Coker v 29er preliminary observations

There’s a little bit more speed on a 29er, but it’s not much different from riding the 26 with a narrower tyre, like a 2.1" tyre, and slightly shorter cranks. Assuming your 26 has 150 cranks on I think you’d notice about the same difference if not slightly more putting 125 cranks on the 26 and a 2.1" tyre. I’ve got a 26 and two 29s, but only really because I wanted to try wheel building, and I thought I’d give a bigger wheel a go. The whole 29 thing is nice, but 26 is just such a nice size and so flexible, because you can make it a full on muni or a real fast distance machine just by messing with tyres and cranks. I think many people who have 24 and 29 could just have a 26 and do all their riding just fine.

Also, the cheap 36" is a fine unicycle still, I’ve ridden thousands of miles on it. If you’re not a fat person it’s okay. The upgrades give you a little more speed and manouvrability, and a bit more durability if you’re doing insane stuff on it, and if you’re really heavy they might be vital, but they’re nowhere near as vital as some people on here will say. You can always upgrade the wheel at a later date if you’re feeling rich, or you manage to break it.

Joe