Well, I did it. I just placed an order for the Nimbus Titan. My wife gave me the thumbs up :).
I saw my first 36er today, and it is different to see the real thing than just seeing the pictures or videos. Hard to get the feel for just how BIG it really is until you see the real thing!
I ordered the 150 Venture cranks, but just kept the stock saddle for now. Thanks again bluesman for starting this thread - you inadvertently made me dig into this more and ultimately decide to go for it now instead of waiting till next spring.
Now I hope I can figure out how to ride the huge thing!!
Not likely. My old big wheel (45" from 1982) still has the steel, cottered 165mm (6.5") cranks that came with it. Due to the fragility of that wheel, the worst thing for the cranks and axle would be dropping the wheel. I was always worried the axle would break someday, but I still have the original one. The wheel has been rebuilt however, with new spokes, rim and tire.
Would the cranks bend? Pretty much every time it got dropped. Then I’d take them off and beat on them with a sledgehammer until they straightened out again.
Once you sit on 36 incher, you’ll find it surprising how quickly it takes to accommodate. Most of the weight is in the wheel, not in the frame. That is why you possibly might like Coker V2 rather than Big One, since V2 has much heavier and more rigid frame. Rigid frame makes v2 almost twice the weight, but again they are equally difficult (or easy) to accommodate to.
The original Cooker button tire is light, but one might find it too soft on road camber and it tends to wear down quickly.
Of what? I’m guessing you mean twice the weight of the aluminum Big One frame? That’s sounds about right. The Big One frame is really light! I didn’t think to weigh them when I had them both loose.
So I tried weighing mine. V2 frame only, no bearing holders or bolts. We don’t have a scale that’s well suited to this type of weight; I tried two luggage scales and an electronic bathroom scale that also does body fat percentage. Analog luggage scale said around 1.6-1.7 kg. Electronic luggage scale (both of these are the kind where you hang the luggage from it) said between 3.6 and 3.9 pounds, or 1.65 kg. Bathroom scale was the most consistent, giving a reading of 3.8 pounds on several attempts in different positions. So all that leads me to say it’s in the neighborhood of 3.8 pounds. Not sure how that compares to other 36" frames, though Coker says the V2 weighs slightly less than the Nimbus frame. The Big One and KH are going to be the lightest, with the Titan probably right in between.
Weighing cycle components, without a really accurate scale, is a pain.
I would get that Titan for 450, and call them to see if they would swap out the seat + $ for a KH free ride ( UDC will often do stuff not listed on their site if you call and ask). Get some of those 10 $ PC pedals, everyone loves those.
Light weight is sorta overrated on street 36’s. I once added 4 lbs to my 36 wheel using 3 velcro strap ankle weights. Everyone on the forum thought I was nuts when I described how much better it handled. OK, I did take them off eventually, but it was pretty impressive how stable it became at speed (gyro force). If I go to a uni meet someday, I’m going to bring those weights, some things people have to try first, to understand. A heavy wheel has positive, as well a negative effects. I live in a flat place. At slow speeds, the weighted wheel felt about the same. At high speeds, it was impressibly smoother and had a feelable gyro stability.
So don’t worry to much about weight unless hills are common. Handle bars are maybe a bad idea starting out, you will likely crash and bend them. My wrist wraps look like they have have been attacked by rabid beavers. I don’t wear leg protection because it’s so hot here. You can save your bald knees with your palms if you have good wrist wraps. Bet on going down hard on your palms sometimes, more sure than death and almost as sure as taxes.
This is a valuable thread! Thanks for all the input!!
Thanks for the encouragement about being able to learn quickly. As of this weekend I now have a riding buddy here in Salt Lake (Community Handle = UPD in Utah), and he has a 36er so once it warms up I will be able to get up and going with some help! The main reason I want the V2 frame is for the rigidity. At 6’3", and as a road cyclist, I know about flexy frames. Whether horizontal or twist, I don’t like too much flex. But the other reason is that the V2 design has a cool aesthetic that just caught my eye the first time I saw it
I already have an extra KH saddle, so I just went with the club saddle so I could see what it is like. And yes, I ordered some of the $10 pedals because it seemed like so many people raved about them. I went with the 150 aluminum cranks, but also ordered some 170’s for the first while to learn with, then I will graduate to the 150’s later.
That is an impressive experiment, and makes a lot of sense to me. I ride pretty light weight wheels on my roadie, but there is definitely a trade off that I think would be much more pronounced on a unicycle. I am not worried about static weight at all (same as adding or losing a pound or two of body weight, which happens all the time with me - I fluctuate +/- 5 lbs all the time), and the rotational weight is the main issue. I don’t intend to race, and I will really want more stability as I learn, plus the added benefit of a great workout pushing that heavy tire I will not get into big hill climbs until much later when I am ready to tackle the challenge.
Yeah, I will get bars later. I think the PI bar is a good design, but it will be quite a while before I will want it. I wear gloves, and stiff wrist guards. At my height I have a long way to the ground, so I gotta wear the safety gear!
I saw a real Nightrider (not just pictures) yesterday for the first time. Based on what I saw I would imagine that the V2 and Nightrider frames would be pretty close in weight. Close enough that only an accurate scale would show the difference.
Perhaps all the arguments over what frame is better happen because arguing is so much fun! Variety is the spice of Unicycling, and of this forum
Short to say - I am way excited about getting a 36er, and to get it for such a great price. Then adding the V2 frame is going to be fun. As UPD in Utah and I rode our muni’s around in the snow and ice yesterday he reminded me that we are riding mostly to have fun, and I totally agree. :).
I think I just made some kind of record with the length of the post. But it was fun :D. Thanks again, and I will come back and let you know how the adventure is going.
I happened to have both a Titan frame and a KH frame unbuilt so I weighed them on a postal scale (I don’t know how accurate the scale is but it has good precision for relative weights). The Titan weighed 2lbs 4oz without bearing holders and hardware and 2lbs 8oz with. The KH weighed 1lb 9oz without bearing holders and hardware and 1lb 12oz with.
So it is the same in Unicycles as it is in road bikes; You pay a lot for big name brands, and as the weight decreases it is inversely proportional to the dollars spent to save that weight. In the end, it is also the same as in road bikes, or mountain bikes, or whatever else, if you are happy with it that is what matters. I ride century rides with guys that spent 3-4 times what I did on my roadie. I am happy, they are happy
Bluesman, hopefully you figured out what you wanted by starting this fine thread! :). I am very interested to hear back on what you buy, and how your learning is going as we will both be jumping onto the big wheel around the same time.
Well I went with the Titan and the upgraded Venture cranks in 150mm, and also a KH Freeride seat.
I figure even though it has no brakes, I can get started with a pretty nice 36er with a stiff frame, lightweight rim, and nice Nightrider tire and strong cranks. I will add a handle and possibly brakes as I (hopefully) gain skill.
Glad to hear this thread was motivational and pushed you to buy as well NOTSOYOUNGONE!
I think I made a good decision, but only time will tell. Thanks for the feedback
I will not get into big hill climbs until much later when I am ready to tackle the challenge.
Variety is the spice of Unicycling, and of this forum 