NEWBIE What To Buy-First 36er

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Hey Everyone!

So I’m still pretty new the the unicycling world.
I’ve been riding a 24" on and off for a couple years.
I’m looking into buying a 36er but just not sure what to get.
I’d like to mostly have it for on the road but also be able to take it into the forests etc.
I’d rather spend a little more money on something really good that ll enjoy for a long time and maybe even go traveling with, like europe in the future.
I live in the YUKON and am thinking of selling my car and buying a 36er. (I live close to everything, within a 3km radius)

What do you guys suggest?
Been looking at:

Triton Mega-Muni Ti 36" http://mountainuni.com/collections/triton-ti-mega-muni-36
Nimbus Nightrider 36" http://www.hayneedle.com/product/nimbusnightriderpro36inchcommutingtouringunicyclewithisishubfrostednight.cfm
Nimbus 36" Orcle http://www.municycle.ca/index.php?route=product/product&path=209_73&product_id=544
Kris Holm 36" http://krisholm.com/en/gear/unicycle/kh36

Let Me Know What You Guys Think
Any Advise Would Be Greatly Appreciated

Cheers :slight_smile:

2

welcome

The Yukon sounds snowy. Do you plan to ride in the winter? You might want to consider a 29 plus or even a 26x4 or 5 with the short 3 km distance. But if you can get both that would be better. The 36er is my favorite size. I have the oracle but they all are good unis.

3

I plan on mostly riding in the Spring/Summer/Fall, winter if its not too cold.
It does get snowy but wouldn’t say worse than anywhere else in Canada.
+They have the best road cleaning in Canada 24/7 plowing so the roads etc are almost always clean.
I’m definitely going to want a 36er.
Can you put bigger tires on any of those unicycles I listed above?

4

There are no bigger 36er tyres unfortunately. Just a few different tread patterns.

If you are going for a 36er I would go with either the KH or Oracle. The triton is massively overkill and the nightrider is the predecessor to the oracle and has more frame flex than newer designs.

If you can, I would recommend speccing a KH saddle on the Oracle as current KH saddles are generally considered more comfortable than Nimbus.

While the Oracle has a brake and the KH does not, there are much nicer brakes than the stock tetro or shimanos usually put on unicycles. A very good simple brake to set up and make work is the TRP Spyre and an Avid Speed Dial lever with some good quality cable. New KH36ers are very easy to set up with a disc brake as long as you have the tools or a willing local bike shop.

5

I’m hoping that’s your spare car…:smiley:

The Oracle sounds nice.

6

Okay so I get what you say with the overkill on the triton, but if lets say I’d get the Oracle…and I’d have to put on different brakes and seat would it not be worth it to get the triton? Like if money didn’t matter (it obviously does I’m not rich haha) but what would you get then? Cause for the longest time I’ve definitely been leaning towards the triton. But if people say its not worth the money, or it is really good but too expensive…

7

FWIW, the Nightrider that you linked to is out of stock. They’ve been discontinued and are kind of tough to find in the US.

My .02: The Triton is great, but as Dave said, probably overkill. If money were no option, and it sings to you though, go for it! It’s just a bit out of most people’s wheel house, and IMO, the benefits of Titanium don’t outweigh the cost of it. Aluminum is perfectly acceptable in my book, and steel is even better (though I tend to be in the minority).

KH and Nimbus are both solid unis. The Nimbus has the better hub of the two, and you could try and sell the brake as a take-off if you replaced it with something better. Honestly though, the OEM brake is probably sufficient even though it may not be the best. UDC US offers upgrade options that would let you get a KH seat stock. Might be something to consider.

One thing about the Oracle that I don’t like, is the dished wheel. On a wheel that big, I’m not sure how strong it would be as a muni wheel. For road riding I wouldn’t care. My 36er Muni is an Oracle that I built with a non-dished wheel and external rotor. Whether or not any of my concerns are warranted, I don’t know.

The KH is a great base uni that you could add a better brake to from the get-go, but has a narrower 100mm hub. That makes for a weaker wheel.

My first 36er was a Titan from UDC. It’s their cheapest, steel framed ‘trainer’ 36. I rode the hell out of it, and sold it last year. My buddy now rides it for Muni and it is still going strong, and he’s done some great stuff with it. I have regretted that decision for a long time, and just last week ordered a new one. If all goes as planned, it will be doing duty as a real touring unicycle this summer. It’s a basic steel frame with a super wide 125mm hub, super easy cable pull U brake, square taper, etc. Definitely not fancy in any way.

I like my Oracle, but I loved my Titan. That probably makes me weird. I could buy a Triton today if I wanted to, but I’ll choose the Titan every time.

