So freewheels exist for uni’s as well? That would be awesome!
But yes, 110mm would be more like a too low gear on an MTB. maybe nice if you can keep the flow on a relatively flat track, but I personally like to ride slower and more technical stuff. Since I’m already planning on buying a 130mm crank set for the Gravity Pro, it might be smart (assuming it has the same mount) to just buy the 137mm default setup and switch the cranks with the 130mm to feel the difference.
Ais I said I personally prefer more technical riding, but I have to be realistic and that’s not widely available here.
Maybe I will visit some bikeparks in the Netherlands with a Muni, but then it’s still very limited and currently I’m not in the position to visit Germany, Austria Switzerland, Poland or similar countries very often to really get into the technical trails…
Yes, for regular mountainbiking it is, however it is still the standard for dirt jumping and trials (next to 20" or 24") and it’s still used a lot in amateur downhill riding. So the heavier tires like magic mary, hans dampf, Der Kaiser, Der Baron, Maxxis Minion etc are usually still very easy to get either new or 2nd handed, as well as lighter XC type tires (dirt jumping) and extremely grippy tires like the one I have on the Gravity Pro.
But 27,5" is something I have available at home already, so for me personally it’s a good choice
Freewheel Unicycles exist and they are lots of fun. It’s like learning how to ride a unicycle again but it goes way quicker (only when you have enough braking experience, of not it can be very hard near to impossible. But since you are coming from streetrials it will be easier).
Unfortunately the Impact unicycles use the ISIS interface and QX the Quaxle interface, so you can’t simply switch the cranks.
The Quaxle system is in my eyes way more durable than the ISIS interface since a lot of people got problems there, when you change the cranks to often on ISIS they wear out, while the Quaxle cranks doesn’t. Quaxle cranks allow a also lighter hub, but for Flatland unicycling ISIS cranks are consider to be the better ones, because of their round shape for crank tricks, but that’s also possible on the Quaxle cranks (I ride them for Flatland and I love rolls).
And if you consider a Freewheel might be something for you, they will be a Quaxle Freewheel hub coming hopefully in 2021.
Cool! but how would you ride backwards? I do it on a bike by using backwards momentum either from the front brake or a wall. But I can imagine it’s a lot harder on a uni!
Yes, so I would either need to buy an Impact Muni or accept the difference and go for a Qu-Ax (or Mad4One, since those seems to be good as well)…
Are you sponsored by QX?
Just out of curiosity, I don’t mean anything by it, but Roos Seegers is sponsored by Impact, Pierre Sturny by Mad4One and I haven’t found anyone yet who’s sponsored by QX
The tire on your 19" creates a lot of rolling resistance. But that is a pretty small factor, compared to “beginners’ inefficiency”.
The 140mm cranks on your trials uni are more prone to pedal strike. But at this stage in the game, you’re not performing tight turns.
Some people on this forum are suggesting that 137mm is the perfect crank length. Maybe, but it is also a generally recognized principle that riders, as they progress, move from larger cranks to smaller cranks.
Haven’t tried yet. But I have been thinking about it, some people tried, but seems hard.
Yes, I am indeed. I am currently one of 2 testriders that test the Freewheel hub. We are actually a quite big team, all listed on the website if you are interested in looking it up:)
I think there is a bit of a difference in that a unicycle wheel/tire needs to be stronger than a mountainbike wheel/tire, in that all weight is on the one wheel. Also with dirth (small stones, glass(?)), other stuff that can puncture your wheel, the unicycle wheel needs to be able to handle that.
With my 24" road uni, I prefer not to hop. The tire and wheel might be up for it, but feeling says I should use a trials/muni tire if I want to apply more pressure.
As for mountainbike tracks, I believe there is more than enough track on The Veluwe to play around. There might not be so many rocks as you find in Germany, but they are twisty and hilly enough. What is easy on the mountainbike, becomes challenging on a unicycle.
I think you have a sensible plan here. A lot of this stuff is personal preference, so you won’t really know until you try. Plus you’ll probably change your mind over time. I think most of us have at least one box full of cranks and pedals and seat handles that we intend to sell but never get around to it (or if you’re like @johnfoss, you end up with an entire garage that is basically a unicycle museum).
I do have a box (now a drawer!) of cranks and pedals. The problem with that is that they are almost all square taper! That’s all there was at the time I played with cranks a lot. They’re a lot cheaper than splined cranks, but not useful if you want to ride splined today…
The ones that aren’t square taper are almost all cottered, or a few Profile (48-spline) cranks from the old Wilder Muni.
Well, this is one active and jumpy thread. Two discussions I’ll add to.
Most things that work on mountainbikes will work on a Muni. Unicycles tend to have a bit wider rims, for more “sideways stability”, but that is pretty much the only thing to keep in mind. Most parts that look like they should work, will work: tires, pedals, rims (although unicycles tend to be 36hole as standard, and bikes now are 32hole), brakes, Tubeless, tire inserts, etc, people are using them on unicycles and they are fine.
Crank size. I’ll answer with a strong “it depends”. I think for a Muni, my recommendation stays with: start longer, then go smaller. I’ve ended up with 125mm because I want to use some of the jumps Mountainbike riders built, and for those I have to carry speed. On the other hand, you give up some control - hopping onto things, and “leveraging” yourself over roots and rocks becomes harder. I happen to be able to still hop onto or over pretty much anything on trails that I want, and compensate for the lower leverage by carrying more speed.
