I started unicycling last year and have been using a borrowed Torker CX 20", which is pretty beat up by now; I’m looking to buy a new uni and not sure what to get. I’m leaning towards the Torker LX 20", I mostly ride on flat terrain as I am a novice but would eventually like to do Muni/tricks.
Not looking for something overly expensive, I’ve heard that the Nimbus II and Semcycle XL are well-made, but they might be a bit much for what I’m doing.
What do you recommend? (I’m 5’3", 110 pounds, inseam length 29-30", ride a 20" cycle)
If your looking to get places a bit quicker and are thinking of getting into some muni then you might be best off going with the 24" Nimbus. It’s probably your best bang for the buck, and your skills will very soon be at a level where it won’t be “a bit much” for you.
If you are going for a better uni, try to scratch up enough funds for a Nimbus. Then you are in a good quality unicycle that will last you. You already ride so you know you like riding so I recommend a uni you are not going to grow out of.
Going from the CX to the LX is like going from a cheap beginner Uni to a better beginner Uni. It has a singled wall rim and square taper cranks. The nimbus has double wall rim and Isis cranks. Both of which are stronger and make the Uni more upgradeable in the future.
As to which Nimbus that is really your call and you need to take a look at what you currently want to do and what you want to do in the future. I think the Nimbus II 24" makes a very good all around Uni. It has Isis cranks and doublewall rim so it can take some abuse, and the larger rim is better for rough ground and riding any kind of distances. The stock tire will do some light muni in dry conditions. If you find yourself doing more Muni you can put a more burly tire on it.
So…I’m wondering if the build on the Nimbus II is any different than the Nimbus MUni (seat post, cranks, etc.).
I know the tires are different but the seats the same, and if I bought the MUni I would probably need a pavement tire like the Maxxis Hookworm for $40, if I got the Nimbus II I eventually might upgrade the tire to something heavier-duty like the Duro Leopard, $50. The two 24" models both come to about $330 on unicycle.com adding in the prices of another tire.
Are KH cranks substantially better than the Nimbus standard ones, enough to justify the $30 extra?
Any experience with unicycle.com? A good place to buy? Or are there better prices elsewhere?
The Nimbus MUni frame allows more clearance for a wider/taller tire than the Nimbus cruiser frame. The rim is much more substantial, and the cranks are much stronger. If you intend to do MUni, I would skip the more freestyle oriented Nimbus, and get the Nimbus MUni.
There are a few people who have put the Nimbus Venture cranks through some pretty serious tests, and they have come out pretty good. They aren’t as strong as KH Moments, but the are a lot lighter, and still pretty strong.
I have become a real fan of the Felt “Berm Master” tire as a great all purpose trail/pavement tire. If you plan on getting a more street oriented tire I can’t recommend it enough. I realized that I have put more MUni hours on it by far than on my Intense DH. As a result my Intense looks brand new, and my Berm Master is holding its own on the trails. It would be annoying to have to change my tire whenever I wanted to take the uni off the pavement, which would be pretty much true for the Hook Worm.