After going for a muni ride the other day I realised that I didn’t have the best
tire on my uni for the muddy minnesota summer that we are having. I was
wondering if other riders have had experience riding in real muddy conditions.
It seems to me that a tire with a few large knobs would work the best but I have
heard that on bikes, tires that ride well (or better?) in the mud don’t do so
well in drier conditions.
Peter
Re: Muddy Muni
I haven’t tried any tires that are specifically designed for mud. In general the
mud tires don’t have a good tread pattern for unicycles and look like they would
have sketchy performance on any hard surface.
I’ve been using the Panaracer FireXCpro 2.1" tire (the XC is for cross-country).
It has done very well in all sorts of conditions including mud and dry hard
packed trails. We get a little bit of rain around Seattle so if I want to go
riding in the Spring I have to deal with some mud. The FireXCpro sheds mud very
well. The mud will be shed before it makes a round trip around the tire (I like
chocolate donuts but not on my tire). I’ve only run into one type of mud that it
didn’t shed and that mud was a dry mix of sand, clay, and dirt. It does well in
Washington mud, but I don’t know how it would do in Minnesota mud or on the
specific trails that you ride.
I’m using the FireXCpro on a Sun Ryhno Lite rim. It has a nice supple sidewall
and sucks up bumps like roots and rocks really well. But since it is a XC tire
the sidewall won’t take abuse like a downhill tire. If you do big drops or ride
through places with jagged rocks you might split or cut the sidewall. But for XC
style riding with moderate hops to get over roots and logs it does great.
However, when side-hopping up a steep hill it will want to fold over under the
rim. It’s my current favorite non-DH muni tire. It’s a very popular tire so it
should be easy to find it at a bike shop for $20 to $30.
I’ve also tried the Panaracer FireDHpro 2.3" tire (the DH is for down hill). It
didn’t work very well for me on the relatively narrow Rhyno Lite rim. The
FireDHpro needs a wider rim. The tire worked best when I lowered the pressure to
just below 35 pounds, but at that low pressure and my narrow rim I popped the
bead out of the rim when hopping sideways up a hill. At higher pressures the
ride was harsh and it would loose traction (especially when climbing) because it
would bounce over little rocks and roots rather than sucking up the bump and
staying in full contact with the ground. But that’s the kind of tradoffs you get
when you use a tire with a stiffer reinforced sidewall. With a wider rim it
might do better. On the plus side, it did great in the mud. It’s knobs are
bigger and deeper than the FireXCpro so it gets even more traction in the mud
than the XC. I didn’t like the way it lost its bead and I also didn’t like the
way it lost traction at pressures above 35psi when going over little bumps so
I’m not using the DHpro tire any more (at least until I get a wider rim).
So in short, if you have a modest rim try the FireXCpro 2.1. If you have a wide
rim try the FireDHpro 2.3 or one of the other DH tires like Intense or Gazz.
You can see the full line of Panaracer tires at http://www.panaracer.com/
UnicycleSource.com carries the FireDHpro
john_childs
>After going for a muni ride the other day I realised that I didn’t have the
>best tire on my uni for the muddy minnesota summer that we are having. I was
>wondering if other riders have had experience riding in real muddy conditions.
>
>It seems to me that a tire with a few large knobs would work the best but I
>have heard that on bikes, tires that ride well (or better?) in the mud don’t do
>so well in drier conditions.
>
>Peter
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
RE: Muddy Muni
This discussion of tires has been really interesting, but I’ve been wondering
something and haven’t seen it addressed here before. On lots of mountain bike
tires, there are wheel-specific treads for front and rear wheels, or else on
tires good for either wheel, they usually specify which direction the tread
should go. So which is better for muni–front or rear? And why? Thanks for any
insight you can give. My 24" has a bmx tire that isn’t wheel- or
direction-specific, so I haven’t had to deal with this personally yet.
> ----------
> From: John Childs Reply To: John Childs Sent: Monday, June 26, 2000 1:09 PM
> To: unicycling@winternet.com Subject: Re: Muddy Muni
>
> I haven’t tried any tires that are specifically designed for mud. In general
> the mud tires don’t have a good tread pattern for unicycles and look like they
> would have sketchy performance on any hard surface.
