I’ve had my KH 29er for just under a year, but I’ve had the chance to do lots of riding with it and I really love it, along with my kh 24 & 36er as well!
So since I’ve shot a good amount of 29er footage, I thought I’d put together a “best of 29er” video, highlighting a variety of riding that shows its versatility! Starts with most recent footage from just yesterday.
This is also my way of saying “thanks” to Kris for making what I, and many, consider to be the best unicycles on the planet!
My KH29 used to be my main ride. I hadn’t been riding it since I got my 24 guni, but I pulled it out last week for a few morning rides and remembered why I love that 29er feeling!
I still use my traditional 24 MUni for shorter, more hardcore trails, but it just seems dead slow compared to my 29er! (because it is! :o) I’m seriously considering getting a 26er GUni, like KH rides! I think that it might just be the perfect compromise between the 24 and 29er, while still having the strength of a smaller wheel, while also providing more than enough speed on smoother singletrack, and for making quick work of boring fireroads and long dh! 
sounds perfect!!
For anyone that loves their Muni riding as much as you terry I can only say that getting a Gmuni is the best investment you can make for your enjoyment of the sport. If i couldn’t ride my G24 for some reason i would probably give up unicycling altogether- I just couldn’t go back to regular single speed riding.
Its a new challenge (the whole shifting/reading terrain process), means you can ride further, faster and all of a sudden- those trails that were kinda dull when you were on the 29 or 24 become an absolute hoot. You also get a machine that is capable of competing against mountain bikers in longer enduro style events- and a whole new world of MTB races and events open to you.
The one problem you might have is that you will be ditching your regular riding buddies for being too slow and taking up with the 2 wheeled enemy for company.
Mark
not enemy challenge!
Awesome video
MuniAddict,
I am looking for something that can handle keeping up with bikes on roads as well as doing some muni. Obviously the KH29 can handle the muni situations with ease. How fast are you able to go at a comfortable speed with the KH29 and with what size cranks? Also, would you recommend it for road riding?
Until the next big thing in uni-technology! I’m hoping to see a THREE-speed hub in the near future that also has a LOW gear!
Sounds awesome! I’ve noticed though that the price of the Schlumpf (isis) hub has gone up to around $1,500! I saw that UDC (NZ) is offering a 20% discount on the hub if you buy it with a complete uni. Not bad…except I live in the US! And I didn’t see the same deal at UDC US. 
I guess the main reason why I’ve hesitated buying one is because the two people I know who bought theirs–John Long and Chuck Edwall–both had their hubs FAIL! I was with John when his virtually fell apart, before we even got to the trail head! In fact, that was at least 2 years ago, and I don’t know know if he ever even returned it for repair/warranty!
He had told me it would have to be shipped out of the country to Florian, but I don’t know what ever happened in John’s case. I heard there were some serious issues and “bugs” that had to be worked out, troubleshot and improved, but I really just wanted to wait until they got all the issues addressed and fixed before I bought one.
Thanks much! Well, my highest “comfortable” speed is hard to estimate since I ride my 29er pretty much exclusively offroad, where there’s a huge variety in the terrain, making your speed inconsistent. But I’d say for smoother stretches of trail I can average around 10-11mph. I have the 125/150 cranks.
Sweet! I just built my KH 29 recently and have been loving it. Can’t wait to ride it on my first muni ride!!
You definitely showcase the abilities of the KH 29 well. Lookin forward to riding 29ers with you.
Terry, All those problems you mentioned were with the first generation of hubs and the internal bearings. Since then the hubs have been spec’d with larger bearings and I haven’t heard about any of these failing from those problems. I got a 1st gen KH/Schlumpf muni hub and had to get the bearings replaced after a few months which was disappointing. $80 postage and a 4 month wait but a new one came and i’ve been happy with it ever since. Since it was replaced i have not had any issues at all. In my opinion, the bugs have been worked out and the hub is a great piece of equipment.
Yes it is expensive, but that goes with the territory of being a part of a small sport with few manufacturers, let alone innovators like Florian. A top of the line MTB costs anywhere between 3-6K, so I don’t see the hub as that expensive in the grand scheme of things.