8

Kh 36

Just buy a Kris Holm 36 and be done with it. You will never be sorry you did. Mine has 50,000 miles under it.

JM

9

Personally I would go with the KH. I had a triton frame and loved it and if you want the extra bling go for it but there is really nothing wrong with a KH.

I prefer the standard 100mm pitch on the KH and Triton compared to the Nimbus’ 125mm because it allows you to both use the Schlumpf hub and KH Spirit cranks without going too wide.

The KH is actually a better option than the Triton for the current generation Schlumpf hub as aluminum grips the knurled bearing better than the much harder titanium that Triton uses.

Dual hole cranks are a godsend and make a unicycle much more versatile. The fact that Spirits are strong, dual hole, and disk compliant make them almost a necessity in my opinion on any higher end road or mountain unicycle. I have tried cranks with similar Q (Outward flare) on a older Nimbus Nightrider unicycle and found it too wide for my liking.

Another thing that hasn’t been mentioned much is tires, if you plan on riding in the snow or off the beaten track much I would highly recommend getting a “Todd” tire, I am not sure where they are currently available but UDC had some and you used to be able to get them directly from Waltworks Bikes. 36" tires actually have a fair bit of volume and float on snow about as well as an equivalent 26x3. Not fatbike float but not bad either. The Nightrider that comes on most 36ers is pretty decent but doesn’t shed mud and snow nearly as well.

Oh and welcome to the forum!

10

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
Its really helping me out.
I was just wondering if anyone knows where I can find the KH 36 in Canada, I can’t seem to find a good website where its available or that will ship.
Also, what is your guys opinion on the Coker Big One, or the QX36 Series?
Now that my mind is a little off the Triton (although I do still really like it) I’m just wondering what else is out there, and those 2 are 1/3 of the cost of the triton and even 1/2 off the price of the KH.
I want something good and that ll enjoy but at the same time if it doesn’t make a big difference I might as well go for the cheaper one.

Cheers :slight_smile:

11

Are you shopping for a bargain?

When you pay half price you will usually get less than half quality…

If you are going to ride this every day as your main transportation a few dollars now might reap dividends later. The frame, rims, and parts may look the same when shopping online. But if you put one in the left hand and the other in your right hand you might feel the difference. When you decide to go to a 29er tube or tubeless you will see, feel, and need to correct the differences or fight “issues”.

Quality usually suffers in an efforts to keep cost low and competitive. Not profits. Good machine work can be hard to find in mass produced products manufactured in foreign countries with no one watching or checking the goods before the shipping containers are packed. After the good have crossed an ocean or two the buyers gets what ever was shipped.

Even Kris lets a few things by that I find necessary to correct for. Most custom bearings and bearing fit would never pass the QA inspection in a “real” market. Some of us wait years hoping to get part of a “good” batch. I would be more than willing to pay a few dollars more to the manufacture than fight “issues” for the rest of the life of the unicycle. But bargain hunters drive the market.

JM

12

"36 Unicycle

Why not try a Nimbus Nightfox http://nimbusunicycles.com/36-nimbus-nightfox-unicycle/. Comes WITH handlebars, totally adjustable , so height ( or inseam ) is NO barrier to riding, and it’s even got a review by our very own Unigeezer http://nimbusunicycles.com/nightfox-video-review/.

It’s on my list, once I get better on my "24!

13

The Nightfox is great for shorter riders. We have a 10 yr old around here who absolutely shreds on it.

But, The Nightfox is not totally adjustable. Due to the telescoping legs, there is a maximum rider height. I don’t know what the actual maximum inseam is, but I know it’s shorter than mine. I’m about 6’ tall. Once you get the legs close to the maximum extension it looks a bit goofy with the large gap between the tire and the crown.

The KH is great although I don’t see it in stock at http://www.municycle.ca at the moment. Darren Bedford may have KH in stock although it may be NOS. If you go that route and desire disc brakes (without using an adapter), you will need to check to see if the uni has Moments or Spirits and a frame mounted brake tab. He doesn’t keep a really updated website, but he may be worth calling.

Dual hole cranks make an ungeared 36 a whole lot more versatile than single hole cranks. That leaves you with an ISIS interface. Triton, KH, Nimbus Oracle, and QU-AX are most of the list. QU-AX are available at http://www.goudurix.com/. I’m not too familiar with the QU-AX, but their ISIS 36ers appear to be 48 spoke wheels. Strong, but maybe overkill.

I kept the listing to businesses listed in Canada although there may be US companies willing to ship. Of the unis listed, I have a KH and will ride it home from work after I finish typing this.

14

This.

