I have been reading all I can find…actually so much that I get confused.
So I have been thinking about an Oregon since they came out. I figured it might be a good idea to go all out and get the big fat larry tire.
Any pros and cons for running an even fatter tire than it comes with?
Just a review on my riding style…I typically ride favorite trail spots with roots and drops. I like to see how big of logs I can roll over also. Usually just a few hundred feet then I go back and try again. I like to ride as rough as I can handle and practice the spot until I get through. Im too heavy to get any distance. On the up side…I have an Indo on the way to practice balance although not unicycle specific…it will probably give me some cardio with the danger thill.
I did a review, it’s not recommended for uni, makes all the negatives of the Larry even worse, no advantages that I could find, sold it to Bryce for use on his fat bike.
Another Larry question: Does anyone have experience running a Larry backwards to get a bit more grip?
We’ve got some snow on the ground now and when it packs down into slush the Larry doesn’t grab very well which can make mounting on hills tricky. I was thinking of trying another tire (I would probably not go all the way to a Nate but the Knard looks nice) but will probably try the backwards Larry first.
Tires really don’t grip snow well unless the lugs are very deep, so even big truck tires will use chains in snow. I have also tried running the Larry backwards and it may have helped downhill mud traction, but the tread is so thin that I can’t really say it was worth it.
I think the Knard with a true knobbie design will work better for snow and will likely be more self cleaning, but it’s too be seen as I am still waiting on delivery of mine.
If you want max mud and snow traction, then go with the tallest lugs possible (Nate?) or consider getting a Devist8or which is a good snow tire.
Ben, where are you getting your Knard tire? I’ve heard all sorts of expected dates, but March 2013 is the last I heard from Universal Cycles here in Portland. You getting the folding version?
More back on topic, I generally agree with all the stuff said about the BFL in the snow, but I don’t agree about its application on unicycles. I’ve had one on my Surly Conundrum (with dyna-file clearanced frame seat tube: pics are on here somewhere) for over a year now and I love it. I found the larger larry to be more fun to ride (more gush) on wet/dry semi-technical trails than the regular larry and not enough additional weight to worry about and about the same handling performance that the larry has.
Hey Bryce, Pro Tire in Calif is getting my tires, not sure the expected date is solid for the tires, but they have been saying mid January so hopefully it comes sooner than later.
And if you like the BFF for muni, then by all means, just do it.
I feel like there is a point of diminishing returns where a tire width, crank length, etc… is too much. So for me, the fat tires are already a lot of extra work to ride, but they have some benefits that make them worth riding in certain situations.
Having riden ten plus miles of single track in one stretch on a Larry, I don’t see the need to go fatter unless you want to be even more tired.
A 4" tire is plenty of tire IMHO, but if you are thinking fatter and the BFF has your interest, I’d strongly suggest ridding a 4" tire first before spending the dough.
I also initially set up my tire backwards, when I turned it the right way I did not notice any difference in the snow but thought it tracked a bit better on the dry stuff. That could have been in my head though.
Though Ben and I tend to eventually come to the same conclusions about gear I wouldn’t let him scare you away from giving the BFL (or Bud, or Lou) a try.
Different gear works well for different people. you won’t know if it will work for you until you give it a try.
A good source of used fat tires is MTBR, plenty of snow riders over there, some of the more gear whore oriented riders will upgrade to lighter casings and newer tread designs this year, so look around over there to get a decent tire at a decent price.
Oh, and another thing to keep in mind: you need a frame that will fit those fat tires. Conundrums are getting rare, so don’t expect to find one in anticipation of going fat. The Oregon frame fits all fat tires currently in production, but swapping over from an existing muni is not so simple because the hub is wider by 25mm than a standard muni, so you need the frame and the wheel. Best bet is to buy a complete, but that’s $$$$
I made the switch to the Oregon and now have two wheelsets (26, 29) so it’s my only muni rig, I just swap wheels as the conditions dictate. I can run a 24 x 3 if I wanted to buy a third wheelset, so it’s quite versatile and overall a less expensive way to build a muni “arsenal”.
Once the Knards arrive, I’ll put my Larry and Devist8or up for sale.
Ben’s got the right idea with multiple wheelsets. This Spring I’m doing the BFL and a 29er (Knard tentatively). I like the Larry just fine but the BFL would be even better on the beach and just because for cool/wow factor.
