Nimbus Oregon - Rare?

I’m the owner of a 26’’ Nimbus Oregon for…3 years now? And not only do I get funny or awed looks but forum-wise I seem to be in the minority of riding such a big-tired uni. I’m just wondering who else owns one.

Also, I’m wondering if any of you guys need to find parts for it? And if so, if you could suggest some part websites for me? What if my tire needs to be replaced? Unicycle.com, where I bought it, doesn’t sell those (and Nimbus’ website redirects to Unicycle.com). Now it’s not as serious but I’m actually looking for a seat clamp as one of my bolts holding it can’t really be removed with an allen key so I’m looking for a new clamp (and a way of removing the old clamp).

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Long overdue but ages ago when I first bought my Nimbus Oregon people wanted pics of it as I posted for help about the tire (how to put air in it seeing I didn’t recognize the valve). Here’s some shots of my unis:

It’s one of the more expensive ones. Also it’s kind of a niche product among niche products; it appeals to a pretty small audience, even among unicyclists. I’ve ridden one, and had a blast on it, but it’s best suited to some specific surfaces; and kind of overkill for just regular dirt and bumps.

I can’t answer for the tires (I’m sure someone will chime in with recommended vendors), but just wanted to let you know that Nimbus is basically a house brand of Unicycle.com. Today they are one in the same. Roger Davies and Kris Holm collaborate, to my understanding, on much of what they develop. It’s good stuff. :slight_smile:

Fat bikes are exploding so tires are easily found at just about any bike shop.

Fat unis are a niche maybe, but I think like fat bikes, they are coming around.

Assume your Oregon came with that Surly Larry? It ships with a Surly Nate now.
UDC carries it:
http://www.unicycle.com/surly-nate-26inch-4inchtire.html

Or if you’re looking for local shops, maybe start here:

Switch to the Surly Nate tire 120 tpi. The riding characteristics are far superior to the Larry. I am on my third tire. Started with the Larry, and now I am on my second Nate. I should be rolling over 3000 miles in the next couple of months. I seem to be getting about a 1000 miles out of a tire before I replace them. I ride mostly in the hills and on pavement, but I love the fact that I can turn off the road at anytime! Unicycle.com carries the Nate as well as replacement seat clamps. You can also find the Nate online at many different retailers.

I love my Oregon. It is my unicycle of choice! Pictures and rides below. :smiley:

Ad drop…hehehe

I’m selling both a like-new 26x4 On-One Floater and a new 27.2 KH seat post clamp on the trading post forums. :grinning: PM me if you’re interested.

NICE! Your Oregon looks spankin new even after 3 yrs. Mine recently took quite a beating after going multiple times through the rock gardens. In fact, nearly lost it today, as I suddenly bailed out and it tumbled down a grassy ledge. Good thing a boulder broke it’s fall, before it can go another 75ft down. More battle scars it has now, but I dont mine, love it even more, knowing that it can take such a beating.

Whoa, Im so used to looking at it with my Duro and Knard 3.0 that seeing it in the original 3.8 appears mighty fat.
That’s what I love about the Oregon, its ability to go semi slim 2.75 Dirt Wizzard to a 4.0 tire, and good room to clear a muddy tire. Such blast, such an awesome uni!

Wow, quick responses! Didn’t think I’d get any posts, to be honest. I’ll respond to most, if not all, posts.

@johnfoss: This uni is pretty expensive and quite niche indeed. And you’re right that it’s overkill for typical dirt and very “bouncy” for road usage (even with different psi for the tire) but seeing I live in Canada and use it in the winter for snow and that I mostly stick to wood trails - it’s a great monster that lets me feel invincible. A comment from the page I bought it from and that has been stuck in my head ever since compared it to a Hummer and it totally is. I guess that’s why I bought it; solid, no real maintenance required (I did clean it completely a few weeks ago with little dirt around the bearings so that’s nice) and just does what your legs are capable of doing. Thanks for letting me know about Nimbus and uni dot com! Had no idea.

@Killian: Fat bikes are a new trend and will surely open the market up for more bigger tired unis. I’d love to get a fat-tired mountain bike one day as they look like a blast to use!

@crashtestdummy: It did come with a Surly Larry (or whatever it’s called, I don’t look at my tire’s specifications that much). Thanks for the links! There’s stores that are 2 hours away from where I am but I’m sure they can ship. Extremely useful! I looked at the Nimbus Oregon and it now comes with the same tire that you linked so I know it fits. I learned so much today.

@Gear: I had a smile the whole time reading your post as you love the Oregon too! It’s so rare to meet others that ride it. As johnfoss sort of implied…it’s a bit of a weird uni and targeted towards people wanting something different. I guess that’s why I’m attracted to it. I do want to get a 29’’ for road usage and a 26’’ Kris Holm for typical wood rides but my main uni will always be this titan of a uni. Well, I said that before buying the Oregon as I stuck with my Kris Holm from the pictures but small wheels do burn you out faster so the bigger wheel is a welcomed change. I took a look at the pics and holy sheeeeet! It looks awesome! I don’t know if I can come myself to paint mine. Maybe a light blue as it’s my favorite color. I definitely dig black and it looks awesome! Congrats on the awesome uni!

