I have been riding for about 9 years with the same unicycle. I just ride recreationally and my unicycle is rather small for my size, so I get tired real quick. I am 6’2’’ 185lbs with a 34 inch inseam. I would like a uni that will handle well with moderate distance riding and some off-road. I was thinking around the 26inch size, maybe a 28. What modles and sizes would you guys recommend? Price range is around or under $500.
I haven’t really kept up with modern Unicycle technology… so if you guys could fill me in that would be awesome.
Re: Questions: buying a new Unicycle
have you been riding with the same unicycle in 9 years ? it should look like thrash. Buy a 20" Trial and ride some street is my recomend.
Simon
Yes, it does look like trash. I have a 20inch right now. It is way to small. It is the first and only one I have ever had.
This one looks like a good choice:
http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=791
It doesn’t’ have a splined hub, so it’s not going to be as strong as some others, but it’s plenty strong for the road and some cross-country. The advantage of having a square taper hub is the wider selection (and cheaper price) of cranks. The 127mm cranks it comes with is a good length for road riding for pretty long distances.
Others to take a look at are the KH24 (made for hard core MUni) and the Torker DX24 (not so hard core MUni).
Edit: Try searching this forum. There are plenty of threads on this subject.
but is not to smal, many uniryders have a 20". But do you ride MUni, trail, street, freestyle och what ?
Simon
Mostly street with some trail and muni mixed in.
By street, do you mean like street freestyle with hopping and grinding and stuff? Or just riding on the roads.
daniel
eljest is talking about some things that might not be so obvious
Trials (not to be confused with Trail riding) is about hopping and dropping and riding over obstacles one would not normally consider ridable with a unicyle.
Street riding (not to be confused with just riding on the street) is similar to Trials, but has an “extreme” skateboarder like additude. It often involves stair riding, grinding (using cranks or petals), and other stuff not normally associated with unicycle riding.
a very strong 20" unicycle is the preferred vehicle because of the precision required.
This, of course, is a gross oversimplification.
It doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a 20" “trials” or “street” unicycle, but probaly something you can ride on the street and on trails.
sounds to me like a 26" nimbus muni would be perfect for you.
http://www.unicycle.com/Shopping/shopexd.asp?id=746
since that’s out of stock, you could also consider going with the 24" version:
http://www.unicycle.com/Shopping/shopexd.asp?id=745
the 24 is only going to be a tad slower
-grant
Yeah, I’m not going to be doing any stunts anything extreme. I just want something that can handle a little offroading plus get me around town pretty good. The 20 inch I have right now is just to slow for the type of riding I do. That Nimbus looks like a good choice. Anybody have one?
Thanks guys!
I don’t have that particular uni, but my Muni is very similar. It has the same frame, a Suzuie hub and a similar rim. I have been riding it pretty hard and nothing has broken yet. If you are going to use it to get around town, and your town doesn’t have too many hills, I’d opt for some shorter cranks. I use 127s on my 26er and they are just about right for road riding. You will also want to get a slick tire if the uni is going to be spending more time on the road then on trails.
Daniel
I have only riden my 20 incher. How much of a difference is there between that and a 24 or 26? I can wait the extra month for the 26 if it will be the better choice for me.
There is a big difference in the different wheel sizes.
A 20" is extremely nimble but you can feel like a hampster trying to go any distances.
A24" is pretty much considered the “All round” size for a unicycle and this is always a good buy. It is still fairly responsive and can take you around town easily. Skills learned on a 20" transfer well to a 24" without much difficulty!
The 26’er and above tend to be for touring/commuting. A 26 can still make a great Muni or trials unicyle though. A jump to this size from a 20" will take a bit of practice (to transer the skills you no know to this size of tire).
Go for the 24" you’ll be glad you did.
Regardless, welcome to the forum and enjoy!
Thanks alot guys! I think I will go for the 24 incher. I can’t wait!
I do feel like a hampster riding around on my 20. I can ride a couple hundred yards and I am tired.
buy a RBR 48-inch Hi-Wheel Unicycle för 549$ if you wanna crous around.
Simon
What would be the main advantages for either of these unicycles?:
Nimbus:
Pro:
Wide frame and rim so it can accept a fat MUni tire. Square taper hub so you can change crank lengths easily and cheaply. 22.2mm seatpost is a common size for unicycles so it will be cheap and easy to replace.
Con:
Hub and cranks aren’t as strong. 22.2mm seatpost not as strong as Torker’s
Torker:
Pro:
Splined hub and cranks are very strong. Stronger seatpost.
Con:
Narrow rim and frame can’t accept fat tire. Splined hub and cranks mean you can only use Torker cranks and they are only available in 127mm and 152mm.
Both are good and worth the cost. I ride a MUni very similar to the Nimbus and I love it. Just understand that you can’t go too big on the Numbus because of the weaker cranks and hub. And you can’t really go that big on the Torker because you can’t put on a super fat tire, ie. 3.0 Gazz.
If you don’t plan on doing much hopping, dropping, or technical trail, go with the Nimbus. As long as you don’t put too much stress on the crankset it’ll serve you fine and you’ll be able to dig into just about any trail with that 3’’ tire. However, if you think you’re going to be going into trials at all, and trying out drops and the like, or maybe riding more technical drop-heavy trail, go with the Torker, because you won’t break it.
If I were you, I’d go with the Nimbus, and get a 3’‘X24’’ Dyno Fireball tire to go with it for urban riding. Then, when you feel like going on the trails, you can switch in the Duro it came with. I’m riding a 24’’ with a Fireball right now for urban short-range commuting, and it’s a marked improvement from my 20’’.
So, what are the advantages to a larger tire? And can I upgrade the cranks on the Nimbus if I need to?
A larger tire (diameter) will give you a higher “gear ratio” and allow you to travel farther per revolution. A larger tire (width) will give you a greater volume of air and make the ride smoother.
You can switch the cranks on the nimbus with any of these:
http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopdisplaysubcat.asp?id=2&cat=Unicycle+Hardware&Hsubcat=268&level=4&subcat=77&L2=Crank+Arms+%26+Parts&L3=Cotterless+Cranks
But none will be as strong as the Torker’s and you still have a weaker hub.