Moab wheelset trauma

Unicycles and Equipment
1

well you see, I have a 24" yuni (nimbus II) frame and a yellow kh saddle, I just need a wheelset. my options are…

  1. Get a Gazzalodi wheelset with profile hub and cranks (probably 170 mm cranks)

  2. get a 2.5 size rim with a hookworm tire and another 2.5 size muni tire for later.

  3. get a Gazzalodi wheelset (same as option 1) but also purchase a 3" arrow tire, ride it on the street a bit and wear down the tread.

I guess it all boils down to this, am I fine in taking a gazzalodi tire to Moab? or will I NEED a slicker tire? I am pressed on time and money, I have a job, but it is non-existant in the winter time. Thanks guys, I will appreciate your comments.
-Jonathan Ware-

2

I have never been to Moab, But I would say just get the profile and Gazz 2.6 (If you can fit a 3" go for that). I dont see any reason why you would absolutly need a slick tire , the only thing I can think of is that it might be non marking.

I would get what you are most likely to ride on 90% of the time and not just for the Moab weekend.

Mike

3

That’s what I was thinking, what about crank size, would I want 170 or 175? I have ridden both, they seem about the same, but I tended to like 170 better, both rides weren’t uphill, does the 175 pay off for uphill or will the 170 do me better? thanks again

4

longer is better for going up hills and shorter is beter for down hills and on the flat.
working harder on downhills is easier than working harder on uphills

5

Im going say go with the gazz, It will work fine at moab but Might wear down a little bit more than riding on a normal trail.

6

If your wheel is for Moab or slickrock only, you may not need the tread and volume of the Gazz. But when slickrock is wet, you still need tread.

On dry slickrock, the Gazz is probably overkill. This doesn’t mean you can’t ride it there. If anything, you can add some air to cut down on the friction a bit. This is what I may do. But I will be riding a 3" Gazz there.

If you plan on riding in various places, only some of which are slickrock, I’d get the Gazz.

7

A 3" tire is nice in Moab. The slickrock is not smooth like pavement. It can be quite bumpy and the 3" tire sucks up the bumps nicely.

Moab has steep ups and steep downs. The ups can be steeper than I can climb even though there is plenty of traction. If you want to play on the steep stuff bring the long cranks. Most of the ups and downs are fairly short (they’re not 100 foot climbs or long extended climbs) but there are a lot of them. It’s constant up and down.

The tire wear isn’t enough to be worried about. It’s much like spending a weekend doing urban trials. If you have a slightly worn tire bring it instead of a brand new Gazz, but if you have to use a brand new Gazz I wouldn’t worry about it. The other option is to bring a less expensive tire like the $20 Arrow Racing Savage, but it’s a bit overkill to get that tire just for Moab.

There are sandy parts in Moab where good knobbies will be a necessity to be able to ride those sections. The sandy parts that I remember were several inches deep, like riding through a sandbox or on the beach. A slick tire would not work there.

If I go to Moab I’m going to bring a 24x3 Gazz. I’ll look through my supply and pick the one that is most worn.

8

sounds like I’ll just be getting a gazz, thanks guys. and I think I will go for 170 cranks, If I need to I will hike up steep parts, saves energy, and I like hiking anyway.
question 2: what shoes would you use? I’ve seen Kris wearing hiking/walking shoes, they seem rugged but with not too much tread. thanks for all the help guys, I hope to see you there.
who all is going to be there?
-Jonathan Ware-