@bwrightback: Thanks for the offer but I like to keep things simple and order right from the store websites, which handle money payment and shipping all in one place. As you can probably tell I’m not knowledgeable on the whole unicycle stuff as I bought my first uni around 7 years ago (time flies) and just ride them. I don’t hang out on forums unless I need help (thanks for that, guys!) or envying other unis (again, thanks for that cue groan as my uni is pretty plain compared to others). So yeah…thanks for the offer but a guy that’s way more into uni culture will take you on that. Not that I’m not into the whole uni stuff as it’s the one ride I use weekly but you get what I mean. :wink:

Thanks, seriously, for all responses. I honestly didn’t think parts would be available specifically for the Oregon as it’s such a clown car. I also didn’t think people would be interested in commenting about it (hence the pictures to entice people). I definitely want to get newer and more different unis but with this uni you can ride on the road and quickly go in a muddy pit. I’ve fallen many times in those but it’s such a blast to get covered in mud - clothes and uni alike. I don’t know. It’s got that personality that it doesn’t like to follow the rules. Like every uni goes to work in a car and then the Oregon is this weirdo skating between the cars. It’s just got that…feeling to it. Everytime I walk in the garage and I pass by it I just can’t comprehend the tire and the frame is like an alien that just landed in my backyard. This unicycle is on drugs, I’ll tell you that much.

Anyway, thanks again. Will pop in when I can and maybe look around the forum more. This forum helped me out twice now and I haven’t contributed much. Hopefully you guys need another Oregon rider around here. :stuck_out_tongue:

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@UPD: I’ll add more pictures when I can to prove that it ISN’T new. It has chipped paint as I would put it on the handlebars of my bicycle and ride 30 minutes to a park which had these amazing wooden trails. And yes, it’s a pain to ride a bicycle with a heavy Oregon on the handlebars. My hands were like jell-o by the time I had arrived. The handcuffs-lock thing is still there as well as the honk-honk (or the “sqweekee! sqweekee!”) but I added an LED light which I need to re-adjust because it sucks and lights about 2 feet ahead of me (it really should be bigger and pointing down but the way I set it it won’t allow that). I went on a mental trip lately of adding accessories to it to make it like a swiss knife; full of things that I don’t really use (except the honk-honk, always fun to squeeze it when people make me comments, I don’t do it for fun - only when people talk to me about it). The tire always has gravel stuck in it, the bearings are probably swimming in caked mud by now, the plastic coverings for the seat (front and back) are scrapped and dirty (they won’t clean out, I tried) as I let anyone try my uni out. It’s fun at parties and not worried it’s gonna break from falling on pavement (if it survives with me, it survives with anyone). While cleaning the whole thing out, my dad actually noticed my wheel was crooked…not specifically crooked but was off-axis. So I was riding slightly lower on my right (I guess? I can’t really say how different it made the riding). We put a piece of some sort of plastic (very sleek) that followed the shape of the bearing and made everything leveled. I honestly was surprised to see my wheel off-centered and I’m sure the home-made reparation will screw my bearings in the long run but I do plan to replace most, if not all, on this uni seeing I use it so much. So far so good, though! It felt like new once it was cleaned out! In my mind as long as the frame is good then I don’t worry about anything. And if the worst comes to worst (and the impossible), if the frame somehow bends/breaks, I’ll get another. I love the Nimbus Oregon that much. Of course it’s pricey so I’m hoping it doesn’t break…but it probably won’t. I’ll say it now before anyone does: I don’t know how it could’ve become crooked. The bearings and the clamps fit like they should. It’s tightened the same on both sides…so yeah, it’s a mystery. I’ll definitely change the whole running gear down there at some point (including the wheel when needed). I’ll ride that tire until it pops. While I actually love the 3.8 width, I’m wondering if there’s any bigger tires. If the frame can’t handle it, maybe another bigger frame or a custom-made frame. I’d love to ride a bigger tire. I remember when buying my Kris Holm that there was a $170 uni with some sort of Harley Davidson-like tire (white rim, anyone remember that one?). The hub was WAY too skinny and I’d knew it would bend the spokes or something. But it looked great. Useless but great. I do want to customize mine in terms of parts (and not Wal-Mart accessories) and maybe paint it like Gear did with his. Someday.

You can sort of see from the 3rd picture that the wheel is off-centered (goes a bit right if you look by the thread of the tire compared to the seat post/frame and the width between tire and frame sides). I don’t know how I went for like 2 years riding it and not notice it was crooked or even gave symptoms about it. It’s seriously indestructible.

