OK. Another 26" thread…
I learned how to unicycle last year at 56. First on a 20 then a 24 torker. I’m ready to get a larger wheel and am almost convinced to go 29.
It seems like most of you long time riders don’t want to encourage folks to go to a 26 wheel especially when it is so close to 24.
So here are my questions.
Why is it that manufacturers have so few options for the 26 wheel? It seems like it would be a natural from a marketing standpoint. There are tons of 26 inch tires available. It seems like that would be a strong selling point.
I’m 5’7" with 30" inseam. Does that matter when you are deciding on 26 vs 29? (I’m mostly a bike trail person, but gradually I’m getting interested in muni. My 26 vs 29 decision is for riding on pavement.)
I guess I’m not following you on this one. KH has a 26". Nimbus currently has 3 flavors of 26" muni (regular, Oracle, Oregon), plus a street 26" and a few lower end models for beginner/road use. Torker has a 26" LX. What kind of options are you looking for?
It shouldn’t be an issue. For your use, looking to cover more ground on the pavement, I’d definitely recommend making the jump to the 29".
davidp - thanks for your reply.
on the scarcity of 26’s - Yeah, your right, as I browse around unicycle.com… What I notice is there isn’t a Nimbus 26 Road. That seems to be the gap.
It seems like I should go for a Nimbus 29 road. I should call udc - but does anyone know if you can put a brake on that?
I guess there’s no 26 road offering because the idea for road is get the largest wheel possible for speed and to make distance easier to cover. I figure the 29 is an offering for multi-use (road+muni) or to help people work their way up to the 36. Besides, you can easily get a road 26 by swapping out a tire for any 26" framed uni.
When two unis have the same hub (ISIS) and similar cranks I struggle to know what the distinction between a road an muni unicycle is anyway. The only thing that comes to mind is the default tire that comes on it. Smooth tire = road, knobby = muni?
Looks like the ‘road’ nimbus 29 is out of stock on UDC. The “drak muni” is the only nimbus of that size in stock… according to the website at least. Again, you could get that and swap out the tire for an instant road uni. Both the out of stock road and in stock drak have the option to attach a rim brake.
I’m 5’7" with 30" inseam. Does that matter when you are deciding on 26 vs 29? (I’m mostly a bike trail person, but gradually I’m getting interested in muni. My 26 vs 29 decision is for riding on pavement.)
You won’t have any trouble going to a 29’er with a 30" inseam.
If by bike trail you mean tarmac bike trail like everyone else said I’d go with a 29er, if you are looking for muni/road then since you don’t have an off road uni a 26er and buy a street tire to alternate might be the way to go. I’m 5’2" I have a 29er and ride it, I had only a little modification in order to allow me to ride so at your height you should have no issues with a 29" unicycle.
I think the reason for that is, that most who ask for a comparison between 24" and 26" want to increase average speed and have only money for one uni. From that point of view it simple makes almost no sense to switch from 24 to 26.
In my opinion it makes sense to go from 24 to 26 if you want one or both of the following:
A huge choice of tires and rims and as easy access to spare parts (for example I found it impossible to get stock-spokes for my 24 in all the LBS where I live)
A smaller and therefore a lot lighter tire and uni while keeping the same (or even a little more) pedal clearance.
For road riding, nontechnical Muni or simply for going fast do not consider a 26 unless you plan to use a geared hub.
36er FTW on the Asphalt/Tarmac/Road/Pavement of the Louisville Loop which is 100 miles (40% complete, 95% funded) of rails-to-trails greenway networking our parks. If there is anybody in your area that would loan you a 36er for 15 minutes, you would be sold. There is simply no substitute though my 29er (when in XC mode with short cranks and extended handlebar) can be great fun when my wife is running or my kids (7&8) are riding along with.
26ers are gaining in popularity, but 24" are more common because that was a popular size a few years back, though I think you’ll see 26ers take over the market share over time due to tire choices being so much better.
29ers are the most varsatilE size, but being taller they are a little more wheel to manage off road.
26" is painfully slow on the road, 29" is better but still slow, 36" is the standard for riding any significant distance.
For all around I’d get a 29" and learn to ride it everywhere, if off road is your thing then get a 26" for now, then maybe a 29" later if you feel the “thneed”.
When you say you are mostly a bike trail person, ie paved trail, then you may want to get a 36er, then consider upgrading the 24" to a 26" or a 29". Unlike bicycles, unis don’t cross over well because we don’t have the gears, so you need to have more than one size if you do more than one type of riding. I have all sizes, so I pick the wheel for the terrain I am going to ride.
In other words, don’t bring a rubber chicken to a knife fight
