So I have an old, rusty 20’ torker unistar that i’ve been using for 2 years. I think its time for a change. My budget is around 500-600 dollars and I would like to get a new unicycle or new unicycles if it’s under my budget.
My biggest concern is that I dont know what type of unicycle i want to move on to. I can barely jump on my uni b/c it doesnt have a handle - and I want to learn tricks like wheel walking and unispins. So a trials unicycle would be nice.
But I also really like the idea of getting a commuter unicycle so i can ride it around town. And the one time I tried a coker- going fast was soooo much fun. My current unicycle feels like I’m riding my bike on 1st gear. but without coasting.
But I’m going mountain biking for college orientation - so i’m tempted to get a mountain unicycle to bring to the event.
What are your opinions on what type of unicycle i should move on to, and then of each type - what unicycle should I buy thats in my budget?
And use it for Cross Country MUni as well as for Commuting, but one downside is that it has a single walled rim so you wouldnt want to do any big drops on it .
okay, so I like both Ideas alot. But I still have a few questions.
About the first posters suggestion:
How different is a MUni and a trials unicycle? Because it seems like the Muni is the same unicycle but with a 4" bigger wheel.
And about using a Nimbus 29-inch Touring Unicycle as a MUni and a commuter unicycle:
Would this be a weaker commuter unicycle than a 36"? And how much worse would the performance be? And are the tires strong enough for trails? Like I dont want to get this half-and-half unicycle to find out that i want a better commutter unicycle AND a better MUni.
bluecheez, the MUni is basically a trials with a 4" bigger tire. It’s a great unicycle because it’s possible to do trials, street, some freestyle, muni and some distance due to its faster cruising speed.
You might want to get the muni and a commuter, but it’s going to cost you about a thousand dollars for both.
A lot depends on where you are and where you’ll be. If you’re in a place that doesn’t have good MUni trails, it would be silly to get a MUni. If you’re in a place that has good MUni trails, it would be silly to get anything else.
The Nimbus 24" MUni with KH crank upgrade is almost certainly the best option for someone on a budget.
A 29er is a good option if your local trails are relatively easy; they’re not really up for hard-core MUni (unless Josh Schoolcraft is riding one), but for relatively easy trails, they’re more fun than a 24" MUni. And they’re way more fun to ride around town; riding a MUni around town sucks.
I just want to mention that the Nimbus Venture cranks, which are standard on the muni and trials, are excellent cranks. I have a pair and they feel very strong, lightweight, and they are a cool looking black color . Personally, I don’t think anyone needs Moments if they have Ventures. Mine have stood up to everything I throw at them.
okay, so right now I’m leaning towards getting a Nimbus 24-inch MUni Cycle with ISIS hub and a crank upgrade, and a separate commuter unicycle. Should I get the Nimbus Nightrider 36?
Also, I live in Northeast New Jersey on the NJ-NY state border - and I’m 30 mins from NYC. Any good MUni trails near me?
You still need to add pedals to the mix, so add $10 to either for pedals and you have a decent commuter for not much. The parts from Coker are pretty cheap, and at least the wheel price includes shipping. For $10 more you can get the Coker button tread tire, or for $27 more you could get the nimbus nightrider tire. The Nightrider frame will require ships to put the Coker wheel in, but they are easy to make if you don’t want to buy them.
The parts as listed should just fit together with the exception of the shim for the bearing holders on the Nightrider frame. I made a shim from a piece of sheet metal that was one milimeter thick. I just cut two strips, and crudely bent them into a circle. Once installed the bearings/holders formed the strips into perfect shims.
I think the Titan frame uses 40mm bearings, and so wouldn’t require a shim.
I don’t think many of these are very good parts. I’d get a whole unicycle if possible. The Nightrider is really good. If you plan on doing any offroading at all, get the nightrider tire, not the TA. The nightrider rim is also better than the coker rim, in my opinion. You may want a T7 handlebar since many of the new KH bars have been breaking. Venture cranks are really good, and the KH freeride saddle is much better than either of jtrops’s suggestions, but it’s $65. That is the most comfortable saddle on the market right now.
Those are my suggestions. Feel free to ask any other questions.
I don’t think many of these are very good parts. I’d get a whole unicycle if possible. The Nightrider is really good. If you plan on doing any offroading at all, get the nightrider tire, not the TA. The nightrider rim is also better than the coker rim, in my opinion. You may want a T7 handlebar since many of the new KH bars have been breaking. Venture cranks are really good, and the KH freeride saddle is much better than either of jtrops’s suggestions, but it’s $65. That is the most comfortable saddle on the market right now.
Those are my suggestions. Feel free to ask any other questions.
I bend 1mm sheet metal crudely into a circle? I feel uncomfortable doing this. I cant just order a shim from somewhere?
Then after this my unicycle is assembled?
I have to say, this all is just a little bit confusing - especially considering I don’t know very many bike part terms.
I bet you have good trails, hopefully w/in an hours drive.
I’d get the 24" Muni w/ double hole cranks and add a slick tire until you get a third uni.
Everything but the wheel build is easy.
The hardest thing about building a wheel is the time and getting it trued just right. It would prob take several hours to build the wheel if you haven’t done it before, but once built, I’d take it to a LBS to true it. Or just pay them ~ $40 to build and true it for you.
Well I would definitely get the muni! You can cruise on it with a slick, take it off road, and do some tricks on it too. But then you need to decide if you really like to go fast, or stay in one place and spin the thing hour after hour. I never took up skateboarding very much since I get bored of being in one place and not making a trick. I’ve always like to go fast and MOVE. So I seem to be gravitating towards muni and road. I am hoping I will still learn tricks on my trials, but its been neglected since i’ve gotten my muni. I also feel like I can hurt myself more doing tricks so right now I am not wanting to hurt myself again. (I’ve had a broken arm) But if you really want to learn unispins, thats better on a trials. My recommendation is take the muni, do tricks, cruise, muni on it, then decide on your second uni a month later.
UDC sells shims that they call “Bearing Adaptors” for $8.00. You would want the ones that adapt 40mm bearings to 42mm holders. They are the same shims used on the Nightrider uni if you purchased a pre-built one.
I am by no means an expert on Coker’s, but could there be more clarification about which parts aren’t very good. The hub is super wide CrMo cotterless (possibly the same as the one on the Nightrider). It has 14 gauge stainless spokes (48 on the Coker, 36 on the Nightrider), and the rim is aluminum double walled. The Coker seatpost is either aluminum or CrMo ($2.00 more), and so you can choose light, or strong, but how is it not good?
If you build the nightrider frame with the venture cranks, the KH street saddle, the nightrider tire, and the Coker wheel it would come in around $400 as compared to a very similar Nightrider for $575. I am having a hard time understanding where the extra $175 is going. You could get a handlebar, and a freeride seat and still come out cheaper.
Like I said I am not a Coker person. If there is a resonable difference that I am not seeing please illuminate. Is the Nightrider rim a stronger? I have seen a UniGeezer vid putting the Coker rim through some gruelling drops, and it seemed to fair well. It’s the only real difference that I can see between the two wheels, and as for the rest of the uni, there doesn’t seem to be much difference at all.
. Personally, I don’t think anyone needs Moments if they have Ventures. Mine have stood up to everything I throw at them.