>
> I’ve been using the Panaracer FireXCpro 2.1" tire (the XC is for
> cross-country). It has done very well in all sorts of conditions including mud
> and dry hard packed trails. We get a little bit of rain around Seattle so if I
> want to go riding in the Spring I have to deal with some mud. The
>
> FireXCpro sheds mud very well. The mud will be shed before it makes a round
> trip around the tire (I like chocolate donuts but not on my tire). I’ve only
> run into one type of mud that it didn’t shed and that mud was a dry mix of
> sand, clay, and dirt. It does well in Washington mud, but I don’t know
>
> how it would do in Minnesota mud or on the specific trails that you ride.
>
> I’m using the FireXCpro on a Sun Ryhno Lite rim. It has a nice supple sidewall
> and sucks up bumps like roots and rocks really well. But since it is a XC tire
> the sidewall won’t take abuse like a downhill tire. If you do big drops or
> ride through places with jagged rocks you might split or cut the sidewall. But
> for XC style riding with moderate hops to get over roots and logs it does
> great. However, when side-hopping up a steep hill it will want to fold over
> under the rim. It’s my current favorite non-DH muni tire. It’s a very popular
> tire so it should be easy to find it at a bike shop for $20 to $30.
>
> I’ve also tried the Panaracer FireDHpro 2.3" tire (the DH is for down hill).
> It didn’t work very well for me on the relatively narrow Rhyno Lite rim.
>
> The FireDHpro needs a wider rim. The tire worked best when I lowered the
> pressure to just below 35 pounds, but at that low pressure and my narrow rim I
> popped the bead out of the rim when hopping sideways up a hill. At higher
> pressures the ride was harsh and it would loose traction (especially when
> climbing) because it would bounce over little rocks and roots rather than
> sucking up the bump and staying in full contact with the ground. But that’s
> the kind of tradoffs you get when you use a tire with a stiffer reinforced
>
> sidewall. With a wider rim it might do better. On the plus side, it did great
> in the mud. It’s knobs are bigger and deeper than the FireXCpro so it gets
> even more traction in the mud than the XC. I didn’t like the way it lost its
> bead and I also didn’t like the way it lost traction at pressures
>
> above 35psi when going over little bumps so I’m not using the DHpro tire any
> more (at least until I get a wider rim).
>
> So in short, if you have a modest rim try the FireXCpro 2.1. If you have a
> wide rim try the FireDHpro 2.3 or one of the other DH tires like Intense
> or Gazz.
>
> You can see the full line of Panaracer tires at http://www.panaracer.com/
> UnicycleSource.com carries the FireDHpro
>
> john_childs
>
>
>
> >After going for a muni ride the other day I realised that I didn’t have
> the
> >best tire on my uni for the muddy minnesota summer that we are having. I
>
> >was wondering if other riders have had experience riding in real muddy
> >conditions.
> >
> >It seems to me that a tire with a few large knobs would work the best but
> I
> >have heard that on bikes, tires that ride well (or better?) in the mud don’t
> >do so well in drier conditions.
> >
> >Peter
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
RE: Muddy Muni
> before. On lots of mountain bike tires, there are wheel-specific treads for
> front and rear wheels, or else on tires good for either wheel, they usually
> specify which direction the tread should go. So which is better for
> muni–front or rear? And why?
Here’s my short, non-technical answer. Somebody else can add to this or totally
disagree…
On a bike, the front tire is shaped for steering control. The back tire is more
shaped for traction as it’s the drive wheel. On a unicycle, one wheel does
everything. So which tire to lean toward?
Because we mostly do not turn like bicycles do, yet we definitely need positive
traction in the loose stuff, I would go more for the rear-type tires. Drive
traction is more important than steering control at downhill bicycle speeds. For
the most part, we can’t go that fast anyway.
But there are many other factors. What percentage of your MUni riding will be on
pavement? On hard packed surfaces? on loose stuff? In wet or muddy conditions?
You want to look for a tire that will treat you well in your own type of area,
for your own type of riding.
One thing that was definitely true for me on Saturday at Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride,
was that I was happer on the fatter tire. I rode a Telford with a nice cushy
suspension post (Geoffrey Faraghan’s own ride) for part of the way, but I’m
spoiled by the 2.6" Gazzaloddi tire on my DM ATU. Geoff’s uni had a
2.3" tire, and I noticed a big difference. For the rocks and drops we were
riding on that trail, the fatter, bouncier tire was definitely my
preference. But on a harder, less extreme trail, a skinnier tire would roll
better and be faster.
Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone http://www.unicycling.com
“I like the way you part your hair – in a circle.” - Gary Goodsell, looking at
a picture of me taken from the side. He only gets away with it by proudly
sporting the same hairline!
RE: Muddy Muni
> You may want to consider a studded tire as well.
Wow. Bradley Bradley and I did that once, for winter riding. From Mike I learned
why our tire had a very short riding life…
We used carpet tacks. To give the tacks more rubber to grip on (using standard
Schwinn unicycle tires), we took an old tire, cut off the sidewalls, and stuffed
it into a newer tire. Somehow it fit. Then we took an old scrap of wood and
started pounding through the tacks from the inside, into the wood.
With no real instructions or example, we just made the nails stick straight out
of the tire, not angled like Mike said. Again, we were using “available
materials” with a budget of $0.
A WORD OF CAUTION – Mike didn’t mention this, but a studded tire (using pointy
screws or especially nails) is a dangerous thing to have around! If you don’t
pay attention to where it is it will keep poking you or whatever it bumps into.
I remember bringing the built-up unicycle out of the house, where it bumped
lightly into the kitchen door frame–and stuck. And it kept poking us in the
legs when we weren’t paying attention!
But on the ice, and on the packed-down snow of my street, it rode like a dream.
On a surface that was otherwise only rideable with the utmost attention and
caution, we could now ride normally.
Unfortunately, after an hour or so of testing, all the nails were bent over and
dulled. These were cheap carpet tacks, not nearly as strong as screws would be.
Also they were not angled as Mike suggested. Plus they rusted immediately.
I would stick with big knobs for warm weather mud, and go for the studs only if
you’re real serious about snow & ice riding.
Enjoy, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone http://www.unicycling.com
“I like the way you part your hair – in a circle.” - Gary Goodsell, looking at
a picture of me taken from the side. He only gets away with it by proudly
sporting the same hairline!
Re: Muddy Muni
We used to make ice tires for our mountain bikes with roofing nails cut down to
fit through the frame. The nails bit into the ice but released smoothly unlike
screws. These nails have a wide flat head We drilled the holes first into tires
with large high profile knobs. We lined the tire with a product called “Mr.
Tuffy” that was sold as a flat tire preventer. It was a strip of flexible
puncture resistant plastic placed between the tube and tire. I don’t know if it
still exists but im sure similar materials are available. Ain Plastics in New
York City might have a lead. Another word of caution! Dont ride in a circle over
and over or you will cut a hole in the ice and fall through!!! If the tire is
made right you can get better traction than on dirt or pavement. …Andrew
RE: Muddy Muni
> Another word of caution! Dont ride in a circle over and over or you will cut a
> hole in the ice and fall through!!!
Or if you do, take a picture and send it in for ‘Things not to do’ (and the
Darwin awards).
jf
RE: Muddy Muni
I like tires that are designed to be used on both the front wheel or rear wheel
of a bike. They’re directional and will usually have an arrow showing you which
way to mount the tire for front use or rear use. For muni I set up the tire for
rear use since rear tire style traction is most important.
Front specific tires are usually too front specific (they tend to have poor
straight ahead traction and can have so much lateral traction that it is hard
to do twist turns). Rear specific tires are usually too rear specific. The
tires that are designed for both front or rear use strike a happy medium and
don’t overemphasize front or rear characteristics. The Panaracer FireXC and
FireDH tires that I mentioned in my previous post are designed for either front
or rear use.
Disclaimer: Tire choices depend on riding style and personal opinions. What
I like may not be what you like and the way you ride. I’m sure some people
have found front specific tires that are great for muni and I’m sure others
have a favorite rear specific tire. And then there are some very crummy
tires that claim to be designed for both front or rear use and end up doing
neither well at all.
john_childs
>From: “Kittle, Peter” This discussion of tires has been really interesting,
>but I’ve been wondering something and haven’t seen it addressed here before.
>On lots of mountain bike tires, there are wheel-specific treads for front and
>rear wheels, or else on tires good for either wheel, they usually specify
>which direction the tread should go. So which is better for muni–front or
>rear? And why? Thanks for any insight you can give. My 24" has a bmx tire that
>isn’t wheel- or direction-specific, so I haven’t had to deal with this
>personally yet.
>
>Peter
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>Peter Kittle Department of English CSU, Chico Chico CA 95929-0830 ph:
>530/898-5305 fax: 530/898-4450 email: pkittle@csuchico.edu www:
>http://www.csuchico.edu/~pkittle
>-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
Re: Muddy Muni
In my experience, a wide tire is much better than a narrow one. If you consider
mud to be somewhat of a fluid, the more contact area the better your traction
will be. (The same reason why it’s harder to push a large object through water
than a to push a small one). But another advantage to having a wide tire is so
that you can ride more on top of the mud instead of sinking in.
BTW, I hope your mud isn’t the kind that keeps sticking to your tire until you
have a giant chocolate donut of mud… wide tires get very heavy and have a
tendency to sieze to the frame in that kind of mud (Something about not enough
tire-frame clearance, go figure 
)
Chris
nyfpet@bethel.edu wrote:
>
> After going for a muni ride the other day I realised that I didn’t have the
> best tire on my uni for the muddy minnesota summer that we are having. I was
> wondering if other riders have had experience riding in real muddy conditions.
>
> It seems to me that a tire with a few large knobs would work the best but I
> have heard that on bikes, tires that ride well (or better?) in the mud don’t
> do so well in drier conditions.
>
> Peter
>“I like the way you part your hair – in a circle.” - Gary Goodsell, looking at
>a picture of me taken from the side.
Hey Gary, I did that on purpose!!
That’s a “Tah Tan Gahhhhhhhhhhhhh Do!”
John, All:
I wish there’s a way that we can get all the T-Shirt entries at UNICON X
judged!! I know there’ll be some “Good Ones!!”
Maybe we can put the T-Shirt Question on the IUF Survey? Or just conduct an Ad
Hoc Jugding Competition at the “Public Show” after the “Legs Competition?”
Any Other Ideas?
Steve
Re: Muddy Muni
You may want to consider a studded tire as well. I made mine with 200 Stainless
steel screws and about an hour of work. Start with a somewhat round knobby tire
and pick the best knobbies to put the screws through from the inside. I use 3/4"
#6 round head screws. I first drilled all the holes through from the outside
into each knob where I wanted a stud and then I put the screws in from the
inside sticking out. If you got the room in your frame, and don’t mind the
danger of the studs, this tire rocks both for mud and ice riding in the winter.
Make sure the studs stick out on an angle a bit out the sides and not straight
down, you don’t want to be riding directly on the studs, but they should be
contacting the ground a bit when you sit on it. (Mine are at about 35 degrees
without my weight on the tire) I have ridden my miyata with my studded tire
along some amazingly steep and muddy terrain. It only stipped in VERY THICK mud
but otherwise had excellent grip. You might want to try it out. BTW: It never
slips on ice in the winter either. If you go real fast, it actually chips the
ice out a bit.
Good luck, Mike
Chris Reeder wrote:
> In my experience, a wide tire is much better than a narrow one. If you
> consider mud to be somewhat of a fluid, the more contact area the better
> your traction will be. (The same reason why it’s harder to push a large
> object through water than a to push a small one). But another advantage to
> having a wide tire is so that you can ride more on top of the mud instead of
> sinking in.
>
> BTW, I hope your mud isn’t the kind that keeps sticking to your tire until you
> have a giant chocolate donut of mud… wide tires get very heavy and have a
> tendency to sieze to the frame in that kind of mud (Something about not enough
> tire-frame clearance, go figure )
>
> Chris
>
> nyfpet@bethel.edu wrote:
> >
> > After going for a muni ride the other day I realised that I didn’t have the
> > best tire on my uni for the muddy minnesota summer that we are having. I was
> > wondering if other riders have had experience riding in real muddy
> > conditions.
> >
> > It seems to me that a tire with a few large knobs would work the best but I
> > have heard that on bikes, tires that ride well (or better?) in the mud don’t
> > do so well in drier conditions.
> >
> > Peter