I love my nightrider though O:-) gotten used to the frame flex, now it’s comfy for me.

no no… go with the KH

http://www.compulsioncycles.com/KrisHolm36 they are in stock here

15

Lots of good, sensible advice here. It’s much easier to give meaningful advice when the person asking the questions provides enough info, as you have.

Clearly you were asking our permission to buy the Triton. You definitely have mine. If money were no object (since I already have a great 36"), it would be a Triton-based 26" MUni with Schlumpf hub.

Having said that, the Triton is of course very pricey. The KH will hold up just as well. Normally at this point I’d say something about where your location makes it harder to get exotic parts, but that doesn’t really apply to unicycles. None of these products are in any bike shops anyway, so it’s always going to be mail order anyway.

That older Nimbus model has the thin tubing frame. Pretty, but very flexy and not great for a 36 IMHO. And off the market anyway, I think. Coker made the original 36" unicycles (they created the spec for the wheels; they’re a tire company). But all of theirs use square taper axles, which I would advise against for Yukon riding. Though my “old” Coker (2002) still has its original hub after lots of MUni riding (and the Ride The Lobster race), it’s much more likely to snap eventually, whereas an ISIS hub will last a long, long time.

So if you’re thinking high end (replacement car + cool) it’s between the KH and the Triton. Now you just have to decide how much you want to spend. :slight_smile:

16

comes with handlebars, but if you ever break the base, your frame is toast. I was 10 miles into the depths of new orleans when it happened to me.

Plus after all the parts I’ve switched out over the years… You may want to upgrade parts, and that frame hinders that ability. Take the new KH zero saddle for instance… won’t work on the nightfox. (to my knowledge, without bending the frame)

It’s right for some, but those are some things to consider. That frame is a compromise, and I would only do it if I was too short to ride a full frame. Even then you could still get a normal frame just about as low with a thin saddle and cutting the frame down.

17

Thanks John Foss. This was exactly the answer I was looking for. Its great to have found such a great website with people who really know what they’re talking about.

If lets say I’d get the KH, are there any parts you’d change and if so why?
And same for the Triton is there anything you’d change?
Parts you don’t like or think there’s better ones out there.

Or lets say you would build a custom uni what would u build?

Cheers :slight_smile:

18

John, I’m only curious, but why would you recommend the KH over the Nimbus Oracle?

To the OP: One thing that I think is worth mentioning as well, is that at the price point of these uni’s, you can’t go wrong with any of them.

19

I’m not going to disagree that as price goes down, quality does as well.

However, if you look at all of these unis, the largest portion of the weight (the wheel) is nearly the same. They all use a Nimbus rim, come with a Nightrider tire, and use either a KH or Nimbus hub. There are plenty of claims to back up the fact that KH hubs creak, therefore I believe the Nimbus hub get’s the edge. Cranks are going to be either Sinz or KH, but the majority goes to KH and the weight is less of an issue than it is further out on the wheel.

In my experience, frames are where you tend to see the largest gaps in quality, but I still think you can see that even among the same brand/model of frame. If you throw a cheap steel frame on a decent wheel, you can cut $100 off of the price right there, and will it ride that much differently? I don’t personally think so.

But that’s just me.

20

KH or Triton: Pedals perhaps. I didn’t find the KH on a Canadian website so not sure how it would be spec’ed but I’d prefer to pick my own pedals. For function, I just need metal pins and a pedal that’s wide enough. But since there are tons of choices on the market, it would be fun to find something that’s to your liking. Also I’d go for the newer, flatter saddle if that isn’t what it comes with. I have not ridden on one of those, but I’m assuming it is the right choice if you plan on doing lots of miles/km. Seat choice is a very personal thing though; it’s important to ride what works for you, regardless of what others recommend.

Somebody mentioned the lighter, Muni-ish tire that is hopefully still available. It’s not a much lighter, but it would take a little bit of weight off a too-heavy wheel. All 36" unicycle wheels are too heavy.

If I were going custom it would be a custom frame. Something V-shaped with independently adjustable seat and handlebar mounts. Probably some sort of triathon-type armrest and narrow handlebar setup, and possibly mounts for bags in the front and/or back. I would wait for the upcoming new Schlumpf model, which will incorporate disc brake mounts.

The Oracle is also very good, and would probably be my third choice. I’m not crazy about a unicrown fork, though on a 36" it doesn’t matter at all. I didn’t really think about that part until you asked. Cool as aluminum and titanium are, steel can take more of a beating and is more easily repaired. Well, maybe titanium is stronger, but still harder to fix if something breaks. And I’m not a fan of the D brake compared to a frame-mounted setup. Though Nathan Hoover was telling me, just yesterday, that his is fine and he’s never broken it. If Nathan never broke his, I’d probably never break mine…