Recognizing a Nimbus Nightrider Lite

Is there any way to visually recognize a Nimbus Nightrider Lite over a regular Nimbus Nightrider? I can’t remind of a difference between them except their weight.
Thanks!

I didn’t notice any visual difference so far. You might be able to learn to distinguish by pinching them with your fingers. But then again that’s not exactly a visual cue.

You might have to wait for a new version: Nimbus Nightrider Lite’n’Labeled as such. :upside_down_face:

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Thanks! I am looking at remotely buying a second-hand KH but the current owner doesn’t know which version it is. He sent me a few pictures but I can’t find the version either. Having a Nightrider Lite is great. Having a basic Nightrider sucks. So I wanted to know which version it is before buying it - or not.

Wait. I just checked again carefully. So here I got

  • a regular Nightrider with “Made in Taiwan” on the sidewall
  • and a Nightrider Lite with some small code “IA-1231-01” next to the writing “36x2.25”

These features are unique to each of these tyres.

Please note that I can’t tell you for sure that this is a way to distinguish Lite and regular. I only got those two tyre “samples”. These differences might only tell you when they were produced, not which version it is.

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my Nightrider Light has also the IA-1231-01 code

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They start IA-? Are the made under contract by Innova tires because that sounds like their tyre codes.

I recently (as in last week) bought a UDC Trainer 36" (new rider here). It also has the IA-1231-01 code on the tyre. I doubt that it came with a Nightrider Lite though, unless some parts has been changed/repackaged before sent to me? So, which one do I have?

Anyway, here is a link to the post about the Lite tyre where @rogeratunicycledotcom give some insight into the production → New 36” tyre

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I wonder if this is Innova based on the tyre code starting with IA-

As I understand it, the lite tyre is the only one now being manufactured now so once the warehouse stock of the heavier version has gone, all unicycles with Nightrider tyres will come with the lite one.

If that’s the case, well that’s a nice bonus I didn’t expect!

I do remember thinking that the tyre walls felt quite thin/flimsy for such a large wheel when assembling. However, since I do not have any previous experience with 36" I didn’t think much more about it.

Yes, IA is Innova, they are the company doing them now.

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Ah, thanks for confirmation. I’ve had some good experience with Innova, so nice to know.

Is the lite that much of a better tire? Can you really tell a diference?

Weight wise, absolutely. Losing 400g of rotational mass that far out on the wheel massively changes the feel of things.

If you’re running a lightweight tube then in my opinion the heavier tyre is slightly better off-road due to the thicker sidewalls, but the lite one is substantially better on-road, especially if you run shorter cranks.

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Eh, personal preference. I prefer the riding feel of the heavy version on all surfaces. On the road it corners much more predictably, and on dirt it’s much less bouncy. I just find it more relaxing and enjoyable to ride.

I’m sticking with the light version for now, however, because it makes mounting easier for me.

I know what you mean about predictability, but I find that the lite tyre does more of what I want, even if it doesn’t cruise over bumps quite so effortlessly. It’s more skittish, but reacts faster when I ask it to.

On cornering, the older tyre would almost resist cornering and be weird on road camber, and both of these issues disappeared for me with the lite tyre with its slightly rounder profile. I’ve got to give it 10PSI or so more, but it goes into turns with far less effort.
With lower pressures it doesn’t like to come out of turns though.

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I really enjoyed the feeling of hard cornering with the heavy tyre. I could throw my weight into the corner and it felt very satisfying. I have to be careful with the light tyre as it has a tendency to oversteer if I lean too hard. As you say, it turns much more easily.

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What about audible differences?! We just were

  • riding a regular one – making almost no sound at all,
  • riding a lite one – making a very distinguishable and clearly audible high-pitched noise when riding on the street.

Is this the way how to audibly distinguish lite from regular?

Note that both were mounted on aluminium rims. Yet the lite one was mounted tubeless and the regular one wasn’t (and ran a butyl tube instead)! So maybe this difference of sound profiles is not or only partially related to the tyre’s version.

What do you hear?

The sad part was that I was looking for remotely buying a second hand uni and I couldn’t check the sound of it.
But that can be a good hint otherwise! Thanks :slight_smile:

I can’t say I noticed much of a difference in sound or a particular whine from my lite one. Both with Foss tubes.