I am looking to get a uni I can commute to work on and take some distance rides. I am looking at: Nimbus 29er w/ 114mm cranks, Coker Big One, or the Nimbus Titan. I am asking for y’alls help in making a decision on which one to get. My commuting ride is mostly straight side-walks with a few slow turns. As for my distance rides, they would be on a bike path. If you have one of the unicycles I listed above please give me the pros and cons of them. Thanks for the help.
I have the Nimbus Titan, the Nimbus Nightrider Pro 36 and the KH36.
The three are great unicycles but the best one is the KH36. Between the Titan and the Nightrider Pro I tend to incline for the Titan because it is lighter. If I were you the decision would be based on money. If you have the money to buy the KH36 go for that one it’s the best. However if you don’t have the money the Titan is the best unicycle for the price and frankly you won’t even miss the KH36. The 29 inch unicycle is an option but for commuting you just can’t beat a 36 inch.
What distance are you interested in riding? How long is your commute?
A 29" is fun to ride and good for a few miles. For any longer distances one of the 36" Unicycles makes more sense. If you have not ridden a 36" unicycle, I would recommend starting with 150 cranks and then getting shorter ones if you get bored with it.
My commute is about three miles. Money is a big factor in this decision. I will not have the money to afford the KH. I have decided that if I get a 36", it will be the Titan. One problem with that is there is no brake mounts and you kind of look ridiculous on a 36". I do have a question though, would a 29" w/ 114mm cranks go the same speed as a 36" w/ 152mm cranks?
A 29er might be best if you’re only going 3 miles each way. It will give you the maneuverability needed when riding on side walks and the speed needed to be useful.
114s will definitely give similar speeds to a 36er, but the big wheel and longer cranks would make for a more comfortable ride. You also get a higher riding posistion on the 36er which makes the ride a bit safer. I’ve asked around and you don’t look ridiculous on a coker, you look sexy :).
If this is a problem for you, unicycling is probably not the hobby for you. (NEWSFLASH! You’re riding a UNICYCLE! You will ALWAYS look ridiculous. Get the one that makes the ride the easiest.)
I have the Coker Big one and I absolutely love it. I don’t understand why there is so many persons that buy KH for distance. Overall, I think the coker is even lighter but I think that the KH wheel is lighter because of the 36 spokes instead of the 48 spokes on the coker. This is what I felt while trying those two.
I would recommend the Coker instead of the KH for the quality-price. The V-brake work also very well on the coker and it’s much cheaper. I don’t know anything about the nimbus thought.
I love my KH29 for my daily commute, which consists mostly of backalleys, sidewalks and pedestrian/cycle paths. Its maneuverability is awesome, like for the 180 degrees turn I have to do on a sloped ramp to avoid stairs, and the fairly steep downhill (and uphill on the way back). However, it’s only a 1 mile commute, so speed isn’t all that important. I think with a 36", I’d probably be on the road rather than the paths, so would be faster, but not as enjoyable. (Note that I don’t own a 36", and have only tried it twice in a limited setting, so my view of it might not be accurate).
With 150mm cranks, I average about 10 to 11km/h, usually limited by the terrain/safety rather than the wheel size. I tried the 125mm cranks for a bit, but found the lack of control down a steep hill a bit much for my abilities (I now have a brake, so might give it another try).
For me:
Pros of the 29er:
- Very maneuverable
- Good control on downhill/uphill
- Easy to bring in the elevator and store in my cubicle, at home and the trunk of the car
Cons:
- Not quite as fast, comfortable for longer rides on straights as the 36"
I have decided that the best uni for me is the 29" w/114mm cranks. Thank you guys for your help. Later on in my unicycle career I will get a 36" but for now the 29" will do just fine. Thanks again.
Good Choice!
Great! I have the Nimbus 29er and I outfitted it with the 114 cranks. It’s got plenty of zip and for the commute you are talking about, I think you’ll find it’s perfect.
There are several nice things about the 29er:
- easier to throw in the back of a car for transport
- easier to stow away in the house or at work
- easier to freemount under pressure
- easier to dismount gracefully
- greater variety of tires
- easier to learn useful stunts (idling, hopping, etc)
- easier to manuever in tight spaces
- less of an initial investment, which means you have more money left over for other accessories or equipment (other crank sizes, better seat, etc)
I’ve been riding mine for almost 3 years. Typically, my rides are between 3 and 5 miles. My longest ride in one day was just over 30 miles. Whenever I came to climbing hills, I found that I still overtook many bicyclists, even though it was “just” a 29er. But really, speed is not the point. It’s about the ride and the 29er will be fantastic for you.
Congratulations.
One of the reasons I chose the 29" is because 36" tires/tubes are hard to come by at a bike shop where as my 3 mile commute is to a bike shop that has a variety of 29" tires/tubes.
The 36 TA tire wears like steel
29’s are great. Light, easy to idle or ride at walk speed in a tight crowd. Things impossible for me as a new rider to do on the 36.
That said, in the sorta flat and open commuting ride I have going downtown, I always take the 36, unless I expect to ride in a crowd, like last 4th of July, when riding down the beach on the 29 was faster then the 36 because it handles people packed areas so much better. On an open route, the 36 is much faster, plus it is more fun to be 7’ tall, you can see what is on the other side of the common 6’ fences , making the ride more scenic.
The tire on my 19 is bald, my 24 muni is on it’s second tire, the 29 is looking ok but it’s sorta low mile. The 36" TA tire looks almost new, despite many more miles then the other unis put together. I would say tire life should be the last of your concerns riding a 36. I have not gone the miles to say this as a fact, but I bet a 36 TA tire would go for 10, maybe 15,000 miles. I base this on how my tire still looks new, yet has about 2000 miles on it in the last 2 years. If tire wear is a concern, the 36 TA tire is a misers dream.