Okay here’s my situation: I am in need of a new unicycle, I have around $1000 NZ that I could spend.
What should i do?
A.) Get a KH20 for $1000?
B.) Get a Nimbus20 for $500 and a splined setup for $400 (this would be $100 cheaper then a KH but wouldn’t it be just as good?
C.) Get a Nimbus20 and another unicycle?
D.) Just get a Nimbus and save my money or buy somehting else (any suggestions?)
So what should i spend my money on???
B./yes
Go the KH20, avoid the cost/hassle of gettin your wheel rebuilt and have yourself a superior frame that is designed specifically with a splined hub in mind, no need for weird size spacers and things. And it’s orange! What more could u ask for?!
You couldn’t get the KH frame for $100 and it is a great frame by all accounts, so from this perspective it is a great deal. On the other hand loads of people don’t have the frame and get on just fine, me included. I’ve never heard of a broke 20" Nimbus frame (that’s not to say it hasn’t happened!). You’d probably spend the money on having the wheel rebuilt with the new hub tho. I guess it’s largely a convenience issue and what you’d do with the extra $$$ anyway.
Plus with B you get to choose whether it’s an Onza or KH (or Qu-Ax if they get em in NZ, I think Profiles are a bit over $500?? Not sure) and this option is always a bonus. Plus you get a unique-ish unicycle into the bargain.
The Nimbus is a great entry level unicycle assuming you’re not going to go big, particularly in drops. You could perhaps get muni as well? Or a nice freestyle unicycle. Option C is really about what you want to get out of unicycling.
KH20…im getting one!! as soon as my birthday comes around and i have some money 
pete…the new ones are black/greyish
Thanks for all that guys. Wow I guess im going to have to sleep on this one… Im glad i found out if i got a splined setup i would have to rebuild the wheel, i didn’t know that, I though they could just swap the hubs over.
Overall I think im going to go with the Nimbus, because I do muni aswell the larger clearance on the Nimbus might come in handy in the mud. Basically now i just need to decide what to get with my Nimbus…I think i’ll find out how much rebuilding the wheel will cost, I can do 4 foot drops so i think i’ll probably bend the cranks fairly quickly, though i am very light…i dunno, time will tell.
Keep the suggestions coming…
they directly swapped the hubs on my nimbus 24 muni, from standard to a splined KH set…
If they do it right off and for free, the Nimbus/KH uni sounds good. The Nimbus frame isn’t as strong (but is still strong enough) and doesn’t have as good of a foot rest as the KH, but it should be quite a bit lighter. I guess the big difference is the seatpost diameter. The larger diameter of the KH makes it stronger and less likely to twist.
I don’t think I helped much. Oh well 
Daniel
That is pretty cool. a wheel build generally costs about £25UK, so if UDC do it for you, then it’s a gift! I think a splined set-up is definately the way to go for four footers, no matter how light you are. No point going cotterless, breaking/bending the cranks and then shelling out for a splined hub/crank set.
Ah yeah, the one bad point about the KH set on a regular frame is the bearing shields don’t sit flush with the bearing holders (as they are designed for the machined KH housings). Not super notieable but it is something I’d like to change on mine. I know regular spacers that will fit can be found, so it my be worth asking UDC if they have any.
Thinking about it you may as well go with the KH unless you want another unicycle badly. The frame is designed for the hub and has a better seat post style i.e it’s thicker. But again I don’t think there would be a major difference between the frames. So maybe the $100 could go elsewhere? New pedals? Saddle parts? Pads? Who knows!!! Think on it though.
ay? who’s “they”?
BS or uninformed? you can’t swap hubs with out rebuilding the wheel. and usually you have to get custom spokes.
mike clark
it was the bike shop, they had to rebuild the wheel, yes, but they used the original bits (except for the hub and crank of course)
www.unicycles.com.au
One option is to buy a uni with:
for somewhere between $500 and $600 Australian. Or a $800 - $900AUD KH20.
(from unicycles.com.au)
Just another option. You’re probably loyal to the NZ unicycle.com guys though, which is fair enough.
Andrew
If I was to get splined hub/crank set with my Nimbus then it would be an Onza as that is all unicycle.co.nz have. Just wondering is the Onza hub any different to a KH hub? Would it fit better on the Nimbus frame, because so far everyone has just been talking about if i got a KH hub I would need spacers etc, but i was just wondering if that would still apply for an Onza hub…
Unless the place that is doing the switching has hundreds of unicycle wheels already built in several combinations
Hmm, well in my earlier post I thought you were thinkin of the KH hub but with the onza hub, lemme see, you’ll like this:
Onza Frame = NimbusII Frame
NimbusII Frame = Onza Frame
Only difference is the colour of the frame.
Nimbus Trials ($500) + Onza Hub & Cranks ($400) = Same setup as a $1200 Onza!!
Ridiculous really but that’s the way it goes, the tyre, rim, frame, seat, cranks & hub would all be same as the factory Onza. Another advantage is that then you’d have a spare CrMo hub (valued at $75), cranks (valued at $25) and possibly also spare spokes.
The downside is you’d need to do a wheelbuild which by the way isn’t impossibly hard (I did one on my 20") see http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html if you wanna have a go yourself.
Also I had a look at http://www.unicycle.uk.com/SpokeCalc.asp and according to that, required spoke lengths are:
-“Onza Hub & Alex DX32 Rim” requires 178.05mm spokes
and
-“Uni.com Hub & Alex DX32 Rim” requires 177.48mm spokes
Only half a mm difference so you might get away with it, I’m not sure (does anyone know?).
cheers
Pete
PS The difference between the Onza hubs and the KH hubs is that the Onza has 36 splines and the KH has 8 splines which, in my estimation makes the Onza stronger (more contact surface), the onza hub probably looks a bit flashier too, dunno what the difference in weight is though.
Onza cranks have a “low q-factor” so they point out slightly diagonally away from the unicycle, fairly pointless if you ask me.
pete, if the nimbus frame is the same thing as the Yuni, there is a difference between the onza and nimbus frame… the onza has 2 plugs in the tops of crown and tapers from oval, to pointed oval, on each side of the frame. not sure why, exactly, but that’s how it is.
also, 36 spline? does that mean you couldn’t put profile cranks on an onza hub?
The Onza Frame and yuni/nimbus two frame are not the same, although they have the same design. The main difference being the size of tubing. The onza uses larger diameter tubing, including the seat tube. The Yuni uses a 22.2 mm seat tube, and the Onza uses what I assume to be a 27.2, but could be a 25.4. In either case, it’s larger than a 22.2.
But isn’t that what the NimbusII design is like? - I know the NimbusII 24" has 2 plugs etc.
That’s a good point, it’s a 27.2mm seat tube on the Onza so yeah, include an extra seatpost in the order (about $15).
Isn’t the Onza frame Chromoly as opposed to regular steel??
I find it to be better for pedal grabs onto most things, particularly where the edge of the object isn’t perpendicular to the floor. I really like the Q factor. Plus no nubs. I think even the '04 KHs have a slight nub still.
The number of splines has been discussed in a few previous threads and I think it was decided that the number isn’t really the issue. More how well made they are and also something to do with the root diameter of the spindle/axle. Either way I don’t think the KH has had many/any spline problems.
I do highly recommend the Onza hub/crank set for trials with a Yuni/Nimbus/Qu-Ax frame.