The Huni-Rex seems like a fun uni to give a try, so I asked Municycle.com if they have any in stock. Apparently they do, but don’t yet know the price. From what I read in the various threads, it does come with various problems. The biggest one to me would be that the chain will wear out and since the manufacturers are out of business, it will be impossible to get new spare parts. I’m not technical with bikes myself and I doubt an LBS could be of any help.
Would yous agree it is basically a waste of money?
Also I hadn’t much success with the Schlumpf in a KH26 and had sold it after a year, because I thought normal unis were easier to ride. I don’t care much it is a geared uni, just the idea with the pedals so low, could make it a fun ride.
You’d have to be a damn good rider to hop on it (note too, it’s extremely heavy)
Very wide Q factor like you are riding a motorcycle
I have not seen anybody do a sharp turn with one
It may be hard to replace a spoke - you might need to pull apart some very complicated setup due to the way its put together
If you are a solidly skilled uni rider, sure, you may enjoy it. If you arent so skilled, it’s frustrating and horrible. I much preferred a 36er - at least you know exactly how it would respond with a turn of the crank. Much more secure and reliable.
Thanks Gockie, I am not afraid that it will be difficult. It sounds like it behaves like a Lunicycle, which I haven’t gotten back into because when I first tried it one of the pedals got loose. The lunicycle is a kinda ultimate wheel, but it should be easier to ride and the balance point is also below the wheel axle. The leg supports push your legs outside, like riding on horseback. If the material they uses was stronger, I would use it more.
Learning to ride a HuniRex will be fun I think, but in the end I might just choose my normal unis again and then it will just gather dust in the shed.
[EDIT]
I just got a message from Municycle.com and they sell for 200 EUR, which isn’t bad. They also sent a link from Funicycle.com, the French version where they sell one for 650 EUR, which is seriously overpriced, since they are not being produced anymore and given the issues it comes with.
I decided to let this one slide.
The only additions I will eventually get are a 24" muni and a 27" muni, but there is no rush yet with those. They are more solid products.
I’m 99.9% sure that they use a standard bike chain of some kind (just shortened). A bike store can easily take care of that.
Fun novelty - maybe. Fun enough to spend money and space to store it on it? I personally don’t really think so… Plus, the fact that it is geared and has extra slop in the drivetrain will probably overshadow having the pedals lower.
Well I’ve got no time to send a long reply… but if you are don’t mind setting it a bit it is a good uni. I solved a lot of problems without too much work.
It has no more pedal issue (less than a 20" with 135 cranks)
The lower cranks are a blessing when fast riding and a when upd compared to similar uni (I own a 26+" hunirex, a G27,5 and a 36" and others)
It’s very easy to make smooth fast short radius turns. It is very difficult to make sharp turns (I am not ablesure)
It is heavy and hill climbing will be an issue.
It is the best choice if you are willing to built an electric assisted uni
I suppose a single speed guni could accomplish the same thing without needing any new parts other than the hub. I know the Schlumpf drives are very expensive, but maybe if it didn’t have the multiple gears they could be made for much less.
It’s not just the price (and general unavailability) that stops me getting a Schlumpf hub again, it’s also that they ride different to a fixed wheel, even in 1:1
The Huni Rex is even worse in that regard - there’s a reason why they didn’t sell well!
I fancy a bigger wheel because it’s a bigger wheel and the feeling that gives, not just so I can go faster.
This discussion might want to be moved elsewhere if it’s going to continue though as we’re getting a bit off topic!
I own a Schlumpf, a Huni-rex and a Carbon 36".
The Huni rex is safer than any other uni at high speed due to the lower distance from the ground. It requires some mod before riding so it’s good for Fix-By-Myself guy. After the first mod it is far more reliable than a Schlumpf. It has a real big downside: it is heavy and cannot use cranks longer than 125… so no hill climbing at all.
In my experience the Huni-rex own a bad reputation due to people going on repaeting and old mantra without even listening to real owners.
However I’m appreciating more my light 36" than the fixed Huni or the Sensitive Schlumpf
Not 100% accurate. A 36er will roll over much more things - rocks, roots,… - due to its bigger wheel. A Hunirex will just be stopped by these things. So a Hunirex is more dangerous than a 36er.
So here’s the thing that makes me wonder about the Huni Rex. There are two chain and sprocket systems. Two independent cranks and two points where those cranks can flex independently of each other. That’s a lot of potential slop in the system even if you have it tuned like a Stradivarius.
I don’t think this is true. Firstly as @Maxence says, the smaller wheel means it doesn’t roll over bumps and obstacles as easily, and the pedals being lower and not having that direct balance connection due to the axis of rotation being below the wheel means that (in my experience at least), it’s almost lethargic in how it rides with balance response being slow.
Regarding the height from the ground, I don’t think that’s true either. A 36er also isn’t very high off the ground, and I’d far rather have a bit more time to figure out what’s going on and get my body into a position to roll than have my feet really close to the ground when I’m going at a speed close to or above what I could run out of.
I kind of wish I had added one to my stable of unicycles, but it would have been as novelty/club unicycle rather than something particularly practical. If one pops up for sale in the next year in the UK then I may get it.
Mowcius, I do not want to say the Hunirex is the best Uni. I already said that I prefer my Carbon 36". But why are you saying that is not safer? Are you planning to ride a Hunirex in the wood? Well it’s the worst Uni you can ride in a wood with roots and rocks. But it is a road uni. It is sold as a road Uni. So if I consider the lots of UPD I did (and still do) when on road I am sure it is safer! It is true that at high speed it could be difficult to roll out a bad impact… but do you really roll out a 36 at high pace?
I’m just saying that a bad hurt could only be worst if riding higher. It is also true that a brake is mandatory…You cannot fast slow down using only your legs… I’m the one which went on asking a few months ago on the forum how to learn to emergency brake while riding a Huni. I needed to learn how to emergency brake the Hunirex while following my young child brakin with his bike on a narrow bike path.
Huni-rex is not bad. It has pros and cons like any other unicycle. It’s not the best road Uni, but it is by far the best value road Huni considerig you can buy it for about 150€ right now (maybe I should ask for a sponsorship! ). Many “Sclumphfers” admit they ride in high gear only for 10 times those money…
). Many “Sclumphfers” admit they ride in high gear only for 10 times those money…