The 26-29 dilemma

[cosmotrkr]

I went thru the same delema, went with a 29". I ride a mix of xc and moderate to dificult MUNI and the switch was relatively painless, my 24 is collecting dust now.

The size difference was definitely noticeable freemounting and UPD’ing, but gets easier every ride, I dont really think about it anymore.

Riding distance is amazing and very do-able on the 29 compared to the 24, I cant speak to the ride ability of the 26".

As to size and getting it in a car, I drive a 2 seat Hyundai Tiburon, and with 1 of the back seats folded down it fits no problem.

Whichever way you decide to go enjoy!

[WheelieDaft]

I can fit my 29" in the boot of my Chevy Cruze, or on the back seat, comfortably, without changing the saddle height.

I’ve ordered a 24" MUni from UDC today, to fill the gap between my 20" and 29" so I can start learning to off-road ready for some more extreme charity challenges in the future.

(I have my eye on a 47 mile bridleway loop which is pretty rough going as it’s formed of old pack-horse trails through the Pennines…)

[muni_ben]

This thread clearly demonstrates that we need 27.5 inch unicycles.

[Cloudz]

What’s the difference between XC and Muni?

My newbies brain reads it like “Cross Country” meaning, dirt paths, gravel, hills, fields, anything not pavement. And “Muni” as also, anything not pavement???

Or is “muni” more rocks and super difficult crazy headcases? And XC is more where people walk their dogs in nature???

I’ve only been riding for just over a month now, and I really want to get a bigger wheel. I’m 5’2", never owned a bike, and I’m scared I won’t be able to get a 29" up some of the darn hills around here. But I know the difference in wheel size of a 26/29 will be huge in the comfort and rolling over roots/rocks… I also like the easy to impress tricks, like jumping onto or over stuff, hopping around, etc. Is that practical with a 29"??

[tholub]

@Cloudz

What’s the difference between XC and Muni?

My newbies brain reads it like “Cross Country” meaning, dirt paths, gravel, hills, fields, anything not pavement. And “Muni” as also, anything not pavement???

Or is “muni” more rocks and super difficult crazy headcases? And XC is more where people walk their dogs in nature???

I’ve only been riding for just over a month now, and I really want to get a bigger wheel. I’m 5’2", never owned a bike, and I’m scared I won’t be able to get a 29" up some of the darn hills around here. But I know the difference in wheel size of a 26/29 will be huge in the comfort and rolling over roots/rocks… I also like the easy to impress tricks, like jumping onto or over stuff, hopping around, etc. Is that practical with a 29"??

XC/MUni aren’t well-defined terms, but yes, typically I make a distinction between a MUni ride (rocks, rooty, technical) and a 29er/XC ride (can be on dirt, sometimes even some technical dirt, but more flowy).

5’2" is plenty tall enough to ride a 29er. Jumping and most other tricks are easier on a smaller wheel but they’re possible on a 29er.

[Nurse_Ben]

Muni is the uni equivalent of MTB, so that embraces a wide range of riding styles:

XC
Muni
DH

Wheel size is a different measure for unis than mtb, we do a lot more slow moving technical riding, so our standard width tire is wider for doing the same trails.

Maybe consider the terrain as a measure for what you ride, so rating mtb trails:
Begginer (green)
Intermediate (blue)
Advanced (black)
Expert (double black)
Extreme (triple XXX, fall and you get hurt)

Also consider which way you will plan to ride a trail, so to ride up an advanced mtb trail, you may need a lower gear and hopping skills, in which case a smaller wheel is better unless you don’t mind hiking (more).

You can ride technical terrain on any wheel size, so don’t let anyone tell you differently, it’s more a question of how well you can ride it, how much you’ll need to walk, etc…

Certain wheel sizes have an inherent advantage in certain terrain or with certain riding styles. For example, if you expect to do a lot of hopping, a 24" is going to be easier to hop than a 29". This doesn’t mean you can’t hop a 29" wheel.

In choosing a wheel size, it helps to know what you want to ride, but this can be a problem if you are planning ahead based on future skills development.

When I started riding muni, I planned to ride a uni on the same terrain that I previously rode mtb, so a mix of flowing single track to moderate technical terrain (roots, rocks, mud, drops 1-2’). I didn’t ride extremem mtb downhill, so I don’t expect to do so on a muni.

The biggest advantages of a large wheel are higher speeds and better terrain bridging. In places where a 24" has to be hopped, a 29er can often roll that same terrain. The downside of a bigger wheel is taller gearing, higher COG, and being generally more difficult to manage in extreme terrain.

[knoxuni]

When i rode MTBs i rode AM and dabbled in Free ride but once i started riding muni i got more into free ride than AM

[anton005]

@Cloudz

What’s the difference between XC and Muni?

I’ve only been riding for just over a month now, and I really want to get a bigger wheel. I’m 5’2", never owned a bike, and I’m scared I won’t be able to get a 29" up some of the darn hills around here. But I know the difference in wheel size of a 26/29 will be huge in the comfort and rolling over roots/rocks… I also like the easy to impress tricks, like jumping onto or over stuff, hopping around, etc. Is that practical with a 29"??

