Actually, the 24" is quite effective at making rides “longer”. The longest rides I take on the 24" are about 15 miles of mixed muni/xl with a lot of uphill riding. I have ridden the same conditions on 26" and 29" unis. I feel more confident on the 24" in technical conditions, and my 24" is a higher quality, lighter build, compared to my larger wheels, so I favor it. Of the handful of unicycles I own, the 24" is the only one that feels “dialed in”.
I agree that the 24" surprised me positively when I bought it. I have done a few rides of 10km on a trials uni, which hurt my knees especially the first time and it is superslow. I bought the 24" road uni so I can parttake in the Dutch Uni Championships. For off-road, I lately have been riding with the KH26", which has a nicer seat and the tires is better for sandy roads, though I don’t do any real technical muni. Dirt roads where horses tread or with bumps and pits from the rain, are enough of a challenge for me. Very dry sand I also find very difficult, because that locks the wheel. As I tumble off more on dirt roads, I don’t put handle bars on the 26 and 29 munis. They are too much in the way then.
Riding is loose sand is an art. A 4"+ wide tire helps a lot, but there is also technique. You can sort of float over the sand if you manage to ride with very consistent speed and turn perfect circles with your feet so that the unicycle doesn’t twist side to side as you pedal. I’ve been working on it for a long time, but I still suck at it. If you figure it out, I’d love to know how.
I agree it takes a smooth pedaling motion.
I also think it is helpful to have a rigid connection with the unicycle. Under normal conditions, the unicycle and the rider travel forward at the same speed, reducing the need for a rigid connection between the rider and uni. On sand, however, the wheel can suddenly stall. Without a rigid connection, the rider then moves forward, relative to the uni, causing the wheel to become unweighted behind him, just when it’s necessary to apply force to bring the wheel forward, resulting in a forward UPD. With the rigid connection, by contrast, any momentary loss of traction or stalling of the wheel is mitigated by the rider and uni traveling forward as a single unit. While traveling through sandy sections, my riding becomes more isometric; I use excess force maintaining the rigid connection to the uni. My technique riding through sand is better now on a 2.1" wide tire than it was when I was a novice on a 3" wide tire. It is nice to know that, while I will never be an epic rider, there are all kinds of improvements that happen with practice and improvements to technique!
Smooth and rigid are two for sures.
I would add that an aggressive pedalling, almost acceleration, will keep you at a constant speed instead of letting the sand rob you of speed leading to a forward UPD.
I will measure the distance and the grade, then report back to the forum.
Edit: Just walked over there with a level and a ruler. Just for the record, a 100% grade is a 45 degree angle. The hill is about 30 feet long, and the grade varies between 50 and 70 percent. I know a few riders who could probably conquer it, in part, with sheer speed. I lose my connection with the uni when I’m pedaling too fast, screwing up my leverage. So speed is not an option, right now. If the hill were consistently 50% grade, I think I would’ve made it, but there is the 70 percent section that stops me close to the top (if I don’t lose traction before that).
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Sometimes my feet slip off the pedals, but mostly the issue with traction is between the tire and the dirt.