29 blunt could be a possibility! I might look up its weight and availability in the morning
Do Mary’s roll at all??? UnLike your 15psi I tend to pump things up so they roll well and never bite tubes.
Thanks for sharing your findings and great knowledge. Much appreciated as always. Making the best unis better and bettering our riding.
Both wheels were 36h on 100mm hubs. The two rims even weigh the same. In this scenario I can’t see any differences in the wheel build other than rim width that could affect lateral stability.
Pete did a back-to-back comparison between the 38mm and 47mm rims. The wheels did have different tires but since most people prefer the RR to the Stout, which was on the 47mm rim, I don’t think that swayed things much. My experience matches his.
I’m really not trying to say that you shouldn’t bother riding off-road with a rim less than X-mm. I’m just throwing out another data point: I noticed a difference in rim width and 47mm is a pretty sweet spot for me, my current skill level, and my trails.
Off topic sorry…
In what ways are we experiencing differences between rim widths if any? How can Ben feel no change on a 35 from 42 yet David notice a fair amount from 47 down to a 38mm?
Im so confused now 
Wide vs narrow rims?
27.5 vs 29’’?
Is it all like crank length? Personal preferences and what’s best suited to individual riders.
I have a place in my heart for tubeless and losing uni weight. If I suffer anything adverse from a 35mm rim I will gain roll resistance?, lightness and lower pressure options. Perhaps lower pressure compensates for narrower rim width? Possible?
Not any more than the rest of us 
Lots of variable, tire, air pressure, wheel size, wheel build, terrain ridden, style of riding, rider weight, experience.
For example, Killian and I both rode the 29" Hans Dampf tubeless, we are about the same weight (within 10-20#), he is a more aggressive rider than me, but we ride similar terrain.
I ran the HD at 20-22psi tubed and found it to be a decent tire, but when I went tubeless I had to run higher pressures to keep from squirting excessive sealant, which made the ride hard, so I went back to tubes.
Killian went tubeless on the HD and runs high pressures (30pis) and I believe he ran higher pressures tubed. He likes the HD tubeless, though he does get a fair number of sealant squirts.
I think Killian, being younger and riding more aggressively, he doesn’t mind the stiff ride of the HD at high pressure, whereas for moi, I’m old and like a softer ride 
I think we both run long cranks, though it seems like we are both going shorter just about now 
Not sure how one person’s experience can cross over entirely, so we try things and if they fail, we try something else.
If you were closer, you could try my muni
The Angry Asian on tubless tires: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/angryasian-ditch-the-tubes-37901/
The only caveat I’d add is that some tires run better with tubeless than other tires, problem is, you don’t know until you try 
According to Velocity official website, here are the weight of the different sizes of Blunt rims:
Blunt 35 26": 530g
Blunt 35 27.5" or 650B: 555g
Blunt 35 29": 590g
Another thing to keep in mind is that the 35mm is the outer rim width (the inner usable width is 30mm).
The benefits of a narrower rim are less weight (most noticeable stopping, starting, changing speed; things that happen a lot when riding muni), and a smaller, more rounded contact patch (quicker feeling turns).
The trade-offs are the smaller, more rounded contact patch (less stability), and less sidewall support requiring higher pressures.
A wider rim gives better sidewall support so you can use lower pressures before the tire folds or allows rim strikes. As Ben says, you can use a heavier tire with a thicker sidewall to compensate for that. So you have to decide where you want your weight loss, in the rim or the tire. Want both? You can do that too (lighter tire on a narrower rim) but you’ll need to pump up the pressure to avoid rim strikes, which can make for a harsh ride.
+1 on that. Combining all of the variables gives a broad range of possibilities and a lot of fun comes from trying to find the balance that works for you and your riding.
That’s the case for all rims, they specify the OD when the rim is named, the ID varies based on hook design. A 2.5mm hook is pretty thin for a heavy duty rim.