I’m sure after about a month of riding it you would wonder why you ever hesitated getting one in the first place. You might just want to save your big drops for your ungeared 24 though- One guy one these forums snapped an axle on his schlumpf with a pretty silly 5 ft drop.
You can always keep an eye out for 2nd hand Hubs as well. I got mine from Brazil, and just recently Eric bought Lunicycles GMuni24". I saved about $500 USD that way.
mark
Thanks for the video, Terry, it makes me want to go ride my 29er – except that’s what I did today! And had maybe one of my best MUni rides ever on it. Not sure why; possibly the right choice of trail, and maybe because I finally got the tire pressure dialed in just right for the trail! Anyway I did a fast 9.3 miles up in Auburn on it.
I imagine that may be the perfect ride for you. I’d like to have one too; my 24" MUni is seeming a little slow and heavy. It’s the unicycle I wanted at the time (2002); a unicycle that wouldn’t break. It hasn’t, but the wheel is probably overkill for my riding style. I don’t think I’ve ever even made it untrue… 
A 26" would probably be lighter, would be a little faster, and would open up a huge amount of choices in rim and tire. Add a Schlumpf hub and it becomes super-versatile (though a little heavier).
Note that MuniAddict’s terrain is probably not found in Indiana, so his choice of crank may not be a fit for you. I have 140s on mine, which is great for speed and poor for leverage. It works well for the less-technical, less-steep places I like to ride it. I’ve also used it with 150s. Since my wheel is not super-strong, I haven’t used anything over 160 since it’s better suited to fast, rather than technical.
You can definitely use a 29" for road, but it’s kind of a putt-putt compared to a 36". Unless it has a geared hub of course, but that ups the price by a lot! Otherwise, if your goal is to cover distance, I’d recommend the 36" unless you don’t have space to store it.
I don’t recommend waiting around for that, since nobody’s currently working on that I know of. It took a few years for a shift-on-the-fly unicycle hub to make its way from concept to the market. I’d get a Schlumpf sooner rather than waiting.
Also I too report that my own has had zero problems since I got it back in June, and I haven’t heard of any recently either.
BTW I think you should really think about taking a drive up here (preferrably with Chuck Edwall) for the Auburn Downtown Criterium on May 1. How often do we get the chance to go in a real unicycle race in front of hundreds or thousands of spectators, as part of a bike event with pro racers? We’ll be racing in our own category. Then we’ll have some sort of group ride(s) on the day before, since the race will be relatively short.
Hey Terry
The price of the hub didn’t go up, the value of the American dollar went down.
And yah you can always keep your eye out for second hand hubs. I got a whole G24 with all the bells and whistles for about the price of a new hub.
And if you are worried about warranty buying second hand don’t be. I sent Florian an e-mail making sure that warranty was transferable and he said that the warranty had nothing to do with ownership and if I had any problems within five years to let him know.
My G24 is going to become a G26. Looking forward to the transformation!
Might you be selling the 24" frame then? 
Originally I was thinking yes but a 26" wheel with moderate tire fits very nicely in there. It is an older frame (2007?) and has a really high crown. I will have to try some other tires in there but I think I might run out of width before I run out of vertical clearance.
I spent all winter riding my Surly 26 x 3.8 (Larry), but after deciding to try my hand at a MTB race I figured it was time to pull out the KH 29er.
It was a little wierd at first, because a 2.4 has a whole lot less cushion than a 3.8, but after a few shorter muni rides I went and looped our local riding spot, ~10 miles of roots, rocks, hills, and mud.
What can I say, it was soooo fun and fast, and it was less work!
My Surly is nearly the same diameter as the KH29 x 2.4 (Racing Ralph), but the KH is so much lighter, and it really works well when you can keep up your speed, just floats over stuff.
I still like my Surly, but I reserve it for really hard stuff and mucky/snowy conditions or for when I’m feeling lazy 
If I had the money to build a Guni, it’d be on a 26" with an LM, that way I could run a super fat tire like the Larry 3.8, a 3" Duro or similar, or even a tire as skinny as an Intense 2.5", all on the same wheel. I suppose it’s possible to run a Larry on a KH 47mm rim, just haven’t tried it.
I was told, name witheld to protect the innocent, that a Schlumph disc hub was in the future. Personally, I’m waiting for the disc hub and who knows, maybe a three speed with reduction for climbing and tech stuff.
Terry, see if Josh will hook you up in exchange for showcasing the new Oregon. Seriously, you gotta try the Larry, it’s amazing and the tire is no heavier than an Intense 3", just a hair shorter than your Dissent 29", and it has cushion to spare.
Oh yeah, the question about crank length: I ride 170’s on all my unis (26, 29, 36) and I have a 33" inseam. Longer cranks give me the power I want for climbing and the control I like to tech stuff, spin rate is the same, so the only difference is the arc the foot moves in. I rode 165’s and when I bumped to 170’s I was “suddenly” able to climb steeper hils, so 5mm does make a difference.
For road I’d ride the shortest crank possible, as long as I could still climb okay, so maybe a 135 or even a 125.
Hey, just a heads up, but I ordered a Maxxis Ardent 2.4, arrives on Monday.
I’m hoping to find a tire that’s little more robust that the RR 2.4, while not being so much rubber and stiffness like the Dissent. Supposedly the casing is as big as the RR 2.4, but with an armored sidewall and a little more tread.
I do like my RR 2.4, but it’s not so great for slimy stuff and that thin sidewall makes me nervous 
Thanks Dane. You did great on our FIFTEEN mile 29er MUni today at Cheeseboro canyon! You have definitely improved tons, and after only a few months at MUni, you knocked out a 15 miler! Congrats!
Thanks for that info Mark, I feel a lot better about ordering one now! But after thinking about it, I may just buy the hub alone, and lace it to my existing 24 MUni! I thought hey, a 26er is only a couple inches bigger, and if I put the hub on my KH 24, I can retain my LM setup and it will be stronger!.
And in high gear the effective diameter will still be equivalent to a 36er, and for MUni I’m sure that would be plenty fast; probably faster than my UNgeared 29er, right? Btw, does anyone know if I can order the hub from UDC US? I searched the site and could not find it anywhere! 
Thanks John. Glad to hear you had a killer 29er ride! And no, I wasn’t planning on waiting for a 3-speed hub, I just was saying that i hope to see it someday. And thanks for the invite to the race event. I would love to attend, even though you and Chuck would likely leave me in the dust, haha!
haha yeah, about the state of USD! I will definitely keep my eye out for a possible used hub, as long as it’s the newest gen, or an upgraded 1st! And I bolded your above 24 reference because now I’m leaning towards keeping my kh 24 workhorse, since I have it custom dialed in with so many upgrades, plus I’m just so used to it, that all I really need is to rebuild the LM wheel with the Geared hub!
Yeah they are so light and nimble! So I guess when I make my 24 MUni into a GUni, I will most likely not need my 29er, so I’ll prpbably sell it. And by keeping my 24 and GUni-fying it, I won’t need to sell it, since I won’t have a new 26er to take its place!
Thanks Terry, Jeez I just barely got home! Gonna take a hot bath now. My first muni ride with my KH 29, loved it!
Hoping to see you with a 26 Guni soon, that will be sweet.
I was mentioning a little earlier in this thread, that I’m now thinking I should just keep my kh 24 MUni and simply rebuild it with a kh schlumpf MUni hub! It’s only a couple inches smaller than a 26er, and if I did get the 26er, my ungeared 24 would likely just be gathering dust!
This way, I can keep my favorite hardcore MUni with all the upgrades, like the LM rim, cf components and so on. It’ll just be waaaay faster, which will be a welcome relief from those times when you’re on those long, boring stretches, and wish you could speed things up. And of course, it will make the less technical stuff more fun to blaze through.
Yup thats exactly what i did to my 24". New hub, but kept the same components. The only thing you might like to add to your muni is a decent handle. I don’t rate the t7 or the KH handle (too flimsy)- so I put together a ghetto custom one. It is great for smashing fire trails in high gear, but also good for technical sections after a little bit of adjustment. I don’t miss my front bumper or having to use a spooner at all any more. You can see pics of it at my blog.
mark