I know this thread’s been dormant for a long time, but I just wanted to advocate for shorter cranks. If the desired outcome is faster cruising on mostly level ground, 125 is still on the long side. Yes, it’s the size used for racing, but that is based on being commonly available (if not commonly coming with new unicycles). Track racing is like NASCAR; the equipment dimensions are supposed to be equal. Separation comes from the riders.
My fastest-ever Marathon time was with 102mm cranks on a 36" wheel. 102 is still plenty for a 24", even on easy to moderate hills. You could go shorter, but you indicated you didn’t need to go at face-hurting speeds.
If happy with 125s, consider trying some 114s or 110s. You might like it!
I’m putting together a 26 inch fatie from Jacob and read with interest about crank lengths. For my new ride intended for beach/simple muni what would conventional wisdom recommend?
My experience riding on the sand is that the unicycle slips and sinks into the sand, adding resistance to the pedaling. Adding a fatty should keep the unicycle more on top of the sand, however, but there should still be quite a bit more resistance than road riding. I would suggest going with 150mm cranks. I am a fan of 165mm cranks, but I have a longer inseam, and my mUni rides are pretty hill-laden. You mentioned in a previous post you were 5’5". So, IMHO, go with 150s.
I ride 150s on my fattie and it’s great for singletrack. Haven’t taken her out to play in the snow yet though. I also ride 150s on my 29er, but really I should have a set of 138s for that. They have the same effective diameter. The 29er feels faster over relatively smooth ground. The fattie is faster over very bumpy/rocky/rooty terrain because you can just plow over it full speed without it affecting you too much.
yea, i really recommend 138s cranks , very fast with my 26", i don’t miss 165s at all. i mean when you have full command of the unyclicle, 138 is the ideal set to go off road and paved.
for 136" i tried 102s this weekend and i’m very satisfied because those are really fast and easier to keep pace.
I feel the 150 is still fast enough on the 26 to pass walkers easily, perhaps you should up your psi and increase the seat post height if you feel like your legs are giving out.
As for 125/127 on the 26, ill be getting a pair of 127/150 spirits soon, Im only going to assume the 127 will be faster than the 150s.
Also like to mention after riding 150s on my 26 coming from 125 on a 24inch uni(which was also easy to pass walkers on) , the 150 forces my leg lower and higher during a revolution which also drains more energy. I think for my height 5 6’’, the 125 will be just right. (wish I could try a pair of 138s, cause I think that would be a great position if I didn’t want to switch lengths)
I ordered my 26er with 127’s, and while I had some concern in doing so, I’ve never regretted it for a second. I think you’d have to be facing some serious hills to want something longer, and don’t really think there’s much wisdom in UDC listing 150s as the default for the 26" nimbus road.
That said, I have ultimately considered adding a brake to give my knees a rest on downhillls in 10+ mile rides. In part, I’d do this to be able to descend the hills at a faster pace with a feeling of comfort. Using longer cranks would lessen the peak load in a contingency stop, but would increase the feeling of speed for a given rate over the ground, so doesn’t seem like it would be an improvement in general.
Think of it this way: if you knew ‘nothing’ about crank length, you’d be a complete beginner. If you were a beginner, you’d benefit from long cranks. But if you were no longer a beginner, you’d know to choose a different crank length, which is what you did. And UDC is saving some beginners from making bad crank length decisions.
I have KH ISIS Spirit DH Cranks 110/127mm cranks on my 26"KH. The 110 setting is what i use mostly. The 110 has a drawback however. If i ride over small obtsacle like dents in the sidewalk or sections raised slightly by roots of trees i noticed that the 110 setting is more difficult that the 127 setting. The problem is that you have to put the power on very quickly or lean forward to avoid an exit at the front. This may be a bit of a strain if it happens often. For fast cruising the 110 crank allows you to keep up with people on bicycles with ease. The 127 is a bit short for offroad. So if you cruise a lot and offroad little the 110/127 may be a good option. otherwise the 127/150 may be the better option.
I’d only been riding for a few weeks when I ordered it - ie, I was a beginner, but one who did enough research here to realize the default was not optimal.
When I was still a beginner, before ordering my 26" mUni, I also researched the forum to determine the correct crank length. I chose 165mm Ventures. Knowing what I know now, I think that was a good decision for my local riding conditions.
Engineer, “Arms flailing madly” and “Arms not flailing quite so madly anymore” really cracks me up (and it illustrates well the learning process). Be sure to keep us updated on the state of your flailing arms. I just rode in a holiday parade, yesterday. As a funny gag, a unicyclist could flail their arms and wave simultaneously when passing onlookers.
thought I would post a quick update. I did end up getting the 125 cranks. I am riding about 4.5 miles a day on them and my speed is 4.4 to 5.2 average. I’m pretty happy with them. Just slowly training for a 10 mile ride in August.