For a beginner, I’d suggest 140-150mm-ish, to learn at a slower speed, and if you then feel a bit bored, you can switch to shorter ones. Multi hole cranks are great in theory, but the way I look at it is that I’m usually better of sticking to what I’m already very comfortable on, rather than switching them around often. Also, the crank options I like are to close together to be fitted on one crank…
Uhm, yes, I just saw your post on instagram. I didn’t realize that you and Rebekka Wiedener are the same person - I really love the way that freewheel rolls, it would be awesome to ride one in the future as well!
And these rims and tires can handle much more than I am comfortable to do just yet.
There are guys landing drops from 3m+ and land only on the rear wheel. Drops from about 4.5m are also possible but then you use a technique which spreads the load between the body and the bike much better.
I had over 18 bikes in the last 2 years, just to get to the “best” configuration for me
I guess I’m used to the phenomenon, but I do need to realize that selling bike stuff is much easier than selling uni stuff. Therefore I shouldn’t buy stuff too easily… But I don’t mind doing some testing myself
But that’s for 27.5" wheels right? Because 140-150mm on a 20" wheel seems a bit too much for anything but trials
Here in Brabant I often do the MTB routes (Tilburg, Best, Helmond) with a 27.5" wheel and 117mm cranks, and there is another guy who does muni here with a 29" wheel and 110mm cranks. The hills are practically small enough that you can get up just by having a bit of speed, and the shorter length makes it a bit more comfortable to ride longer distances (and you can go faster trough the corners ).
I personally think for a 27.5" that the 137/117mm KH cranks is one of the better options, considering the location. 117mm for most trails in the Netherlands, and 137mm if you need more torque (and when just starting with muni)
You must make quite a few unicyclist very sick because of how quickly you’re picking it up.
I think it’s too funny!
Keep us posted on your progress with the videos please!
I used to ride bmx trials as a kid and I think it definitely helps with the learning curve in this sport.
You’re doing awesome and I can’t wait to see what comes from you in the future.
Well, you still might have a point since I tend to want to try out every possible option just to speed up the learning process
I just bought the Groovy 130mm cranks for this uni, which should help with certain tricks and maybe 130mm is better for me on this uni, we’ll see…
Lol, I just setup a gopro, download the videos to my phone and put them in some app to stitch the clips together. Add some music and that’s it. It’s not even close to decent editing I think
That would be cool indeed! But way too much work for my taste. Besides that, I’m mostly creating the videos for myself. If I really wanted to make an entertaining or educational video, I would definitely need some help filming and editing
Leaning more and more towards the 27,5" #RGB from QX… @MAD4ONE, which one of your muni’s would be the competition of that one?
Mark, first off: congratulations on joining the Unicycle gang! You’re picking up things very fast.
As far as the cranks go:
I ride a 27.5" QU-AX Muni with 110-138 mm cranks
I also have a 24" Muni with 125-145 dual hole cranks
Both cranks work great on either Unicycle, depending on what I want to do.
Since a dual hole crank is only marginally more expensive (5 euro) than std cranks you should go for dual hole from the start.
When going for the 27.5 perhaps get the 125-145 cranks.
If later you find that 125 is not fast enough but not climbing as well as you like you can still get the 110-138 mm for just 67 euro.
Don’t worry about the strength of dual hole cranks: With gear and back pack I’m just over 100 kg and I’ve had no issues with cranks or pedals.
(Currently 742 and 999 km recorded on the 24" and 27.5")
I weigh about the same, but I tend to be more demanding on my material than average… I will definitely not make as many km’s as you did, but I’m more interested in jumps, drops, and all the other technical stuff and therefore want the strongest and lightest material available, even it it means that I would need to buy 2 different crank sets
Within 1.5 years of starting uni, both my muni and trials started breaking spokes and needed wheel rebuilding. I am just shy of 100 Kg. I was doing a lot of side hopping during that time. I didn’t know anything about tensioning spokes. I heard that sometimes lesser quality spokes are used in stock builds. The dished wheel on my Oracle got totally out of alignment. Anyway, you probably know more about maintenance, given your background. I think it’s important to frequently check the tension of parts when they are new…or newly installed…and after you have put unprecedented force on those parts.
It should be noted that every time you remove and install an ISIS crank you reduce its life. One big advantage of multiple hole crank is that you don’t to remove them to change the length.
A question of “crank strikes” came up when using the shorter hole. While possible I don’t think it will ever be as much of an issue as pedal strikes. I still sometimes get pedal strikes running the short hole.
The much bigger danger of running the short hole on multi-hole cranks is getting the loop of your shoelace caught by the crank end. Keep those things tucked.
Switching out ISIS cranks doesn’t wear them much if you use the proper spacers. I did wreck a nice pair of Echo cranks from repeated removal, installation, and over tightening before spacers were generally recognized as necessary.
I’m glad to hear you are experimenting with your equipment, That’s the best way to learn what works for you.
- I really love the way that freewheel rolls, it would be awesome to ride one in the future as well!
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