I am thinking about buying a 29"-er. But have some questions:
Which frame is best, I would think the round Nimbus I 29" that now fit the Big Apple since it is less likely to hit you knees on.
This thing about 28" and 29" is still a bit confusing. I think I have gotten the most of it, but. I think a 28" and 29" rim is the same, just the tires and innertubes is different. But why are there 29x2.1 and Big Apple is 28x2.5. Is the 29-ers larger than the Big Apple?
Rusty, Norway
A 28 or 29 is in fact a 700c rim with a different tyre on it. Very roughly, a 700c rim will produce a 700mm (28 inch) wheel with a normal road section tyre on it. Fit a bigger tyre and you get a 29 inch rolling diameter, but it is only roughly 29 inches. Bear in mind that 700c is a metric size, whereas terms like 28er or 29er are “Imperial”)
A bigger second number (e.g. x 2.3 or x 2.6) will produce a slightly biggger rolling diameter - IF you pump the tyre up hard. For many people, the advantage of a fat tyre is that you can run it at lower pressure to aid grip, comfort and control.
You’ll need someone who’s tried it to confirm which tyre will fit which frame. However, there’s no obvious reason not to get the longest forks you can, as it son’t alter the seat to hub distance. In a logical world, we’d each own one Coker- sized frame and swap wheelsets.
Is catching your knees really a problem, or an imaginary one? Surely in normal riding, even in quite difficult circumstances, good technique should prevent this.
Like Mike says all 29-ers are based on 700c rims. So a 29-er is the same as a 28"-er, just with a much thicker tyre.
But that thicker tyre makes a world of difference, much like fat tyres on munis do, in terms of comfort and ease of rolling over obstacles.
My 29-er tyre is towards the small end, being a Notos 2.1", and it just fits in a round top Nimbus 28" frame.
If I was doing it again I’d go for the new 29" Nimbus frame and probably the bigger of the Big Apples.
I didn’t realize there was a 29 inch Nimbus frame. Where did you see it?
Thanks, but what is the difference between a Big Apple and a 29"-er tire/tyre. The Big Apple says 28x2.5?
Rusty, Norway
nada in diameter but mucho in air volume!
Rusty,
I changed my 28", which had a 700 * 35 (or smaller) metric tyre into a ‘29er’ by fitting the 28 * 2.35 Big Apple. The frame, rim etc remained the same (although I had to shim the frame to get the tyre to fit).
The difference between a skinny tyred 28" (extremely twitchy and feels every bump) and a ‘29er’ (much less twitchy, more relaxing to ride, less discomfort if you hit a bump) is huge.
The 28/2.35 is a big tyre, and although the manufacturer calls it a 28" unicyclists, atleast, refer to it as as 29".
e.g. http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=473
Keith
But don’t knock the very special feeling that comes from riding a 28 with a skinny, high pressure tyre and short cranks. It is a very pure form of unicycling. Not for everyone, and not for every occasion, but everyone should give it a go.
In a way the entire concept of 29-er is potentially quite confusing.
All these 29-er tyres fit the same rim that 28" tyres go on (ie 700 c rim).
So 29-er tyres like the Big Apple are actually just very fat versions of the standard 700 c tyre, which are often labeled as 28" tyres.
Compare this with the fat tyres used on munis (24 x 3 i.e. a 3" wide tyre on a 24" rim).
As many here have observed, a set up like that actually has a physical diameter equal to a normal tyre and 26" rim combination.
Yet the 24 x 3 is not called a 26-er, whereas a 700 c with a fat tyre is referred to by it’s physical size of 29". It’s an inconsistency, and, as we’re seeing here, it can cause confusion.
It’s here on unicycle.uk.com: -
http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=142
Re: Thinking 29"
On Fri, 1 Oct 2004 14:49:46 -0500, “rusty” wrote:
>Thanks, but what is the difference between a Big Apple and a 29"-er
>tire/tyre. The Big Apple says 28x2.5?
Firstly, is there a Big Apple 2.5 now? When I bought mine in spring
2003, the BA’s came in 2.00" and 2.35".
Secondly, that the Big Apple is called 28 is probably because it fits
a normal 28" rim. Like others have said, the nomenclature of tyre and
wheel sizes is quite confusing. But once you have fitted the BA 28 x
2.35 on your uni, it surely is to be regarded as a 29’er.
“The more you think, the less you have to do. - Leo Vandewoestijne”
Thanks!
I just had a little problems with the labels some was called 28" and other 29"
Rusty, Norway