Hey, these are the parts for a unicycle i think my friend should get:
nimbus II 20in. 48 spoke wheel
$46
primo “the wall” 20in. (1.75) freestyle tire (red)
$20
generic tire tube
$4
prowheel alloy crank arms (4 in)
$22
summit metal bmx pedals (red)
$15
nimbus X long-neck frame 24in. 300mm or 400mm neck (flat crown)
$45
nimbus dual bolt seatpost clamp
$5
GB4 universal seat post
$22
nimbus gel saddle (red)
$39
TOTAL: $218 !!! (not including shipping…for everything)
Actually he’ll probly get like a sun blue, but i was bored, so i figured i’d compose a unicycle for myself (eventually). So, will it work? Will it be worth more than, say… a Nimbus X or a Semcycle XL? I think i’d be really cool looking, and it’d be absolutly perfect for freestyle!
I’ve ridden both a 1.85 and a 2.1 the wall. The 2.1 looks nicer, but for manoeverability, the 1.85 is waaay better. The contact patch is much more circular, and lends itself to spins and pirouettes much moreso than the 2.1 tire. Were I to replace my tire, it would be 1.85 all the way.
Why a 24" frame? The tyre clearance on the nimbus X frame is big enough as it is! I would recommend the Koxx long neck frame. Along with what everybody else said, get plastic pedals.
You might want to also consider the new KH Street saddle which is slightly different to the UDC gel saddle (though the latter is very comfy, I have two myself).
A friend of mine put a Primo Wall (can’t remember which size) in a Nimbus X frame and had to file down the inside of the crown slightly to give enough clearance.
I think i’ll stick with the gel saddle, but what kind of plastic pedals should i get, that is when i do get it a hundred years from now… And why are they so much better?
I like the Odyssey Twisted PC pedals. Plastic pedals are nice because they don’t grip your shoes as hard as pinned metal ones will. This helps for freestyle because you can adjust your foot position easier.
A 2.1 tire will fit in a Nimbus X frame. I’m currently running a Primo Comet 2.1 in my Nimbus X. It’s not the long neck, but the crown and tire clearance should be the same. I’ve also used a 2.2" tire before with no problem. I checked out mine with a caliper and the frame should be able to take a tire that’s up to a true 2.25" width provided your rim is true. That all said, you probably want to use a skinnier tire anyway if all you’re doing is freestyle.