I want to get into muni one day. So wondering how much I need to save up now. For a 24" muni, whats the difference between the KH and Nimbus? I know KH is lighter and heard the Nimbus is more forgiving plus stronger. What is important with muni? Does weight matter for muni or do others prefer the comfort of steel?
The price for me wont be that much different in long run since I get a discount on KH but would have to upgrade the wheel set for the Nimbus in another year when I’m ready for muni. But for now and commuting, the Nimbus would be cheap until I’m ready. I assume since there is a drastic difference in a BMX in a 20 to 24" wheel, its the same for unis? For bike I love the 24" wheel since I feel incredibly fast on that so thinking I might dig the 24" in general.
If you pay about the same price I would probably just get the KH 24" Muni. For commuting, I would suggest buying a hookworm tire and switching it out. You might get some inexpensive 125 mm cranks for road use, but that is a personal preference.
Well, if I get the muni Nimbus from UDC, it would be about $100 cheapier so might do that if its going to be a softer ride and the weight wont make a difference. Then I would wait. Eventually I want to do muni and be able to jump over all the rocks/roots and not have sticks get stuck too easily in the tire.
I love the 20"! The mounting is still difficult so I am in no hurry to get something bigger then a 24", but since I’m riding all over the place, city riding, I find the knobby tire tiring and slow for now. I also find the 24" BMX 100 times more fun and feels much faster compared to the 20". I dont think I will get so much into road now that I will want a huge uni, but I think I want a good cruiser. I am less concerned about time/speed/racing then perceived speed and fun. Thats why I love the BMX for city more then my MTB. Maybe I could get the cruiser nimbus for cheap and use my 20" for muni until it wont do what I want to do. Or maybe get the NImbus muni and only need another tire. From work I can get for a good price either a cruiser Nimbus or KH muni. The Nimbus for a new wheel for muni would cost me then $300 more, the price of a new uni. The reason I’m asking is I’m looking for another job that is full time so not sure if I can just work a few hours and get a good discount. I am also not sure if in a year from now I would want a 24" cruiser. Being so short I find I like being lower to the ground.
I checked out the weight differences, its 1 1/2 lbs. So dont think since I wont be jumping up over more then a log with this, that would make a big difference? Also it would be a rigid ride. So maybe the Nimbus. I was told the cruiser frame is narrower so wouldnt fit the bigger tires. And I guess in another year if I like cruising, might not want a 24"?
In my opinion, the muni is a much better value, as you can easily put a slicker/lighter tire on it, to make it a good cruiser for the city, while the opposite is not true (you can’t put a large muni tire in a narrower frame). And I’m guessing you’ll probably want a bigger wheel at some point if you continue commuting/road riding.
Also, I really doubt you’ll feel a difference in rigidity in the frame between the alu and the steel, so don’t base your choice on that. It won’t make the ride more comfortable by being less rigid.
The KH is a better unicycle than the nimbus, mostly for the weight. It might also have better upgradability. For example, my KH29 came with everything to put a brake on it, except for the brake itself, the seat can be tilted up or down at the tube attachment, the KH24 might too, I’m not entirely sure. But is it enough to justify the price difference, only you can answer that for yourself. Having tried both briefly, they’re both heaps and bounds better than my Torker LX, so neither one is a bad choice, I don’t think.
Well, I think later I might like a 26" for road or even a 29", but since I like messing around on my BMX best for road, I might like flat/trails better then cruising. So I think I shouldnt base a decision on a road uni.
Now the muni I KNOW I will enjoy as I am hitting the trails now every week on my MTB in the meantime.
But for cruising is a smooth tire that much better? I mean maybe I can shave it later when my 24" becomes the muni.
The Nimbus 24 does come with brake mounts for the muni. A plus is Im sure Ill like the seat better as I would prefer a seat more curved in the center. Would there be any drawback to the 125/150 dual cranks? That would be perfect to switch from muni to road without getting a 2nd pair. But if I order from work I get stock.
One thing I love about the nimbus is I could get it in orange.
I will still wait to hear what others say about the nim/KH differences. I would like one soon but cant get one right now. I just want to try a bigger wheel and I think a 24 is doable!
I have the Nimbus 24 Muni and it is a fine machine, I also have a KH29 that I enjoy alot. I have thought about selling the Nimbus to get the KH24 but have decided for now that it isn’t worth it. I find the Nimbus saddle to be plenty comfy and for a beginner or intermediate rider, I think the frame weight difference is probably not significant. The KH24 comes with a wider rim which spreads the tire out for a more stable ride. The 24x3 tire on the Nimbus is pretty stable with low pressure. I believe that you will be happy and have lots of fun with either uni. Just get it ordered and don’t obsess too much.
