What size muni should I get?

General
1

Last year for my birthday I bought myself a cheap 20" unicycle. I’m want to get a nice one I can take off road.

I’ve been looking at the 24" or 26" wheel. The majority of my riding will be around the neighborhood with my kids.

What size of wheel and what size of cranks 150mm or 165mm?

Any suggestions?

2

A 26" will give you a tad more speed, & a better selection of tyres. If I was using a 24" I’d pick a 24x3 (i.e. with a fat 3" tyre) which would be almost the same effective size as a 26". Though with a 26" your ability to get tyres will be ‘future-proof’ whereas 24x3 tyres not so much.

For cranks, I’d get 150- anything longer is IMO, overly awkward and sluggish on those wheel sizes.

3

Agreed… for the description and options given, a 26" with 150’s sounds best.

But it won’t be long before your kids are riding faster than you can. You might wish you had a 29 or 36 at that point!

4

What kind of terrain are you looking at? The thread says muni but you say around the neighborhood… but I’ve got a little single track hidden here and there around my neighborhood so maybe you’re in the same category.

I think the average suggestion is to get a 24" muni to handle real technical terrain. I can’t really comment as the smallest wheel size I’ve tried on single track is a 26". The 26" just seems to fit my height better.

If you’re looking at trying to keep up with a kid on a bike where technical aspects of the trail are not a factor it may be best to get the largest wheel you feel comfortable with.

Edit: Oh yeah, the cranks. 150 all the way. Heck even the 150s feel a laboriously long at times with the 24-26 wheel sizes.

5

What they said…

Riding my 26er with 137mm cranks I can comfortably keep up with my capable six year old going full tilt on his 16" bmx. Once they start riding much bigger wheels or something with gears, that can lose you if they really want to.

6

Thanks for the comments you’ve convinced me to get the 26".

Where is a good place to order one. I’ve been looking at unicycle.com.

Thanks!

7

Unicycle.com is a good place.

Don’t be afraid to look at 29" ones as well

8

Depends how big your kids are - on my 26" with 150s I can just about keep up with my 5yo (and he’s pretty fast on a bike for a 5yo). Though as mentioned, that’s on a bike without gears. I really shouldn’t be putting off getting him a bike with gears just because it means I won’t be able to keep up on a uni should I (I suppose I’d keep up on my roadie 29er with 125s, but that’s far too much hassle when he’s stopping and starting)?