Hey, I love my Nimbus 24" muni. Being able to roll over roots at a slow pace and this will my my muni of choice for technical/ turny trails.
That being said, I want a 29er now. The trails in and around Dallas are relatively flat to where REAR suspension mtn b_kes are not necessary.
I would like to be able to get some distance on my muni now to build my trail legs.
So here’s what I want. Something durable (of course), can climb moderate hills, and can make good time.
The choices are limited at this time to three. Nimbus Drak, Nimbus II and KH 29.
I’ve read some other threads which touch on the differences but I need more of a push.
I won’t pay for a KH at this time. The Drak looks like it would be bulky and slow compared to the NimbusII. ie. bigger/wider/heavier rim/tire… The frames and hubs don’t appear to be much different.
http://www.unicycle.com/unicycles/mountain-unicycle/nimbus-ii-29-inch-mountain-unicycle.html/
http://www.unicycle.com/unicycles/mountain-unicycle/nimbus-drak-29-inch-unicycle.html/
Being only a 10$ difference makes it hard to come to a decision.
Am I mistakenin my assessment? I know it all boils down to personal preference but my needs are speed, distance, and climbing power.
Thanks
If you find a muni that flies, post video.
The round crown is nicer on the Drak, otherwise I think the only difference is the tire. Tire choices abound, so you shoudl expect to buy a tire unless you happen to like the stock tire. I found the Stout to be so-so for muni, okay for dirt/gravel. The Dissent is a burly tire, good for muni, so-so for dirt/gravel.
You should change to a KH Freeride seat unless you like the curvature on the Nimbus seat. Long cranks are fine if you plan to do some big climbing, otherwise 125/150 moments or just 150 Ventures.
You might consider a 36er, it would be a whole lot faster, that’s what I ride when the trail is flat enough for beginner mtb; i.e. no suspension needed.
None of the trails that I’ve seen in the Dallas area require a big beefy unicycle. The extras that the Drak offers – 36 hole hub, magura brake mounts, and (I think) more tire clearance – are all things you don’t really need around here.
The Nimbus II should be fine.
+1 to 36er for the terrain you’re describing.
The main two trails I’m thinking of are not 36er friendly. Theres only a few places where my 36er could be considered for off road. ie. spacious and more like roads. The trails I speak of are long but do require quick turns, small drops and very rocky ascents/descents at times. The mtn biks do need front suspension for the terrain I’m describing. Plus I would hate to free mount a 36 on the trail as often as I already have to on the street.
I have no preference about crown shape. I will probably upgrade the saddle when ordering and get dual hole cranks down the road, and tires are easily changed so I guess its all about the rim/hub
Eh, decisions, decisions.
I think I’m leaning toward the Nim2. It just looks a little better and has a lighter wheel (I think).
I think you’re underestimating what can be done on a 36er. I ride very rough single track on my 36er, rocky, rooty, lots of abrupt changes, it is so much faster than a 29er. I only use my 29er for hard muni.
If anything, a 36 is easier to ride in rocky areas than a 29, because it just rolls over a lot of the rocks that you might have to go around on a smaller wheel. With practice, I also now find the 36 to be plenty maneuverable - less than a 29 uni, but still way more precise than a bike. A 36 is certainly not limited to just fire roads, and on some single track it’s actually easier than a 29 (like narrow trails with overhanging grass where you can’t see holes and rocks, the 36 just plows over em with lots of stability).
I think a 36er has disadvantages vs. a 29er in just two areas:
-
Climbing, due to weight and leverage ratio.
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Free mounting. I admit it took me over a year to get really consistent and comfortable freemounting my 36er. It is harder to freemount a 36 vs a 29, especially in difficult terrain and when tired.
I suppose another disadvantage for me on the 36 is that it is too fast for comfortable riding with my son on his 24 - but that’s not a problem that applies to your description.
So if you’re still not to the point of true comfort in mounting the 36, a 29er may be best, for now, for your riding scenario. But don’t rule out using the 36 on those trails in the future!
As to which 29: I’m over 200# with gear, so I would not personally go with less than 36 spokes, particularly off road. But I also don’t think the Dissent would be good for trying to go fast. So I’d look at the Drak with a different tire. Also, I’d bet most of the weight difference between the two is in the Dissent tire - the Nimbus rim might be slightly heavier than the KH rim, but 4 spokes and nipples don’t add much weight.
Is another disadvantage with the 36 over the 29 that I’m imagining an actual disadvantage:
You sit higher:
- You smack into even more “low” branches.
- When you do have an UPD it’s even that much further to the ground.
I have the drak and love it. You can go pretty darn fast with the dissent tire. Its also nice to have the option of brakes. they are pretty nice to have. Also the dissent is a nice big tire so you can put pretty big tires under the Drak frame. I dont know about the clearance on the N II. I’m biased but would go with the Drak.
I suppose if you’re coming from a 24", the 36" could seem really big, so a 29" would be a nice in-between size; though it’ll still feel slow when you hit the flats.
I’d get the Drak and ask them to swap tires for whatever Kris is specing on the 29er; they might have it in stock and make a swap for you. That round frame is really nice, it’s much easier on the knees and it looks good.
32 hole rims/hubs are the mtb standard, but most unis use 36h, so I’d stick with 36h.
if you’re a normal (5’11" 175) size human being, the 36" could seem really big.[/I]
Branches - do they have those in Texas?
Height vs UPD - gives more hang time for a proper landing. 
I just labored over this exact conundrum a few weeks ago and went for the Nimbus 2. Now that I have it I think I made the right choice - it’s plenty heavy duty for what I’m doing, learning Muni. Anything more would have been overkill for my purposes - when I start getting aggressive enough to need something sturdier I’ll probably buy a 26er. And - personally I much prefer the lines of the N-2 over the round crown. I got it with the 137/165 Moment cranks which fit my skill level perfectly.
My only regret on the N-2 purchase is that it lacks rim brake mounts. But that just means I’ll have to go disc when the time comes.
Sam
Wow, this thread just woke up during my Muni ride today!
I agree with everything that is being said which is why I’m having trouble in the decision. My 24" is SOLID. I don’t have to worry about anything during a UPD, it just takes it in without complaint. I think that is really my concern as to which 29er would soak up the abuse. My Titan, however, I would not be so sure about UPD’s during a Muni ride.
Also, like others have touched on, when I pop off the 24, I grab it, jump on, and keep truck’n. My 36 on just flat pavement takes a few hops and when tired just gets uglier and uglier. and Yes, there are plenty of branches that pop my helmet when I’m not paying attention. 
Brake mounts are no big deal with the crank options now.
It sounds like, being that I will go 29er and not 36, the Drak with a lighter tire would be the best choice. I like the way the Nimbus2 looks, more like my 24", but as long as its solid who cares.
I wish I could pick parts to swap. Nimbus2 with Drak wheel, different tire would be ideal
So I went with the Drak. Went on a technical 11(ish) mile ride at the trail and this thing impressed the hell out of me. Solid, solid, and with the 165 KH cranks it powers through the roots/rocks/hills with ease and is easily maneuvered. Thanks for all the help. I would say go Drak if anyone else has this same problem.
A 29’er that flys? How about this one:
How do you like the Dissent tire?
I want one.
^me too.
I like the WTB tire a lot. Its super knobby so I always felt stable no matter what direction or degree the trail sloped. I ran a higher pressure but the size made up for rolling over the small roots/rocks. I can’t wait to get out there again.