 36 but it definitely requires much more effort and care of not falling off than mounting a smaller Unicycle (specially in tight busy places with traffic etc…).
I can see how the 32 could be a much less tiring riding experience than the 36 but at the same time being able to cover some good mileage per hour…
Can’t help thinking it’s a seat height issue. Piece Maker can get around the tracks so it’s not a straight fitness issue, which to my mind negates the short crank idea.
Interesting about mounting, I have found my 36 basically easier to mount than my old 29. I have 150s on the 36 vs 127s on the 29. But I still try to find any useful slope to make it easier, road camber or even minor undulations in the road surface will do… I feel it’s mostly psychological and I should be practicing mounts on uphill slopes(but I don’t) 
.
Cheers
For mounting I think it’s all about technique. I can get on just as easily with really short cranks as I can with longer ones.
Unless you’re trying to do a rollback mount (in which case you’re a complete fool!), the getting on is pretty similar, it’s just the pushing to set off that’s hard.
99% of the time I do a rolling mount; the steeper the hill, the faster I roll the unicycle before I jump on.
I like to recommend that people try and learn jump mounts (on a smaller unicycle) to get used to jumping on rather than just trying to step up onto the pedal.
Piece Maker, now I’ve got a new uni, we really should go out for another ride soon (36/32 rather than G29er maybe).
I’m willing to accept 12% slower(though this is an over-simplification) if it means more maneuverable and more comfortable. I’m a small guy(5’5") and I believe that makes a difference. Lots of 36" riders on this forum find the 32" to be a nicer ride, even if they’re much taller than me. I love the feel of my 29" and like that a 32" won’t feel much different, and will be significantly faster.
I was at the Governor’s Island fest in late August. It’s not Unicon but it was a lot of fun.
I don’t think you could expect 32 to be significantly faster than on 29. It will be possibly just a bit faster, but also nicer to roll on longer rides.
I’ll stick with my 29" for now and just get shorter cranks. If I wreck the 29" or sell it, I’ll get a 32", though I’ll try to borrow a 36" just to see if I can get used to it. It’s been 2 years since I first learned how to unicycle, what a journey it has been. Thank you Vookash, John Foss, Moslki and everyone for your advice.
These days, I’ve mostly been working on juggling while idling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZTJMcRGcV0
I’m slowly getting better, but can’t go beyond 30 seconds without screwing up. It’s difficult keeping the juggling and idling in sync but I also find it exhausting. I can idle on either foot indefinitely without juggling.
Hi Acrorebel
You’re doing very well with it… I’ve been unicycling for 4 years and I don’t think I last much longer than that. Unfortunately I don’t practise it much nowadays( only once in a while on my 20 Freestyle). Something that is working for me: I found that since I’ve been practising still stands (quite often on my other Unicycles except the 36) my idling whilst juggling has improved without having to try or think about it. I’ve noticed that now I idle much slower whilst juggling clubs and that has dramatically improved the length of time I can be doing it without losing control of the whole thing… Not sure if that is helpful or not… I am sure there must be a quite few experts on this forum that will give you the right advise to improve your technique 