That is a beautiful video, Corbin, thanks for sharing.
Also, thanks for putting it where you did; I make quick little checks of unicyclist.com and don’t often go beyond RSU and Just Conversation, I would have missed it had it gone to the video forum.
heheh
its called todays posts if your not signed in ^^
So, geared KH24 or non-geared KH36??
Corbin,
Thanks for posting this great video. It is not often that we see geared unicycles on videos, especially 24", so thanks a lot for sharing your experience!
My question: which unicycle do you prefer for riding mildly/non-technical offroad? geared KH24 or non-geared KH36??
I am contemplating buying a new unicycle next year to have a good option for more speed (and distance). My goal is to have a unicycle that makes non-technical X-country riding enjoyable and that gives me the possibility to ride more with bikers (I have a KH24 and a KH29 so I am covered for the more technical stuff - I find I could enjoy something faster than the KH29 on some of the trails I am going to). Not interested at all in road riding at the moment.
I have narrowed down to 2 possibilities: KH24 geared or KH36 ungeared. Until I saw your video, I sort of convinced myself that the KH36 would be the best option for me because:
Appreciate any comments that might help me in my decision!
Teddy
Hi Teddy – well, for non-technical / non-steep offroad, I would prefer a geared 36. I know that wasn’t one of the options, but the thing is, simple fireroads can be ridden quite fast on a geared 36. We have a local “Rob’s ride” that we have done on geared 36’ers, and it is quite fun in the high gear (and sometimes scary).
Currently, I enjoy riding the geared 24 on any semi-technical or harder trail. I can (probably) ride the geared 24, in high gear, in the same places I could ride the ungeared 24, EXCEPT for going up steep hills – for those cases, it is easier to shift to the lower gear, and spin faster than I would normally spin on the coker, but still maintain the same speed.
If I were to compare the geared 24 to an ungeared 36, I would say the geared 24 takes a little more effort on every turn, and my top speed is probably slightly slower. I also think it takes a little more muscle to get going. But, I didn’t have much trouble keeping up with other cokers on one coker ride I did on it.
To answer your questions:
geared KH24 vs ungeared 36; I would prefer a geared 24. It gives you two useful gears; you can ride technical things on it in the lower gear, and crank up MUCH steeper hills than you could ever do on the 36. To go faster, you can simply shift to the higher gear. The disadvantages: requires more muscle power, and it has some learning curve.
>> I thought a KH36 would be more fun to ride at high speed than a geared KH24: banked turns, better rolling over obstacles, more stability. Do you confirm??
I think they are equally fun for banked turns. The KH24 is easier to roll over obstacles when in the low gear. When in the high gear, it is slightly harder for me to roll over (large) obstacles, that would be easier for me to roll over on an ungeared coker (ie: rolling up curbs – but it may get easier when i have more time on the guni 24).
>> The geared 24" option would clearly be more versatile, but do you enjoy it as much as a 36" at high-speed?
For me, the guni 24 is just as enjoyable. The unguni 36 is slightly more stable, and is definitely easier to ride fast.
>>How technically easy does the terrain has to be before you can ride it in high-gear, compared to riding the non-geared 36
I try to ride most things in high gear; but…people sometimes think I’m crazy. I also enjoy the challenge, and I tend to fall a lot in high gear. Most of these trails are things I couldn’t normally ride a 36’er on.
>>Can you do mildly-technical downhills in high-gear for instance?
Yes – and I can do more than mildly technical stuff in high gear.
>> How about climbing - any clear winner between the 2
It depends; for really steep hills, an ungeared 24 (or low gear 24) is better for climbing than an ungeared coker.
Overall, I’m definitely biased towards the geared 24". I think a person who doesn’t have a Coker yet, but loves muni, could easily get a geared 24 and be able to ride coker speeds when they want, and still use it for muni. Granted, the hubs are touchy; and I have had two that have had problems with them (on my 36’er frame, which I had improperly modified, and hence caused bearing failures), so that is something to keep in mind.
We are riding again this weekend…I’ll try to get more footage and post another review comparing it to a coker at some point.
corbin
Corbin,
Sorry I did not reply earlier (still catching up after the Christmas break…), but I really appreciate your detailed answer to my questions.
After reading your comments, my perception of the geared 24" is starting to change: from previous postings (e.g. from Kris Holm), I was under the impression that the 24" in geared mode was mostly useful to get to a technical trail or to go from one technical portion to another one - but not really rideable in (even semi-) technical offroad conditions. To me, that made it a nice-to-have uni, not a must-have.
Now with your experience of having fun with it in high gear offroad, on technical trails, it opens up the possibilities and makes it a much more attractive option to me… (keeping in mind that my technical abilities are nowhere near yours!). There are lots of semi-technical trails where I live so I could make great use of a geared 24"!
Oh well, I won’t be buying anything until April anyway - so I will keep an eye on the various Guni-related threads and videos…
PS: as for the geared 36" option, I discarded it early on as I don’t think I would dare riding faster than I can run!!
Teddy