For nearly three years now I’ve really enjoyed my Yuni 29er (which has a stealth black powder-coated frame, a nanoraptor tire, and a rail adaptor-equipped and comfortably tilted Kris Holm saddle). When I’m not riding the GB4 Coker, I’m pedalin’ my Yuni 29er. --carl
I dont have any experience with it, but if you go 26" try the nimbus. The Yuni is good too though. Either the Yuni or the Nimbus are great 26" uni for the price.
I’m new here and thought I’d get some good advice but after a hundred and a few more views I’d have thought this chatty bunch would’ve chimed up a bit more. Perhaps I’m too cheap eh?
If you can afford a unicycle, no matter how bad it is. You’re not a cheapy. Also welcome to Unicyclist.com t-square. If you need any help with unicycles or having problems with them, eg. maintenance and buying. Feel free to ask me or anyone else on this forum.
Why? Why? Why? I’ve heard some good things about Bedford. Seen some nice pics. Heard Darren walks on water. Website is useless, as is the outdated price list. I’d love to see some pics of a [built] B29.
Well buy a cheap unicycle like what my 1st unicycle was. Then move to a Torker LX or DX. That’s the best decision i ever made but i sold my LX to a good friend of mine to buy a giraffe.
What kind of terrain are we talking about here? If it’s mostly smooth trails, without an abundance of rock gardens and roots, I’d suggest the AX–it comes with a fat tire (2.3; fat for a 29er), and the same hub/cranks as the LX, which can take a fair bit of abuse, I’m told. The weakest spot appears to be the rim, which is single-walled.
I’m tempted by that uni myself, but the trails I ride have tons of rocks, and many, many small drops (most from 6-18") that can’t be avoided. Because of the terrain, I think if I end up with a 29er, I’ll be going with a KH so that I don’t have to worry about breaking it (I’m also in the clydesdale class, weight-wise).
If you’ll be riding through unavoidable rocks, definitely get a unicycle with a 26x3" tire. People say that size is nearly the size of a regular 29" tire. If you won’t need a strong hub and cranks, then get the Nimbus 26" MUni. A 29x2.1" or similar tire (like the nanoraptor on my Yuni) just isn’t any good with decent rocks/roots on a trail.
Great in-put so far. Thanks to all that have posted.
I guess I’m trying to figure out what compromises I’m willing to make in order to make a decision about size. I’d like to do some not-so-difficult trails (no drops or major hops but but be able to roll over occasional roots and rocks) AND have the option of riding to work if I wanted (10 mi. round trip).
Perhaps I want too much from one uni but what I’ve dug up from the forum here is that a 29" might be best as a dual purpose. But I do like the idea of having lots of tires and rims to choose from in the 26" arena.
As for brands, Nimbus and Bedford sound like they’re more popular at this price-point. I haven’t heard a lot about Semcycle or Yuni. Dare I mention Pashley? Strength and reliability with room to upgrade is what I’d like. The new aluminum framed Torker AX 29 looks good but I fear it may not hold up as long as I’d like.
As for the Torker AX 29, it’s a torker so you know you’re getting your moneys worth. Bedford make some nice BC wheels if you’re interested. So does nimbus. Umm…yeah I’m happy with the selections i made and plan to have more by years end.
Oh and b4 i forget, my next unicycle will be a kangaroo unicycle.
I’ve got the 26" Nimbus and it’s treated me well thus far. I’m not a great uni’er, and our trails aren’t super difficult (some samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4gnhZviIE4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvoMrmltbXw). If I were to really get into muni, I’d probably prefer a smaller wheel, and if I were really into distance riding, I’d definitely like something bigger (probably my next purchase). The Nimbus holds up well for what I do, though, and is a good compromise.
Issues: watch out for loose cranks…make sure the bolts stay tight. If they start to loosen, they’ll wear and then you’ve got problems. Other than that, I just make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight before taking off and go cruise.
Easy solution … spend more money, and get the new and improved KH29. It now comes with the dual-hole cranks, so you can put your pedals at the 150 mm hole for more power on the muni trails, and swap them into the 125 holes for smooth spinning to work. I’m seriously giving this uni thought myself now because of this feature. You’ll never break it, and it’ll serve exactly what you need. Two unis in one–what could be better? Can you tell I’m rehearsing my responses for when I’m asked “Why did you need another unicycle?”
Sounds ideal. If I had that kind of money to spend I’d do it but I don’t.
Right now I’m leaning toward the Nimbus 26 MUni. Posssibly a Yuni. (the frames look almost exactly the same. Are they?) Until I get better I might wait to step up to the 29er for light trail riding.
I’ve been looking into this as well. I currently own a Qu-Ax 20" trials, which is perfect for my trials/street riding, but I want to go faster. It just isn’t practical to take my 20" wheel on the 10 mile rides I like to take from campus to Walmart and back. If I could afford it, I’d go with the KH29" without a doubt. But as a college student, with no job…that’s never going to happen.
Anyway, I want to go BIG. I can’t really afford any cokers, so I figured a 29" is the best choice for me. I’ve had my mind set on the Nimbus 29" Touring Unicycle SE. I figure with a paycheck or two over the summer I’ll be able to afford it. Because I have my 20" trials, I really don’t need my 29" to be able to tolerate a substantial amount of abuse…but I still don’t want to break it. I set my mind on the Nimbus because it comes with 125mm cranks, and like i said, I want to go fast. I guess my question is, what will this uni withstand? Like i said, I don’t intend to take this uni down drops or really rough terrain…but I’d like it to get me around. (ie: going up/down curbs, small drops, and what about riding down stairs?) Would you recommend a different uni under $300 for what I’m looking for?
EDIT: and sorry for threadjacking. I’m not really though, I’m just looking for the same thing you are.
I have the AX-29 and wouldn’t take it on anything technical. I don’t regret buying it as it is a nice uni and affordable as well as versatile enough to use on pavement as well as light trails. Big enough for longer distances too. The Exiwolf tire can mow over roots and currently seems limited only by my lack of skill. Too many roots though and I doubt even skill would make a big difference.
Oh, and let’s not forget weight. At 12 pounds it is really sweet.
But if I had the money I would have gone with the KH. Just knowing that it is solid enough to take abuse and my weight would put me at ease.
Stout enough for a 200 lb. rider.
--carl