20150805_140155-1_opt.jpg

I noticed you said you wanted to even go for a fatter tire, and at the same time you are considering getting a KH 26er.
Well, here’s for your viewing of mine , with less of a fattie, fattie Surly Knard 3.0 120tpi. The tire width and knobbiness will determine your riding intentions. So far loving my 3.0, without all the gawky stares. The darn thing’s a beast! And today I rode it better than ever, despite the one and a half week riding break, and yeah, (from previous post) all my aches are gone!

It is always nice to hear about a happy rider and yes it is easy to fall in love with your ideal setup :stuck_out_tongue:

If you want to see that you are not alone to like the monster truck ride, have a look at the Monster Uni: Post Your Fat Uni Here ! thread and even post some of yours too.

I have absolutely nothing useful to contribute except a heartfelt “holy crap that thing is a MONSTER ahhhhh Godzilllllla!.”

I’ve seen pictures of the Oregon before, but never a comparison shot next to other unicycles. I never realized the tire was THAT beefy. :astonished:

I want one.

After a decade of riding my 24" KH/Onza hubbed muni, the bearings have become shot, and because of laziness on my part, the cranks appear to be stuck permanently on. AKA, “Time to upgrade!” :wink:

I got the Oregon a couple months ago and have been liking it mostly. The Nimbus pedals are crap compared to the Kona’s I had on my 24", and it’s not as nimble, but getting there. I’ve still got the 3.8" Nate on it, but just started riding it with 20PSI which is making it feel more like the 24" in terms of being able to hop up hills and rocks… Looking forward to winter, and debating getting a Knard for summer riding :wink:

BTW, Surly is a brand owned by Quality Bike Parts, the largest wholesale distributor in the bike industry. Just about every local bike shop has an account with them and can order a tire for you if/when you need. And I guess QBP keeps a tight control on retail pricing because the online price seems to be the same everywhere for Larrys, Nates, Knards, etc. A local shop might even be able to give you a better price in person.

I already have more unicycles than I can ride regularly, but if I were to get another it would be one like yours.

I’ve been riding my Nimbus Oregon (26x3.8 Surly Nate) now for almost two years I think (off and on). I gravitated towards the larger uni after fat-biking for many years. It’s a monster unicycle but actually works quite well for the kind of riding I enjoy. Also it’s great to have such a versatile frame that I can use to run a large 29" wheelset eventually. This is coming from a guy who rode muni for many years on a KH 24 with KH-Schlumpf hub. I like the Oregon with fat tire even more! It’s heavy and can have a mind of it’s own but I’ve gotten much better at riding it. Key was dialing in tire pressure and then going tubeless. That helped soften the ride considerably and helped with auto-steer. I still have my 2007 KH 24 but now it’s mostly reserved as a “beater uni” or used to ride on the roads along with my wife as she runs. Damn, I need to get out and ride more!

@UPD: Damn, that uni looks like heaven! I’ll definitely consider a tire like yours! Yes, I do want a bigger tire to do some road but I’m not a fan of skinny tires (seeing all your weight is on one tire) so that tire looks perfect. Thanks for sharing!

@Sidd: I’ll check the thread out! Thanks for the link. I’ll also take new pics of the uni and post them there when I can.

@FoxxyD: The Oregon is really weird - it’s hard to comprehend the size of the tire. But after seeing the uni UPD posted and the ones I’ve seen in the thread posted by Sidd, other unis are way more weird. I’m seriously jealous of some of the unis from this place.

@evil-nick: The pedals the Oregon comes with are definitely crap. Mine are still in their original wrapping! One glance at them and I knew they wouldn’t work. They’re some cheap plastic with metal studs that were screwed in place. I took some Kris Holm spares that I had from my other Kris Holm uni (bought some spares when I bought the uni). They’re hands down the best pedals - offering grip but not too much that your foot gets stuck when repositioning your feet. I also need to redo my whole uni. I’ll look into the new tire and some new bearings/upgraded parts. Mine is 99% stock.

@LargeEddie: If you have a nice collection of unis and need one that’s the weird one of the bunch, the Oregon is the one. It’s expensive, as said before, but it’s built like a tank and will last with whatever you’ll throw its way. Also, thanks for the info about the tires. Damn, I’m getting a lot of help here. Thanks to everyone.

MuniSano: I remember the first time I rode the Oregon I said to friends that it was like steering the Titanic. I would take the whole street to go around the block. Now I turn right on the spot. I know I keep saying this but it’s a weird uni and getting used to it is…special.

Again, thanks for all the comments and info, guys! I’ll most likely keep posting in the Monster Uni thread that Sidd posted (instead of hoarding my own thread). I’m really happy about this place - I got a good feeling. Everyone is super friendly and even if my uni is pretty normal compared to others everyone just enjoys the fact that we all ride unis. So yeah…pretty cool. :slight_smile: