I’ve been saving up some money and after seeing the KH2017 lineup have that new unicycle itch.
My current biggest unicycle is a 26" and I’m looking for something a little faster. My main rides will be in a city (Washington DC and New York) though I’d like to also do some light trail riding as well.
While a lot of people on here rave about 36" my main concern about those right now is maneuverability and portability. Both cities can have a lot of stop and go traffic with crowds and I’ve heard repeated mounting a 36" can get tedious on longer rides. Also, I usually don’t have a car and rely mainly on public transportation. While I can get my 26" on to buses and trains without much fuss, I feel like a 36" would be pushing it.
I’m currently leaning towards a 29", but do y’all think this would be a meaningful upgrade over a 26" (also have people found 29" to still be public transport friendly?)? Or would a 36" still be a better choice for my current situation? Maybe go for a schlumpf in the 26"?
For reference, I plan to eventually get every major wheel size (and probably one geared) so if I didn’t get a 36" now, I would likely get one after I get a car and have settled down in one place. Also in case it’s relevant, I am 6’1"
If mounting is a concern on the 36er, I wouldn’t worry. If you learn a running mount and practice it, it’s extremely reliable and doesn’t take much effort. If I was doing public transportation, a 29er would be the ticket. A schlumpf would also work, but if you have to lock it up at all, I wouldn’t want that kind of worry. The 32 may also be a good option if you want more of a feel of the 36er (more relaxed while riding) but it’s not significantly faster than a 29er and side by side there isn’t that much difference. . . not nearly as much as a 26 to 29, despite the numbers seeming that way. Reducing the crank size is a quick way to gain large amounts of speed as well.
My preferred muni size is a 26+/29er. Throw some dual hole cranks on there and you have a reasonably competent sidewalk cruiser while still being able to rip on the trails with the longer crank size.
I wouldn’t tango with cars with anything less than a 36er, but that’s just me.
I bring my 29er on the bus to work and then ride it home 8 miles on paved trails, sidewalks and streets with lots of people and cars. I hesitate to move up to a 36er because I don’t think I can get it on the bus. My top speed is 9mph with 110mm cranks but usually average 8mph depending whether I have to stop at a light. I don’t feel the need to change despite getting encouragement to do so from other riders.
Two weeks ago I rode the 25 mile route on the Emerald ride. Took me three hours. I don’t mind being slow. If I wanted to travel faster I’d ride my bike.
I’d love to try a geared hub but its too expensive for me.