If you want to save a little money, get the Nimbus Muni. It is a fine machine. Specifically, get the 24" Nimbus muni with venture cranks (150 mm) in the color of your choice. It will be a fine Muni Unicycle for you.
To set it up for road riding, get pair of 125 mm Qu-Ax lightweight cranks ($24) and a Maxxis 24" hookworm tire ($39). Switch these onto the unicycle and you will have a great road unicycle. Yes, a smooth tire really does make it much nicer to ride on the street. The street version will also work fine on easy dirt trails.
I believe you are one of the little people on the forum. For that reason I would not recommend upgrading to moment cranks in either the muni or street configuration–it is just a waste of money. Do you weigh over 100 lb? If you weigh less than 120 lb, it is hard for me to imagine anything you can do to the stock venture cranks or the unicycle itself that will bend or break anything. If you weighed 230 lb I would give you different advice.
You could also start with a KH muni and make some of the same modifications to get a street machine. You could go with a 26" muni. In your size range I would suggest the 24" for muni, but a larger street machine would not be out of line. If you are used to a 20", the 24" will still feel a lot bigger, and a 24" with a large tire is really more like 25".
Summing up, I would get the 24" Nimbus muni if I were you. I would order the 24" KH muni if you get a great deal on it and money is no object. (It probably has a higher resale value.) Both of them will be fine machines and will serve you well. (You do not need brakes at this point so ignore that option.)
Yes, I’m under a 100, so thats why I wonder about the weight as for me its a bigger weight for me to handle. I’ll wait on the Nimbus to come out. So might be getting one then! I just feel ready to go faster/longer for now and a 24 will be a big step up but nothing drastic. By the time I get it I should have my mounts down and hopefully the 24 wont be such a big deal. If I foresee a new job coming on before I order, maybe I’ll get the KH.
One last question, are all hookworm 24" the same cause I can order that through my bike shop for a lot cheapier! Will I need to cut the tube for the 24? I think UDC will do that for me though if needed.
I think for trials/street/flat a KH is a good idea since the frame is knee friendly and spinning it, weight matters. For trails I think I’ll be more riding and dodging and hopping over small obstacles only.
Can I also rebuild the wheel with a KH rim later? If I still work in the bike shop, probably could get help relacing it. I already can true better then the mechanic.
I don’t really think it works the same way as bikes as far as the aluminum vs steel argument. If you want a better/stronger ride with higher resale if you ever decide you don’t want do do muni…go with the KH. Nimbus makes great products, but if the price is close…the KH should be the obvious choice.
Can I put venture cranks on moments hub? If not the difference might be $200 more for KH since I want smaller cranks for cruising. I cant choose from stock from ordering through work. I am riding well but still suck on mounting so worried the 24" might throw me through the hoop right now. So I might wait another month… Or until I’m mounting 90% of the time.
Yeah, the venture cranks will fit the moment hub. I say you should just get the KH if you want it. You don’t need to be good rider to justify having one.
The KH comes with the freeride saddle so maybe I’ll like that OK. If the KH rides nicer, maybe I’ll get that if I still can lol. I’ll get the venture cranks for street til I’m ready for muni. I know I’ll use it and have a blast on it so its not like I’m getting something nice to collect dust. Maybe collect dirt soon.
For muni I was told the lowest inseam is 30" for a 24" wheel uni.
So do short people cut the seatpost and the tube of the frame? I thought others said I would just have to cut the seatpost down. I thought I could even ride a 29" one with short cranks. I need 150 for the muni.
I have a 29" inseam and a size 8.5 foot (male) I run my KH 24 with 150 ml cranks and have my seat set at 32" from the top of the bottom pedal to the center of the KH Freeride seat. There is still about 3" of post sticking out of the seat tube. You should have no problem fitting this uni without cutting down the seat tube. You will have to cut down the stock seat post
The dual hole cranks would work very well for your plan to use this uni as both an on and off road unicycle.
Thank you!!! Well now I will definitely get the KH from my work instead of UDC which told me wrong. I have no issues cutting the post but dont want to cut the frame. I am working extra hours doing inventory for bike credit so looks like my uni will be cheapier. Now I just need to get mounts down on the trials uni before i move up… I am not sure why this is difficult when I can ride like mad on the uni, out of seat, off curbs, etc.
I think I will order soon as since I’m scared to hurt myself, I mostly ride now. And I am wanting a tire with less rolling resistance.
So there isnt much adjustment to a 24"? And it seems if I put the seat on the bottom of the tube, that is 26" from a 150mm pedal? Thats what I’ll be riding to start off with. I’m just paranoid I’ll spend all this money and it will be too big. Or I will mess up the frame cutting it.
I am just confused, 29" - 3" is 26" but then I just read 32" which - 3" is 29". That is too tall.
I have no issues cutting the post but dont want to cut the frame. I am working extra hours doing inventory for bike credit so looks like my uni will be cheapier.