So I haven’t had a regular size ride for almost 20 years. I get on my giraffe from time to time. I am an avid mountain biker, though a bit of a break for about a year due to a move. After doing some research, I am leaning towards the 29, maybe the kh. Just looking for some input on KH, vs Oracle. Those seem to be the 2 out there. Is there anything else worth looking at? I don’t think I am informed enough to attempt a custom build, but would like to start with a good solid first ride. 26 vs 29, I know when I went to 29 on bicycle absolutely loved it and felt huge improvements. Looking to do both single track, longer rides, with some around town riding as well. How easy is it to change the tire? Really looking forward to getting back into this.
Changing a tyre is exactly the same as changing a bike tyre. It takes marginaly longer as there are 4 bolts to remove & replace instead of 1 quick release, but it’s no more difficult. I haven’t ridden a 29" uni and can’t really comment on pros & cons of 26v29 or kh v Oracle, but I’d think a 29 with 2 tyres would be ideal for the riding you’re talking about doing.
One word of ‘warning’ though. Once the bug bites again, you will want 36 for road, 29 for xc, 24/26 for downhill, 19 for trials/street…
I haven’t ridden the KH but i can compare the 26 and 29 oracle. very nice uni although i did have to change the nimbus gel saddle they came with. Im hooked on the 29, it does everything! personally that would be the one i’d go for unless you have any crazy mountains to go down
I have a custom built up kh29 and it’s a fantastic uni in stock form and sounds like it would be perfect for your type of riding. You’ll be able to practically ride 20-30mile muni rides and jam on the street. The “zero” saddle will take you several rides to get used to but honesty any saddle will if your not used to riding heavy mileage. The stock knard tire is really good in most off-road conditions except nasty mud and with high pressure it does pretty well on the street. Hard to go wrong with the kh, although I’ve never ridden the Oracle.
Since you have a 29" mike I would go with the 29" unicycle to start off with. That way you can steal parts if need be. Both the KH29 and Oracle 29 are great top of the line unicycles.
The KH is leaning a bit more towards the off-road end of the spectrum but both would be perfectly happy on dirt or pavement.
If you do go KH you might want to consider a handlebar. In my experience the Zero saddle works better with a nice handle.
I’ve been very happy with the nimbus (non-oracle) 29er. Upgraded to a KH saddle (street or fusion probably) and 125/150 (or 110/137) cranks and you have a very capable road and muni wheel. It’s my main summer muni. I ran it without a brake for a while, and still rarely use the rim brake I put on it later. Weight wise, the frame is only 152g heavier than the oracle, or about a third of a lb.
To me, the price difference of $360 (the price of the Nimbus 29er to begin with) for a disc brake and 1/3 lb lighter frame isn’t worth it. (all other parts are the same)
With the KH, you do get a little more float with the knard tire (and a wider rim), which could be worth it. I don’t believe the knard would fit in the steel nimbus frame. I think the KH, having a better saddle and cranks right off the bat, is a much better value for money than the Oracle.
Edit: may only be useful for people in the US, not sure about the prices elsewhere
Great info here. Yes, both the Oracle and the KH are great munis (I have the Oracle 36 and rode an older KH 29 a month this summer). Basically, they have different disc brake mounting strategies (D-Brake internal disc verses PM fork + KH-Spirt crank) and the KH has been more recently updated (2015) to have more clearance for a wide tire. Haven’t checked in a while, but the KH usually costs a bit more but also has a few better parts (like the Spirit cranks), so price/value is almost the same.
If the riding you’re wanting to do is more XC than technical/downhill the 29 sounds good. Otherwise I’d stick to a 26.
Sounds like a 29 would be fine, as a 26 is (for me) too slow for road and around town.
[quote=MUCFreerider;1664097]
Great info here. Yes, both the Oracle and the KH are great munis (I have the Oracle 36 and rode an older KH 29 a month this summer). Basically, they have different disc brake mounting strategies (D-Brake internal disc verses PM fork + KH-Spirt crank) and the KH 26 and 29 have been more recently updated (2015) to have more clearance for a wide tire. Haven’t checked in a while, but the KH usually costs a bit more but also has a few better parts (like the Spirit cranks), so price/value is almost the same.
If the riding you’re wanting to do is more XC than technical/downhill the 29 sounds good. Otherwise I’d stick to a 26.
[quote]
Looking to do both single track, longer rides, with some around town riding as well.[/qoute]
Sounds like a 29 would be fine, as a 26 is (for me) too slow for road and around town.
2015 KH29. Wide rim, Knard tire, Spirit cranks, Disc brake, Zero saddle, mUni handle. Done. Go ride!
You can save a lot of money with cheap rim brakes on a really nice Nimbus (non Oracle) 29er but, if you’re coming off a 20 year hiatus (you’ll find that same story here a lot. mine was 15 years) I’ll assume you are of the age to have a little extra disposable income to splurge on a mid-life crisis. You’ll be delighted to find most any ungeared unicycle costs a fraction of what you paid for your mountain bike.
The guys (and ladies) will tell you I sound like a broken record, but if you really want the best advice this community has to offer, you’re much better off disclosing a little bit of information (Age, height, weight, etc.) in your member profile. Privacy concerns aside, it also helps to reveal your general geographic location. Single track here in Kentucky rolls gently enough for me to outfit my kids with 29ers (the 2014 with a Schwalabe Hans Dampf is darn nice too BTW). But if you reside in let’s say Moab Utah then a 26er may be more suitable to your environment. Then again, we love to speculate.
You’ll find the 26 versus 29 debate alive and well here just as in your MTBR forum. Search, read, and donate. You’ve come to the right place.You’ll find great people with vast knowledge in these halls. Welcome. Help us help you.
Both the KH29 and Oracle 29 are great top of the line unicycles.