About a year ago i purchased my first unicycle on ebay for 80 dollars. I forget the make but it was a pretty good starter unicycle that had a 24" wheel. About six months ago, i really got into the sport and started to ride off road, started to learn some tricks like going up stairs, riding backwards, ect, but i finally bent and twisted the axle on my unicycle. I was wondering what would be the cheapest, toughest, best all around unicycle to buy. I want to be able to ride it on the street and do some tricks on it, but im probably going to use it for mountain unicycling most.
Secondly, i was wondering if i should get a 24" tire or a 26" tire. I was thinking about getting the 26" so that i could ride it offroad, but i read some stuff how it might not be possible to use that for other types of unicycling besides Muni. Here is the unicycle i had in mind.
Unicycle.com :: Product Information :: Nimbus 26-inch MUni Cycle with ISIS hub
I was thinking about buying this unicycle in either the 24" model or the 26", because i only wanted to spend about 300-400 dollars if i can. If possible, please let me know if you think this unicycle will be tough enough, and if i should get a 24" wheel or 26". Thanks.
You could get the 24" one as you suggest. The 26" one will be a bit faster, but harder to use for tricks. It would be good for road and better for Muni. You might want to get a nice road tire to switch out when you are not in the mood for muni.
I would argue that a 24" would be a better all around unicycle: you can do some freestyle tricks, nice street riding and plenty of muni. However, it will be slower than the 26" on the road and on less technical muni rides.
It is hard to find one unicycle that will fit your needs.
I had this same question recently. See the thread here:
Lots of interesting responses and people with experience with both sizes chimed in.
Without feeling 100%, completely certain, I ordered the 26". When I picked it up, I was glad that I brought the car and hadn’t planned to ride home! It looked really big especially when I put it beside my learner 24". It wasn’t until I got on it and rode it around on the street in front of my house that I was sure that I got the right uni for me.
Keeping in mind that my 24" has a skinny little 24x1.75" tire, it’s quite a bit faster than my 24" and rolls over things that the 24" would get stuck on. I’ve taken it on long rides (~15 kms) without feeling like it’s too small and haven’t yet found a situation where I wanted a smaller wheel. I think that doing longish rides like that on a 24" wheel would get onerous - but then, I’ve not tried it.
Oh yeah, make room in your budget for some leg armour, those pedals bite hard and it happens quick! The one time I mounted without them, I missed the pedal. I only need to do that once.
I ride a 26" for muni, but I have a 24" as well. I started on a 24", moved up to a 26", then at one point I uprgrade from a 26" to a 29"; thinking that a taller wheel would be even better for rolling obstacles and of course faster. I tried hard to make the 29er work for my style of riding, but it was just too tall for me, be it my skill level or terrain. So I went down to a 24" for a while, developed my skills, then got another 26". I started riding the 26" more and more, bounced down to the 24" for a while and I did believe it was better for me, but then when I went back to the 26" again I found that I was in fact better on the 26"
So, in all seriousness, I think that you can be good on whatever you ride, as long as you work at riding on that size uni. I think I could make a 29er work, but for me the 29" doesn’t make me feel like I’m riding a muni, I’m just too high up. I like the feeling of being down in the trail, which is the attraction of muni vs cokering. Now I ride the 26" exclusively, even considering selling my 24", though I’ll still have a 24" freestyle that stays in the car
I like the 26" because it gives me the 29er “swoop” while still being okay for tech, hopping, etc… not to mention the rim and tire choices are way better!
I say go for the 26". I 've been in the same debate as you for awhile and I finally decided to get 26". Just seems likea better choic for me. As others have said before though it really depends on what you want to do with it.
As strong as KH and only a bit heavier, I have never read a bad comment about the Nimbus muni.
I have a 24 muni. I have heard that the 24 is almost as big as a 26 because the tire is meatier, but the 3" 26 tire looks pretty knarlly as well. I bet they are almost the same. Maybe decide based on how hilly your place is, with the 26 winning if it’s kinda flat.
Well, so far out of all the responses, it seems to me like the best idea is to go for the 26" one. Only two questions:
One, scott ttocs, you recommended the nimbus 26" that was orange. is it actually different than the black or silver one, or do you just like the color.
Second, in response to feel the light, where i live is very hilly and i ride hills all the time. Should this change my decision?
Thanks for all the help everyone. I really appreciate it.
Ask yourself this - do you want a little bit more maneuverability, maybe for hopping, rougher terrain, etc. or would you add some weight and lose a small amount of maneuverability for a small increase in rolling speed?
I wouldn’t worry about the hills either way, if I were you. Just depends on what else you want to do with it.
Looks like both colors of the Nimbus are the same components, however the orange one has brake mounts.
