Hey everyone,
The new KH27.5 unicycle is out. There’s a blog post here, with some photos and a cool new video by Ryan Kremsater.
Kris
Hi Kris. Thanks for this. I’ve been eyeing the new KH26 for a while and when I found out this was coming out was thinking about getting this instead.
I know you’re going to get a lot of questions about this vs the 26 but it’s a lot of money to spend and no way to try it out first 
I’ve ridden a 24 and 29 for muni and for short, fun urban commutes, rolling hops over curbs that kind of stuff. Most of the muni I do isn’t super technical, but not pure cross country either. I like to climb etc. and sometimes like to get a bit technical. I found the 29 too big for what I like to do, and the 24 a bit too small, even with 137mm cranks.
I’m leaning toward the 27.5, but I noticed you said that a smaller person might like the 26 geo better. Do you have a suggestion for my body type and riding preferences?
Also, worst case, I guess, is that a 26 wheel would fit in this frame, so I could always get another wheel or sell the 27.5 if I don’t like it…
It’s a tough question because it depends a lot on riding style. My sense is that riders at 5’9" or smaller might still like the KH26 or smaller geometry (general rule, sure to be broken). I am 5’11 and the KH27.5 feels pretty ideal for me personally. On technical rides I find the KH29 a bit big and prefer it on more XC-oriented trails.
On the dealer side of things I did get questions about whether I was going to discontinue the KH26 in the same way that the 26" geometry has died out on mountain bikes. The only way I could see that happening is if the demand dropped too much. For reasons of fit, I think it is really important to have both in the lineup. The most important thing is to make sure it fits.
Kris
I’d be interested in others’ opinions who are about the same size as I am and same riding style and who have actively ridden both sizes. Somewhat of a duplicate as the other conversation on this forum…but what the heck…
The diameter of a 27.5x3 measures within an inch of a 29x2.2. If the 29 was too big for your preferred riding then it’s hard to imagine that this won’t be. It’s basically a puffier tire in a 29" format (i.e. without going to 29+). That alone can make it more stable and forgiving on techy stuff but a 26x3 would be even more so.
My feeling is that if a 24 is too slow and a 29 too big you want a 26, not a 27.5. A 27.5 fits when you like the size of a 29 but want it to feel a bit more capable in the rough.
Yes and given the clearance on that 27.5x3 tire a 29x2.2 will fit too.
I’ve been wanting a 27.5+ uni, using something like the Trax Fatty 27.5 3.25" tire, but it looks like that tire would be a really tight fit here.
This post shows the width of the Trax tire as 86mm, ±1 on a 60mm (inner diameter) rim. The KH site shows the clearance as 94mm, and the rim diameter 47.5mm (outer diameter, I guess).
So only 3-4mm clearance on each side with the 60 mm rim, maybe a little more with a narrower rim… maybe enough? Maybe not? I wish it weren’t so close.
A 60mm rim is signifcantly wider than a 47mm rim. In the linked thread the VTF 3.25 fit in a 29" Oracle frame on a 45mm wide Velocity Dually rim. I don’t think it’ll be a problem fitting in the KH27.5 on a 47mm rim.
hi Mr Holm,
I was a satisfied owner of a kh24 until last month when I sold it in order to buy a kh 26. I was jut pulling the trigger when you put this new product in the market. I already have a 29er for xc and I need a smaller wheel for dh. My question is: Will you stop the production of the kh26 in the future? Will be the 26 the new 27,5 like in the mtb world?
Thanks a lot!
Nicola
The uni in that thread was actually a steel Nimbus frame, strategically dented to make extra clearance. It wouldn’t have fit otherwise. From the photo it looks like the actual mounted tire came in at 84mm, so just a mm or so more clearance than the tire spec gave.
Yes you’re right about the frame not being an Oracle. Though he measured the width at 2.9" (74mm) and the mounted tire fit in his 32" frame, which is an extended Nimbus muni frame.
Hard to say it will definitely fit, but based on what I’ve seen I’d go for it myself.
The Knard and Havok have a measured width of 79 mm.