Also, not all rims are actually the width stated, for instance the Dominator 2 is closer to 40mm vs the 42m suggested on the UDC website.
I built my wheel so that I could run a specific tire (HD SG), call me crazy, but it seems to be working
Looks like the weight of Uni’s are most variable depending on what we eat for Breakfast!!!
Not sure if my Link making skills are working today but below a review on 38 vs 47mm Kh rims. Good read. Good points. Maybe going tubeless a 35mm is no major issue.
My new KH29 rim for memory has large cutouts absolutely everywhere. Will this be an issue going tubeless. Really these rims havent got a great deal of material left in them. Havent heard of a broken KH rim in my travels online yet though.
http://digitalhippie.net/mountain-unicycling/kris-holm-29/kh-29-inch-rim-38mm-vs-47mm-comparison/
Dont like the sounds of sealant squirts… My tubes are safe and snugg and i think i just found some lightweight 29x52 tubes!!!
but i dont like a rigid unforgiving ride either with too higher pressures.
I cant find a KH29 FR rim weight anywhere? anyone got the weight of one?
Considering all this i will retain my current rim for now (saves buying a Blunt) sacrifice the extra weight here and go lighter tyre tubeless if i can. I should keep enough pressure in and use my rim width instead of a lighter rim, heavier tyre and less pressure for a similar footprint.
A wheel, a frame and a seat is getting so much more technical than it would have first been intended.
I do wish i could ride my uni in the USA every second weekend or similar. Bit lonely down here
If i can one day, i will visit for the sole purpose… to ride with you guys!
I’m toying with the idea of just putting Stans in the tube of my 26er Muni and dealing with the weight. If I don’t like it, I’ll probably go tubeless in it eventually too.
For me, the deciding facter of tubeless was the puncture prevention rather than weight savings. Stans in a tube means no punctures…
What?
Thats right it wasnt a typo! Light, well i will find out exactly when they arrive, 29er tubes
CST Superlight 29er MTB Tube 29" x 52-47 Presta
from the one and only chainreaction dot com
Under $6AUD each. Cheaper than tubeless setup. I like the sounds of Stan inside my tube for the minor punctures
Sealant made just for inside tubes? Opinions?
No Flats Yellow Gel Tyre Sealant 2013
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=94762
These tubeless rim strips any good you guys think? Off topic again… sorry
Stans No Tubes All Mountain 29er Rim Strip
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38846
According to municycle.com, the KH freeride 29 rim is reported at 780g.
And as for the KH 29 XC rim (at least the one around in 2007), it is 844g.
I am running some Slime sealant in all my wheels (unicycles and bikes) and had no problem whatsoever.
It is fun and I even was lazy enough to put it in my bike’s rear wheel after a flat and I was too lazy to fix it the usual way. It’s been more than 1 year and 1/2 and I haven’t lost pressure since 
And just for the fun if it, you can enjoy this video comparison between regular tube with slime and FOSS tube (with a bonus of FOSS tube with slime in the end) !
P.S.: sorry NurseBen for the off-topic
Cut outs are not so great for tubeless because any tape you use to cover those cutouts will be prone to sagging, which will cause leaks. It has been done, but I did not find the love when I tried it.
Light tubes work fine, but for muni I wouldn’t go too light unless you like replacing tubes on the trail. I have had excellent results with the Maxxis Freeride tube (26" only, but will stretch for a 29") and Maxxis Welterweight (26, 29, 650b). Tubes work, they can be fixed, and they’re not that heavy; 250-300gm for the above tubes.
However, tubes do leak, they tend to fail at the valve, they get holes, whereas tubeless is a more permanent fix and is more reliable over the long run. A tubeless valve, tape, and sealant for one wheel is ~$15, a tube is half that price, but it cuts off 100-150gm and provides flat proofing
You shouldn’t be afraid of going tubeless, it really is a lot less scary than you think. Remember that car, tricks, and motorcyles are nearly all tubeless and they also don’t run sealant! Some bike tubeless systems are so good that they are run without sealant!! Rental cars in the USA are no longer providing spare tires, instead they provide a small air pump and a bottle of sealant 
Don’t be afraid, trust in the force, the tubeless force is with you
Frame?
