I’ve got a 24" Nimbus Mountain Uni with a Duro 3" Leopard and the spacing between the ribs,nubs are very wide. I’m 65 and won’t be tearing down large rock laden stair stepped trails, leaping from boulders or crossing streams with moldy bottoms. At best I’m traveling gravel roads in Vermont with close to zero uphill incline because I’d rather walk uphill. I grew up riding on concrete with a smooth tire & when I did ride on dirt it wasn’t an issue. I’m wondering how many people ride on gravel driveways with street tires that used dirt tires previously & may have an opinion. Whats wrong with using a standard “High Quality” 24" bicycle tire? At 5 mph I fail to see much difference between a Uni tire and bicycle tire Oh sure the tread may be designed to roll backwards but at 1, 2 MPH I’m thinking, SO What ,Thanks
As far as I know, many (if not most) unicyclists use bike tires, because we don’t really have unicycle specific tires. There is basically no reason to use only tires sold on unicycle shops, except that some might be easier to find there than at bike resellers.
Hi @Terry ,
You are right, for a gravel road, you can ride there with any tire you want (slick or very light treaded). I personally never think when riding my road 29er with a Schwalbe BigOne and going through unpaved roads. See the kind of tires used for gravel b!ke riders
However, one other detail that will set the Duro apart from other tires is its nylon structure that gracefully (and nicely) support lower pressure without damaged or feeling like a flapping sock. But grab any tire you like, pump it to a sufficient pressure to keep it formed and go.
If you start needing some more cushion or feels like going further down the beaten path, you will come back to the Duro
Consider the width of your rim. Not every tire will fit. Usual bicycle tires are narrower than the Duro.
Have a look for a maxxis holy roller 24x2.4. Its a decent all round tyre in my opinion, enough tread for light off road/xc type riding but smooth and close packed knobs don’t cause problems on tarmac.
I also like the specialized big roller 24x2.8 for the same reasons but it’s a little better off road because of the extra volume.
If you are more on tarmac the maxxis hookworm 24x2.5 is decent too but very smooth for loose surfaces.
There’s a new 24 tyre from the Cast bike collective that looks interesting too but I’m not sure about availability yet. I think it was designed with Fabio Wibmer and Danny McCaskill for street and dirt jump riding but looks like it could be good for a uni too!
The problem with 24 is it’s no longer a common size for bikes and unicycles just aren’t a big enough market for manufacturers to cater to, so finding decent tyres can be a bit difficult, but with a little searching (and the reviews on this forum!) you will find something to suit you.
24" Kenda K-Rad is an all-rounder. Several widths between 1.95" and 2.3" exist. Can be used indoor too, as well as for light muni. It does not last long though.
Kenda Kranium is less knobby but lasts longer. I only have 24x2.10 version. Not sure if other sizes exist.
24" SE tires are fun! 24x2.4 SE Racing Bozack on a KH rim looks larger than 2.4. This is not your primary dirt tire though.
I’ll put in another plug for the Maxxis Holy Roller. I had one on my 26 for years and thought it was great. My brother ran one on his 24 for several years as well with positive results. It handled everything from pavement to mildly aggressive XC riding. It did get slick on wet XC trails but most low tread tires will. We both ran Hookworms at times as well. That was a fun tire on hard surfaces but the Holy Roller is a better all purpose tire in my opinion.
24" wheels are used mainly on kid’s bikes. So most bike shop won’t have a ton of choice, and it’ll often be rubbish. But, it’s also a size popular in the BMX world. BMX shops/websites will have more choice for sure.
I have a 24" Nimbus Muni and ride mostly on pavement or smooth gravel roads. My all around favorite tire is the Maxxis Hookworm because its so close to the original width of the knobby. Ive tried the Holy Roller too and its nice but a little narrower so its lighter weight despite the more aggressive tread pattern. Good luck, I vote for the Hookworm.