I am looking to get either a 26 or 29" uni, but I am not sure if one will suit my purpose. I am of intermediate skill level. I can hop comfortably on a 20 or 24, idle well, freemount well etc. I’ve ridden for 25+ years. I feel quite fine on gravel trails, but not great on technical trails. I just started learning to do Muni and street type riding.
I have a 13 mile street ride coming up (the NYC uni fest). I’d like the uni to be flexible enough to be able to put a street or trail tire on so I can use it for muni or street/commuting.
I am definitely leaning toward 29" since I already have a 20" street, and a 24" Semcycle. I like the idea of a 26" muni, but I can use my Sem until it breaks on the trail, and the 26 is probably to small for commuting 7 miles each way to my work.
Other considerations is that I might like to get a brake, or even upgrade to a geared hub at some point.
There’s the KH, but that’s quite pricey for me now. So:
- Do you agree that the 29" is a good choice for me at this point?
- Are the 29" Nimbus unis brake, gear compatible?
- What width rims should I get, given that it would be for street and muni?
- Is it realistic for a 29" to be used for both street and muni?
Thanks!
I think the 29 would be a good choice. I have a KH29 that I ride for muni and I really like that size on the type of trails we have here in Maryland. I ride mostly at Schaeffer Farms and Black Hill. A friend has a Nimbus 29 Drak and also likes it a lot.
I don’t ride my 29 much on the street because I have a 36 and that is my first choice for any distance riding on the road.
Does the KH have the best upgrade path in terms of geared hub and brakes? Better than the Drak?
The upgrade options are the same for the KH and Drak in regards to adding a brake or a geared hub. The KH is a little lighter and has a wider rim which is nice for muni.
For muni I’ve slowly made the transition from my 26 nimbus to the 29 KH. There are still a few technical trails in my area that I don’t feel comfortable using the 29er but each has its pros/cons:
26 nimbus:
I suspect the only con is related to the tire (duro leopard). It’s heavy and makes climbs tougher. The added weight also requires slightly more energy which can add up over longer rides. The tire does have a nice pro, it has lots of volume and I feel much more secure on technical descents.
KH29:
It’s lighter. Noticeably lighter than the 26. Again, I suspect quite a bit of that to be wrapped up in my tire choices but the lighter uni makes a difference. It’s my preferred uni for climbing.
Ok, so nothing new so far but I still feel like I want to add something to the discussion. One thing that I like about my 29er is that it has dual hole (125/150) cranks. It’s nice to be able to simply move the pedals to the 150 holes for a muni outing and then move down to the 125 holes to get more speed on pavement. Something to consider… and the added cost of getting a nice set of dual hole cranks beats having to swap out crank arms all the time.
If money were no option, just end up like a lot of people on the forums… every size. You say you’ll use the uni to commute to work and that it’s 7 miles one way. Conservatively you’re saving about $500/year in gas. A couple of years of that and you’ll have enough to get a nice muni and a 36er for a speedy commute.
There’s the KH, but that’s quite pricey for me now. So:
- Do you agree that the 29" is a good choice for me at this point? Maybe
- Are the 29" Nimbus unis brake, gear compatible? Yes
- What width rims should I get, given that it would be for street and muni? It doesn’t matter
- Is it realistic for a 29" to be used for both street and muni? Yes
You are not going to find the answer you’re looking for until you try it for yourself.
If you get one size and you decide it was the wrong size, then you can sell it and get a different size.
If you are worried about cost, then I’m a little suprised you’re worried about geared hub compatibility.
Anyone can learn to ride anything, doing anything, it’s just a matter of how hard you try/how bad you want it.
You are asking about using a unicycle for two very different uses. Would you use a downhill mountain bike for commuting? Would you use a road bike for trail riding? Unicycles are not unlike bicycles, there is some crossover, but at a certain point you are going to be fighting yourself.
If in doubt, I’d go with the biggest wheel you can handle.