Ben,
I don’t think you ever said which frame you used for your 650b wheel, did you? I have a N29 laying around gathering dust. I’m trying to decide whether to sell the 29er to finance a 650b build, or if I can put the 650b in the 29er frame. I know an Oracle frame is a better option, but I’m thinking about doing it on the cheap to begin with.
Going tubeless with cut outs is leaving the blue rim strip in place, running 2 or 3 strips of tape to seal the sides and one down the centre enough to warrant a good tubeless setup with zero leaking issues due to these cut outs you think??
Light 29 tube with slime and keeping pressure up might be better for cut out rim?
If I didn’t like higher pressures so much I would have gone blunt 35 and 29 Hans super. You know if in looking at more xc muni than tech on my 29 a 35mm rim will improve my rolling specially tubeless? If I change rims I need to go through another sleepless night figuring out spoke lengths aaarrhhh!!!
Figure out the spoke length for a 29 blunt for a schlumpf and I will do it! Blunt tubeless Hans sg the works
I’m sure it would work, at least for a while, but if you consider the static load from air pressure then add in dynamic loading from riding, the tape will ultimately collapse enough to leak. Even when I tape non cut out rims with tubeless tape, there is sag at the spoke holes; though it’s not bad enough to leak.
Also, once you add in the KH rim strip, the reinforcing tape, etc… you are approaching the weight of a welterweight tube, then add some sealing fluid and you are heavier yet.
Maybe you can find a 45mm rim without cutouts? I’d suggest the Nimbus Dominator, but it’s heavier than the KH by about 100-150gms.
Oracle 29 with the revised crown height. I run a 32h Nimbus chromoloy hub and 150/125 Spirits. The 650B will fit fine in your Nimbus II 29" frame, the height is less than a 29" tire and the width is the same as an Ardent/HD std. You would save some weight going to an Oracle or KH frame, but they cost ~$100 more. The KH frame is set up with a disc tab on the correct side, which is positive. I didn’t get the KH because it won’t fit a Knard “yet”.
I really like my Knard HD, I can run way less pressure now, so it rides softer and sticks better. The smaller size vs the 29" is very noticeable on tech stuff, tight turns, and downhills. It still rides like a tall wheel, but I feel more agile, and that’s with having gone to a smaller crank. There’s a tech downhill I ride, it ofen kicks me off halfway down, so if I’m feeling tired I’ll walk it. I rode it Tuesday without a second thought, had no problems, and I was tired and not “feeling it”, so I really do think a smaller wheel is helping me.
I remember when I first committed to the 29" wheel two years ago, at that time I told my wife that it dropped my skill level a full notch, but I didn’t do it for tech stuff, I did it because I enjoyed riding it for the flowiness. I don’t miss the flowiness much with the 650B, it’s still a good sized wheel, but now I feel like I’m getting some of my skill back; or at least I’m not working as hard.
In the past couple years I also have changed what I ride on specific trails, esp snce building up a 36" muni with a Todd tire, so now if I really want flow, I can ride my 29", 32" or 36". I suppose this means I’m ready to build a Schlumpf for a crossover machine
If we had the ability to downshift, I would probably stay with a 29er, but with a fixed 29" wheel it is a lot to manage on steep ups and steep downs, esp when I’m riding the 30.5" tall Knard I can’t wait until the 26 x 3" Knard is released, having the same height as my 650b, but being wider and cushier, it’ll be my go to wheel for slime, sand, and snow.
If the Schlumpf is released with a smaller step (33%), I’ll probably build it as a 650b, but if the 50% step is all that’s availble, I’ll build it up as a 26" with the HD SG on a Blunt 35. Fingers crossed for the smaller step in 2014!