Well I’m back after several years away. My shoulders are beat from cycling, my feet are beat from lots of walking so I’m looking to hop back on the uni to get exercise and give my feet and shoulders a break. I want just one great uni that I can ride on and off road, I think I have it narrowed down to either an Oracle 27.5 or hatchet 26.
I was thinking the hatchet 26 with a 26x4 non-knobby tire would be similar in size to a 29 road uni (which was my main ride in the past), although probably handle very different, then when I get my legs and muni skills back put the knobby back on and have fun on the trails.
Same plan with the Oracle 27.5, plenty of descent looking less aggressive tires out there that could probably handle both road and dirt.
Other than the obvious “on the hatchet you’re going to be working hard against the huge tire for road riding” are there any other glaring holes in my plan?
Anyone out there riding a fat road tire on a uni? Thoughts?
Well it’s nice to see this site still exists and many of the familiar names are still here, I seem to have lost my original username (Anton005) but my alt is still here
You’re correct. The 26x4 tire and the Duro Crux 27.5x3.25 have almost the same diameter as a 29” road tire or normal DH tire (the inflated Duro Crux 27.5x3.25 tire is 29.25” in diameter, to be exact).
Before I bought my 27.5+ Oracle this past August, I confirmed with unicycle.com that the 27.5 Oracle frame had been redesigned (made larger) to accept the Duro 27.5x3.25 tire. Because of this, the frame will also hold a 29” wheel with a tire less than 3” wide. I also learned that an older Oracle 27.5 frame will not hold a Duro Crux 27.5x3.25 tire.
My plan was to build a 29” wheel with a hookworm tire for road days. That has yet to happen, so far. I bought the hookworm tire, but haven’t built the wheel. So, I bought an extra Crux tire, and ride the Oracle everywhere (road and dirt).
I’m sure @Canapin will be able to fix this for you.
Have you considered having one frame, but two wheels (probably with at least cranks attached to each). Wheel swapping is nice and quick and allows you to have the best of both worlds.
My recommendation would probably also be the Oracle, especially if you’re not going to be swapping wheels/tyres. The super fat tyres on the Hatchet are pretty noisy and draggy when you’re riding on road.
There is a lot of personal preference in tires and how they feel also depends largely on the surface and how smooth you spin so it’s a difficult subject…
I think a good compromise with probably the largest selection of tires is to build a 27.5" wheel with 35mm inner width rim. Then you are able to ride anywhere from 2" to 3" tires. But obviously if you want to ride 4" fat tires then it’s not a good option.
Unless you are planning to ride a lot on a beach or in (fresh and deep) snow, I’d always prefer the Oracle. I just don’t love the feeling of fat tired unicycles, they are just not agile enough for me. (Rolling resistance on fat tires tends to be surprisingly okay in my experience though, so I wouldn’t worry too much if you adjust your tire pressure accordingly)
Some people do love the feeling of rolling over anything in a straight line, for them a 26x4 really is nice. I’m just not one of them, and I think for most riders, a thinner (2.5-3.25" wide) tire is more manageable and ultimately more capable.
Ideally you would find somewhere to try both before buying, of course.
I’m personally a big fan of 29" for a lot of people (because I think most riders spend much more time cruising mild paths than trying the hardest trail possible, and a 29" is nicer there).
On the other hand unicycles are slow either way, so I’m not sure if being marginally faster on a 29" is worth that much overall, and some people are just more comfortable on the smaller wheel.
I finally decided on the Oracle 29, and realized I’m not the best decision maker.
Got it today, super happy! Was very nervous ever since I got the notice that it was out for delivery… Will I even be able to ride it, or will I fall on my butt right away…
Hopped right on and road away like the wind, very cool. Amazing how the brain works.
Oh good! Agree with @finnspin. If you are doing mostly easier paths, a 29" muni is great!! Just a fraction bigger than a 27.5, there’s not a lot in it.
I have a 29” Oracle, but I found that the Duro crux was too big and heavy, so I switched it out for a kennebec by Teravail. The kennebec is far more maneuverable and light. It’s easier on the road as well.
