First let me start by saying that I know that this topic was JUST started, but I have a different set of criteria and I don’t wanna thread jack. I’m moving to the desert southwest in a year or so, and I was wondering about wheel size.
I’ve seen videos of Cokers getting taco’d from nothing. And so I know that I’m not going to spend all that money just to kill my rim, so if I got a Coker, it would be strictly a street machine. There’s no need for you guys to tell me that it’s not going to happen, or to upgrade to an Airfoil rim, or to just buy both, cuz I won’t listen and I don’t have that kinda money.
Now, I’d obviously like to ride off the roads, cross country and across thorny paths, or I wouldn’t be making this thread.
So, I know that a 29er would be better for every reason except speed. So, my question is how much slower is a 29er than a Coker. I have seen the wiki article stating that a 29er averages 7mph and a Coker 11mph. I’m wondering if this is correct. And moreover, if I got a huge, monster wheel for the 29er, one would it fit in the frame, and two would it increase the “actual” size of the wheel increasing the average speed of the 29er?
So, pending the answers to these questions, I have a couple more:
What are some good, huge wheels for 29ers?
What are some good 29" uni frames? (keeping in mind that I don’t like to spend a lot, and I REALLY like my Qu-Ax MUni)
And speaking of, does anybody know anything about the Qu-Ax 36"?
Buy a coker and get the airfoil. The airfoil really makes or breaks a coker. It is expensive, but it is the most dramatic and noticable upgrade you can make to your coker.
I don’t care what you say, I was trying to be helpful in the best way I could. I read your entire post and gave you what I felt was good advice.
Your thread title is very misleading and doesn’t ask the same thing as your post. You said thanks for any help you can give me, I gave what I could (considering I don’t own a 29er and don’t want to post about parts info that is readily available at www.google.com ).
You will taco a steel coker rim (eventually), you will not taco an airfoil, so, based on the question asked in the title and brushed upon in the body of your post, the best way to go fast on the type of riding you describe is a coker with airfoil. A 29er is considerably slower and less effecient than a coker. So get a coker, and buy an airfoil. That is my advice, take it or leave it. No reason to be a jerk.
In terms of speed, a 29er can be competitive with a Coker if the 29er has shorter cranks. I often ride my 29er with 125mm cranks along with Coker riders on 140mm and 150mm cranks, and our speeds are comparable. The Coker riders can go faster if they go all-out, but cruising there isn’t much difference.
I don’t have a cycle computer, but on-road I estimate that I cruise at 10mph on my setup.
The Big Apple is definitely the fastest tire on roads, but its complete lack of tread makes it less than perfect off-road. There are a few other fat 29er tires which should provide decent speed with a little tread for your dirt rides.
I know you don’t want to spend a whole lot, but if the KH 29" frames are as nice, strong, and light as the 20" ones, then I think they would be worth it.
Re: Monster wheels on the 29er…
I have a KH29XC and have used it with the BigApple 2.35, a high-volume tire. It was a bit too big and rubbed on the top of the fork, compared to my Kenda Klaw, the knobby tire which comes with the uni which has plenty of clearance. The rubbing was bad enough that I had to file off a few mm of metal from the top of the fork for the BA to spin.
So a fat (as fat as the BA2.35) knobby tire of similar volume would not work on this KH29 frame.
That said, I recommend the heck out of this uni. I have a 36er (Radial 360) which I love, but I still ride the 29 often. It’s very light and extremely responsive.
Re: Speed difference
I cruise at 8-9 mph on the 29, and at 10-11 mph on the 36. If speed is the main concern get a bicycle.
But as others have said here, if you like off-road (in SW Utah, no less, seethes with envy), and don’t want to hack up the cash for a “good” 36" wheel (either Airfoil or Stockton, mmm…drool…) then clearly a KH29 is your answer.
Are there any comparable 29s to the KH for Muni (splined hub/light/strong)?
I went through much the same decision process you are facing. Nearly all of my riding is on the road, I enjoy distance, speed is nice, and hopping around on a unicycle while holding the seat by your willie looks dumb and is a low priority for me.
The recommendation fo the KH29er above is good advice. It comes with a cross-country tire and my 2006 KH29XC took a Big Apple tire without rubbing so it does fit. You can cruise at 7-10 mph depending on the rotational tempo you want. Your estimate of 7-8 mph is about right for what you will normally ride. That is faster than a jog, slower than a sprint, and a comfortable pace for a friend who might want to accompany you for a few mile ride on a nice two-wheeled cruiser.
The 29 inch tire covers a little more than 7 1/2 ft in a rotation, a 36 inch wheel will cover a little less than 9 1/2 ft per revolution. For a long road ride, there is no question that the bigger wheel is the way to go. But, I got the 29 because it is so much more adaptable. The KH29XC can do just about anything a unicycle can do, and it can operate in most environments with a tire change. I got an extra set of cranks so I can use 150s off road or 125 on road. Works pretty well.
I recently rode about 15 miles with a friend on a Coker. There was no question he was better equipped for that ride. His pedalinig pace was slower than mine and he worked less hard overall. I was able to freemount much easier–but if I ever plan to do serious roadwork (which I probably will) I’ll get a Coker. But, I am thrilled with the KH-29XC…best of both worlds.
Another thing I am considering is whether the better future answer is a geared hub on a 29er. The 1.6 ratio would move a 29 inch unicycle 13 ft with a single a single pedal rotation. If I decide that’s the way to go–all I have to do is buy a $1500 wheelset!
Frankly, I think the KH29XC is a lot of money for a 29er. You get a splined hub, which you won’t get on a cheaper uni, but for less than half of the cost of the KH you could get a Nimbus which is totally fine for typical 29er use.
you could get a Sun 28 get a 29 tire 125 mm cranks air saddle and the wheel upgrade and it would be pretty cheap and a pretty sweet uni.
consider that.
The title of my post is not misleading in the slightest. I want to know the pros of a 29er vs that of a 36". Now, granted, I didn’t say a “Coker”, to leave out the Airfoil option, but that is only because I am also interested in the Qu-Ax 36.
You could also give the advice that a bike would be faster than a 36 or that a car would be even faster than both of those. Or you could just tell me to stay home, and not worry about going out. So, why didn’t you? I wanted to know WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW, and not what you guys are famous for spouting out when NOT asked.
Yes, I am being a jerk. But I read these forums, and time and time again all you guys give stuff that is not asked for, and sometimes like in my case, specifically told not to offer.
Yes, sometimes adding things might enlighten people if they didn’t even know that option existed or whatnot. But I TOLD you not to, and you went ahead and did it anyways.
Free country? Yes. Freedom of speech? Yes. Can I tell you that you’re retarded for not listening? YES.
Thank you (and Phlegm) very much. That is the information I was looking for. As Phlegm stated, I have pretty much made up my mind. But I just wanted to know what I was getting myself in for, so as to possibly be persuaded if the need should arise.
As far as using 125 or the like off-road, how hard is it? I have 170’s on my MUni, and I love the length. With the larger tire, is it easier to roll over things, making the shorter cranks more duable? Or will I just have to struggle over everything?
Thanx so much for the info. I don’t have a set limit, as I won’t be buying this uni for some time now, I just don’t wanna spend too much. I’m going to say $500 is my max limit, and I’d like to spend a lot less.
And thank you very much for the speed comparison, and throwing out that bicycle jab.
I like the KH, but I’d like as big a tire as possible, so…do any of you know ANYTHING about any of the other 29ers? Specially tire clearance?
So, again, is anybody knows anything about the other 29ers shout out.
And if anybody knows of any tires bigger than they have on UDC, let us know.
And if anybody knows if they will actually fit on any uni, that’d be nice info to have as well.
p.s. Yeah, there’s a lot of posts by me, back to back, but they all deal with different subject matter, so…oh well. It’s my thread.
When I used my 29er, I cruised at about 9 or 10 mph most of the time, I dont think I ever hovered as low as 7. When I am on my Coker I average only a little higher (10-13), but it is a lot easier to maintain the 10 or 11 mph range on a coker than it was on the 29er.
The big wheel will roll over most obstacles. Where 125s start to get sketchy is when the trail gets very steep; on trails with long steep sections, the short cranks don’t provide enough leverage to keep the unicycle under control. But, in that measure a 29er with 125s is pretty similar to a Coker with 150s.
I’ve got 125s and 150s for my 29er w/ Big Apple tire. The 150s are my choice for trail riding. It just gives me more control.
I do know a guy who lives here who does some serious muni riding on a 36. I sure don’t ride with enough control to do that. I imagine that the 36 rolls over stuff pretty easily though.