A 29er climbs surprisingly well, compared to a 26 and even 24. I recently mountain biked an area I had been riding on my 29 uni. I was blown away at how steep it was on a bike, for some reason I wasn’t noticing it so much on my uni, except that I was breathing really, really hard. I think a 29 will climb almost anything a mountain bike trail has to offer, with the exceptions of big obstacles in the climb, that is just too dang hard

[isitafox]

The best thing about buying the 29" is if you do find it’s a little on the big side just buy a new rim, tyre and spokes and you’ve got a 26".

[kahunacohen]

I got on my 24 yesterday (not muni, just on the road) and boy does it seem tiny. I know, once I get a 36, my 29 will feel tiny.

[mdskinner]

@mdskinner

Ok I’m convinced… Thanks for all your replies… Ill be ordering the kh29 tomorrow.

My want of adding “speed” is not to be able to go faster per say… More an attempt to increase efficiency at the same speed… I feel like I’m peddling far too rapidly to call it “efficient” (as I mentioned, time is not an issue)

I’m not worried about the learning curve… Its not meant to be easy… That’s all part of the fun

Thanks again all… I feel confident now
I’ll report my experience in the near future

So finally after almost an entire month it arrived yesterday.
Wow, its AMAZING!.

At first it took an hour or two before it no longer felt utterly foreign, I’ve been riding 127 cranks on my 24" and am starting out with the 150 holes on my duel hole KH moments. So quite a few new factors to throw into the mix. I’ve been riding for only two months now.

After adjusting to the new crank length, which felt weird, I realised I actually felt very stable on it and my riding quickly improved. It just feels so solid.

Swapping out 152 cranks for 127’s on my 24" a month ago I found I liked feeling of increased torque that it offered.
The 150’s on my new 29er felt like they had a fairly simular torque ratio, yet also far more power - as the leg had more leverage distance.
I think the increased stability was also due to the increased Q-factor. It felt like a stronger platform altogether, which helped with the confidence I think.

I’ve been still working on confidence with turning, always felt pretty sketchy, but suddenly on the KH29 I found I could do my first slalom-type turns and felt very comfortable and stable.
I was amazed it actually “felt” more responsive than my 24, obviously far less twitchy, but I felt like I had better control over it and therefore could turn with more confidence. Only in the space of a couple of hours.
I was not expecting that after what I’ve read about them.

Can’t wait to get out at the weekend and clock some miles.

Just thought I’d follow up as i said i would.
I’d be interested in anyones thoughts/responses to any of the points I’ve raised.

[unibokk]

Buy a 29er with 125mm / 150mm twin hole cranks.You can use the short crank setting for more speed and a long crank setting for a more casual roll. It’s a bit like having a 26er and a 29er all in one.

Hope this helps.

[unibokk]

Buy a 29er with 125mm / 150mm twin hole cranks.You can use the short crank setting for more speed and a long crank setting for a more casual roll. It’s a bit like having a 26er and a 29er all in one.

Hope this helps.

[unibokk]

Sorry I just realised that you had already purchased your 29er.Only thing I can add is…Have fun.

[Cloudz]

How long were you riding your 24" for? And did you step up from a 20" to the 24" before?

[mdskinner]

@Cloudz

How long were you riding your 24" for? And did you step up from a 20" to the 24" before?

Only two months, nope, straight from two wheels to a 24".
It was a solid two weeks before I had any control, (at least an hour each night) rather than just hanging on for dear life and hoping I’d stay up longer each time. I think the difference was learning to keep the wheel under me, rather than ‘me’ over the wheel. Making the adjustments in my legs rather than throwing my body weight around.

[skilewis74]

@mdskinner

I think the increased stability was also due to the increased Q-factor. It felt like a stronger platform altogether, which helped with the confidence I think.

The stability is mostly from the inertia of the larger wheel. More Q causes more high speed wobble and IMO more control & confidence at slow to moderate speeds.

29 is a good road/Muni do it all. In not too long you’ll b looking for an even bigger uni and hitting all your trails

I’d keep the 24 as a loaner, to learn basic tricks & other skills, and light trials (for which I’d get longer cranks).

[Leeway283]

Question for Nurse Ben

@Nurse Ben

Bigger wheels take more effort to ride, esp in difficult terrain, hills, etc… so for me it took a while to build up the skills to ride a bigger wheel.

I started on a 20", one week later I was riding a 24", one month later I was up to a 26". At one year I bought a 29", it was awkward to ride and I didn’t have fun, itfelt like my riding went down a level, so I went back to a 26" for another year, then I successful transition to a 29" at two years and never went back.

I have an ancient Schwinn 24-inch that I’ve ridden sporadically over the years. I didn’t start unicycling regularly until last May, when I bought a Coker. Even after almost a year, I’d say my skill level is at best advanced beginner. At this point, I can’t imagine doing muni with a 36", which is why I bought a 26-inch Nimbus.

I love riding both the unicycles, and my rides are always fun. But after reading your post, I started having second thoughts about the best way to hone my skills. Should I just suck it up and keep attempting to take the 36" on more difficult terrain? Or should I alternate between the riding the 36" on longer touring rides, and stick to the 26" for muni? Will the muni skills I acquire on the 26" translate easily to the 36"? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.