I just got a 36 a month ago and I have to tell you that the thing is a hoot, much more fun than I thought it would be. Against my better judgement I bought the nimbus stealth. I just didn’t want another blue uni. I’m fine w the decision but I realize the KH is superior: better frame (stronger, lighter), better brake system (the outboard disk makes a better stronger wheel), better seat (fusion one, not the zero), and better cranks (lighter, stronger, and I like the +q factor).
I got the stealth because my stable is already full of KH unis. Not a great reason but there you go–I don’t like sameness. It’s still a good uni, tho. But I think the KH stuff is superior, esp the brake setup. I can get the disk to rub on the stealth when reefing on the cranks, too; not sure if the KH disk can be made to drag w torque but it hasn’t happened with my KH24 w outboard disk.
I was hoping to avoid another blue uni when I was looking for my 36 but I was getting close to giving in and buying new KH after two years checking pretty much every day on eBay and Gumtree.
Then one day, there it is, a Triton 36 in all its Titanium glory, with a carbon fibre saddle base, two sets of Spirit dual hole cranks (125/150 & 137/165), two disks, two pairs of Shimano Saint pedals, a T bar plus an extra KH 29 inch wheel.
I had to replace the seat post which was too short for me. I have just built a Stealth2/Nimbus hub wheel after the new Nightrider Lite blew off the old Stealth rim. (The Stealth2 has a far superior retaining lip.)
The Triton frame is as rigid as it gets. They do have a big crown which I got used to touching with my knees occasionally. There is no finish like Titanium. It looks like a precious metal.
Carbon fibre bases are great. No need for the stiffening plate with the Tbar.
The top speed of a 36 is awesome but after several months on my 36 I realised I was slogging it. Lower cadence on longer cranks. Where I ride mostly on footpaths it wasn’t that much faster than my 29 because I couldn’t get up some of the hills. Bending flat to get under overhanging trees also slowed me down.
I started hankering for a small light wheel for a change and to get back into high cadence. So my favourite ride at the moment is my 26 with a Maxxis DTH foldable bead tyre and 114 Venture cranks. It only weighs 5 kg and feels like the uni equivalent of a sports car.
Approaching your spin limit on the 36er courts heavy consequences for sure. Knock on wood!
You can probably exceed run-out speed on your uni-ferrari too but the consequences won’t be so extreme so there’s wisdom in that. Maybe I’ll put a slick and shorties on the 29r…
Is a king George a good tire ? Considering how often I will ride the tire might last a lifetime. I can get a great price on the qu-ax and that’s the tire on it.
I’ve never ridden a King George, only an original Nightrider. Having read all the comments recently about the new lighter Nightrider, I wouldn’t consider buying a new 36er with anything else. Have a look at this thread.
UDC UK lists the Nightrider Lite as being cheaper than the King George too?!? Shame it isn’t in stock, and shame it might not be the best fit for my older Stealth rim.
That said; there are relatively few options and they are all pretty good. The King George isn’t the newest, lightest or most popular despite apparently being the most expensive.
The King George runs quite and smooth and will last a long time would I pay more than a night rider no , I am unsure of the new light version as I love the big heavy wheel feel on the flat sections but understand the benefits.
King George is the tire that’s more geared toward off-roading, but I’m told it runs fine on pavement as well. I have one, but haven’t tried to wrassle it onto my old Coker’s Aero rim yet. That would turn it into a sort-of 36" Muni…
I have older versions of the Nimbus Gel and they’re great. If you don’t ride a lot of miles, consistently, I’d go for not Fusion. That’s just based on my own experience, but the Fusion is for the serious rider of lots of kilometers/miles. And is better with a handlebar.
I’m going to tend to agree with Leeway, who said to allow looks to count as part of your decision. But I am not going to attempt to say which one looks better!
I did find it interesting that more than one person above said they specifically wanted a unicycle that wasn’t blue. I feel ya. I was tired of blue when all Miyatas came in blue (except the yellow 16-inchers), and everything Tom Miller (The Unicycle Factory) made was almost the same shade of blue as today’s KH unis! Don’t get me wrong, I have two KH unis now, and ride them more than all the others combined…
What didn’t last, the KH29, the saddle, or your crotch? I feel your pain. The One was a big improvement.
That’s also good advice. Get comfortable riding, mounting and dismounting first, before adding that next level of complexity.
I’ve slid down the tarmac at over 20 kph from both the 26 and the 36. With sliders it is not the speed that matters but how fast you stop.
The 36 is a little bit further from the road but it you are going fast there is plenty of horizontal velocity. My worst fall was straight down from a 20. That sudden stop.
I rider smaller wheels mainly to build my cadence. I also ride a 20 inch with 100 mm cranks down sloping footpaths to feel the foot speed then try to transfer it to bigger wheels. At least with a 20 I can run out of anything.
The 26 is scary enough to be stimulating, making me take the ground speed seriously enough to focus properly.
Is it really?! I’d avoid the Qu-Ax altogether then. Especially if Thumper uni thinks there’s a frame flex issue.
It isn’t frame flex that Pierluc was worried about when the hub was mentioned, it’s the requirement to dish the wheel to make room for the disc within the 100mm spacing of the hub. Two problems then (but frame flex is a separate one)!
There will be asymmetric tension between the spokes on each side. This is fine on a smaller wheel but on such a big rim it’s going to be easier to lose tension on the non-disc (lower tension) side under high radial loads.
For a unicycle versus a bike the lateral strength of the wheel is also more important and a narrower hub gives you less of this.
External disc 100mm hub or internal disc 125mm hub for me, certainly on a 36er. Is this perhaps why there’s no Qu-Ax RGB 36er?
My bad, I misread the quote/response. Yes, I believe that the Qu-Ax 36ers are 100mm asymmetric wheels. That always looked a bit too narrow to me, but maybe in the real world they’re ok.
The q axle hubs look strong there is such a small tolerance between the calliper bolt and rotor that it would only take a small flex to touch I could file the bolt head down to stop it touching but it only happens when I put max backward pressure on pedals .
I don’t yet own a 36er. I am also concerned about the asymmetrical 100mm wide hub. I am a heavier rider and occasionally do stupid things on my uni. Recipe for breaking spokes. Anyhow, things are typically pretty dry in Southern California, and I’m contemplating using a rim brake rather than a disk brake. I’m not sure if that’s compatible with the current choices for wheels. Also, I’m a little confused regarding differences in stiffness in the frames, described earlier in this thread. I like a tight setup, but I’m wondering how much difference there is in flex between two frames…and how that manifests itself. I’m contemplating buying/building a 36", and it’s going to have a Shadow Handle on it. Maybe someone else can comment on the amount of flex felt in the bar ends…if it is related at all to the stiffness of the frame.
