My favorite commuting uni is the 36", because it’s rides smooth, fast and you are very visible.
But if you stand between 26" and 29", definitely go for the 29" with dual hole or triple hole cranks.
Do you plan to bring your muni over? If not you could also choose for the 29" a cross country tire that’s nice on road and off road. This combined with duals hole cranks makes the perfect commuting uni that you can transform into a Muni:)
As someone else said, ride the biggest one you are comfortable with. My favorite in-town commuter unicycle is a 32"er. It’s faster than a 29" and it’s easier to mount than a 36" (I own those two, as well). My terrain is mostly flat but bumpy and the grades aren’t very steep (2%?). I’m 5’7" and the 32" is perfect.
Would you say your difference in speed between the 32 and 36 is noticeably different? I’m on a 29 now and it’s kind of junky. So I’m looking for something new. I would like to work my way up to commuting. It’s 48 miles round trip. But it’s a beautiful, paved path the entire way. It’s a slight incline on my way to work but nothing crazy. Maybe I’m crazy but it seems too good to not give it a go.
The 36 will give you about another 1 mph. 8.5 vs. 9.5. I have both and both are fitted with 150mm cranks. I use the 32 for 15mile round trips and the 36 for farther distances. If you can climb the inclines I’d choose the 36.
I see. Obviously that would be too much time spent commuting. I was under the impression that cruising at 12mph was achievable on the 36. Not sure where I got that idea but I have been watching a lot of Ed Pratt and that beautiful maniac makes it all look so easy lol. I do think 2 hours each way would be the maximum amout of time I’d want to spend. I’m still new to this so maybe my idea of what’s possible is a bit beyond whats reasonably achievable. I’m strongly considering purchasing a NightFox this week so hopefully I can start experimenting sooner rather than later.
To clarify, I meant 4-5 hours for the full 48 miles.
Everybody is different, but for me averaging 12mph over a longer ride is pretty fast. Since you’re not dealing with hills or unpaved surfaces you might pull it off. I usually plan for 10mph on longer rides, which gives me some breathing room for breaks and unexpected events.
I don’t mean to put you off. Get a 36er and try it out. You’ll soon discover whether or not it’s practical for you.
Well… 48 miles is 77km… everybody is different but the most I’ve ever rode is 60km in a day, and I really don’t think I could accomplish riding that distance plus do a full day of work in the one day…
Maybe @Rob86 can use a bike in one direction, uni for the other. Alternate bike and uni?
I hear ya. It would definitely be something I’d have to work up to. It’s fairly normal for me to hike up to 10 miles or more and still go to work afterwards where I stand for 8 hours in a kitchen. I enjoy punishing myself
Alternating with the bike is a great idea. I used to ride a bike quite a bit. I got bored with it a few years ago. I picked up the uni with the intention of replacing the bike altogether. But maybe a compromise would be best especially in the beginning.
These are some impressive numbers. Thanks for the encouragement!
When I was younger I rode a fixed gear track bike. I remember going taller and taller with the gear ratio. I got it to a point where it was a pain (in the knees) to get going but once you had it up to speed it felt like a freight train rolling down the road lol. I got a taste of that with my 29er when I went from 150mm cranks to 114mm. I can’t imagine what the 36er will feel like!
For me 125’s on the 36’er is where i can start to get on top of the gear and really ride it. 114’s will almost pull me along once you find the top of them and settle into the spin on the flats. Its so fun!