The 94 mm clearance was designed to fit up to a measured width of 83 mm, which is the width of the Duro Crux 27.5x3.25" tire. 86 should fit just barely, but it would be good to keep your wheel true =)
This was fine-tuning to make sure that it fit a reasonable range while keeping the fork blades as slim as possible.
As a side note - I have heard reports that the Trax Fatty 3.25" has some issues with self-steering. That is not a first-hand impression; I haven’t ridden on it.
I am currently riding on a Trax Fatty 3.0" tire. It’s pretty good although I like the Havok better. Very occasionally I find it tracks strangely, perhaps due to the concentration of tread along the ridgeline. Not enough to entirely dislike the tire. Measured width is smaller than the Knard or Havok - I think it should fit in a 2014 or earlier KH frame which would be a big plus for riders with that setup.
Kris
Thanks, Kris!
I love seeing the 27.5 size added to the uni world, for comparison sake can we know the outside diameter of the Kenda Havoc mounted up to the KH27.5 rim?
Not exactly the measurement of a Kenda Havok on a KH 27.5 but still a good image I wanted to share on this topic 
Thanks sidd for this pic!
So finally I can definitely consider my g26+ (knard 26x3) as a g27.5 (when inflated enough)
Kris, any plan to sell 27.5 frame separately?
Yum. For a few years now, I considered my “next” unicycle to be a KH 26 with disc (leaving room for future Schlumpf hub). Now I have to make a decision. I already have a 29" and, at least with the rims and tires I’ve used, don’t like it for the technical stuff. Reading the copy on the KH website, Kris seems to relate wheel size mostly to rider size, in terms of what will work best (plus terrain). 27.5 might be too close to my 29", but 26" might also be kind of similar to my old Wilder with 24 x 3" tire. Hmmm.
For the moment, I think I’m still in the 26" camp, as a replacement for my “classic” Wilder (lovingly depicted at the end of Kris’ book). It will be my Muni for pounding the hard stuff, while my 29", if I ever ride it again, will still be great for the milder trails that are still too technical for a 36".
This is not to be negative about the new 27.5, oh no! It looks like an excellent size to fill the gap there, and to fit the many riders who will love that wheel size and fit.
The 27.5+ tire has an outer diameter thats nearly the same as of a 29x2.2 or so. So it’s basically a 29er with more suspension. If the 29er is too big for you, the 27.5+ probably will also be. Or you change it’s tire by a smaller one and lose some suspension.
this is what I’m thinking is that the 27.5 is too close to the 29. But that frame would be quite flexible. You could fit a 26, 27.5 or 29 in it. Still havent made up my mind.
For muni, 27.5+ is indeed an exciting size. Being the outside diameter is that of the 29" could prove to be the Goldilocks size. It’s a bonus that the biking world really thinks so too at this point.
The 29 size frequently focused on being lightweight at the expense of sidewall stiffness. Up until 29+ hit there wasn’t a good selection of decent volume tires in the 29 rim size. 29+ is fun, but it is a bit big for technical situations. 27.5+ should prove to be about as fast as a 29 with a less XC and more Trail and Enduro emphasis on tires. This is good for us unicyclists.
I don’t have a 27.5+ yet, but have been riding a 26+ since last summer. It too is a great size. Since the first ride I was very impressed. It is a bit smaller than the 29er for sure, but right away I found myself clearing rock gardens and technical sections that had given me difficulty for a long time. Although there aren’t a whole lot of 26+ tires available at this point, the selection will be significantly increasing in this size as more bikes are embracing this size for smaller riders.
Having KH unis available (27.5+, 26+, and 29+) that are rolling with the current trends in the bicycling world is win. It not only allows us a better selection of tires, but it also increases the interest of mountain bikers when we stop to High 5 them on the trail. I’ve had several biking friends take up unicycling recently. They aren’t put off by the price of high end unicycles at all. The fact we have great looking, strong, functional equipment available at a fraction of the price of a high end bike piques their interest in a hurry.
27.5+ It looks like it’s time to (at the minimum) build another wheel…